Skip Navigation

I got my first cat!

Hey I got my first pet and since its my first pet I don't know really know how to show my love to her, so far she really hates getting touched.

Any advise would be lovely

16 comments
  • Be gentle and let her take her time to adjust. No sudden movements or loud noises. If she doesn't want to be touched then it's best to not touch her. She'll adjust eventually.

    When I encounter a new cat, I offer my hand for a sniff, and if the cat acts scared or foes away, then I leave them alone. If they seem chill with it, I touch them a bit and see how they react.

    I recommend reading or watching videos about cat body language. Also, remember treats and the slow blink!

  • Cats like the slow blink. When your looking at them and you make eye contact, slowly close your eyes, wait for a few seconds the slowly open them. Then avert your gaze.

    As someone that's allergic i have noticed that the more I ignore them the more they love me, which is fine with me as long as I have my allergy meds.

  • Don't try to move things along too quickly. Let her hide somewhere she feels safe until she's ready to come out. Give her nice food to eat and a clean litter tray. Let her come to you - don't try to stroke or hold her until she's ready for it. Learn basic cat language - narrowing your eyes and looking away is a sign of friendship. When she gets close enough, stroke the side of her face to show you like her. When you get closer, bumping noses is the cat equivalent of kissing.

  • I don't have a lot of experience with cats specifically, but pets need time to get used to a new home. This can take up to three months.

    If this is day one, give them some space, blink slowly at them; let them know you're gentle and there if needed.

  • I've always had a lot of success with holding out my hand towards the cat, palm down, limp, and allowing the cat to inspect it in their own time.

    I've heard this is also a technique from experts, but I just found it when we had a cat. It seems to work on dogs too.

    It's non-threatening, and it doesn't put any pressure on them for a response. Just get it close enough to be just outside their personal space. If they stretch their nose towards it to sniff, you can bring it closer, and then you may just get the coveted nose bump and cheek nuzzle.

    You may also get the, "what are you doing, you freak, leave me alone" body language, in which case you just have to wait and try again later.

16 comments