First days with your Maine Coon kitten. How to help your kitten adjust.

The first week with your new fur baby is both the most exciting and potentially the most frustrating too. Here are some helpful tips to help you and your new kitten adjust.

Expect your new kitten to cry for the first few days. Know that this a normal process of them being separated from their mother and litter mates and being in a new environment. (Note: it is also okay if your kitten doesn't cry, there's nothing wrong with that.)

Make sure to introduce your kitten to the litter box when you get home. I recommend that you start off using the same litter that your breeder was using. And if you want to switch litters, slowly mix the litters until your kitten becomes adjusted to your new preferred litter. Doing this helps your kitten continue using the litter box. Quickly changing litters could cause your kitten to use the restroom outside of the litter box, which obviously isn't ideal!

It is also a good practice to have your kitten in a supervised room for at least the first day as she is getting accustom to her new home. Losing your kitten in the entirety of your home isn't ideal. Allow him to explore, but supervise him in new rooms. This is particularly important if you have any areas that you want "cat free" or want to have off limits to your kitten.

Having a variety of different cat toys for your kitten to play with is essential and helps stimulate your kitten's brain. A toy could be something as simple as a straw that they swat and carry around.

It is also important and helpful to hold and pet your kitten often, especially the first few days. It is also highly recommended that you spend a lot of time touching your kitten's paws. This helps make the nail trimming process much easier, especially as they get older.

Food: Make sure that you feed your kitten the food that the breeder was using for AT LEAST the first week. If you want to switch foods, that is fine, but make sure it is a high quality food! Gradually mix the two foods for about 1-2 weeks until your kitten has had time to adjust to the new diet. If you do not gradually introduce the new food your kitten could experience some serious tummy issues, in which case you will pay in a different way. Maine Coons have sensitive stomachs so this is even more important with them.