Bringing Home Your F1 Baby

F1s tend to be more sensitive to their surroundings and changes to their surroundings so sometimes going to their new homes can be a bit stressful for them. They also need time to get to know you. For this reason we strongly recommend having a separate room/area set up for them for when they arrive at home. This could be a spare bedroom or bathroom. Honestly a smaller area like a bathroom works a little better, especially if your baby seems to want to hide upon arrival. They will need to have their food/water/litter box easily accessible. You will be coming home with a sample pack of Royal Canin Kitten food if you are picking your baby up locally. If shipped we cannot send the sample so you will need to be sure you have the food prior to your baby coming home to you. We use Kitten Attract or ScoopAway Multi-Cat litter so that is what I would recommend having at home. We try to minimize changes for the babies during this transition so having the same litter is important.

Some babies will be more outgoing and never act a bit scared when transitioning to their new homes. They come out of the carriers wanting attention and are glued to you. That is the scenario that we strive for. Others may be a little shy acting and even hide initially. We spend A LOT of time with our babies to ensure that they are social and loving however some are naturally more shy than others and the relocation to their new homes can exacerbate this, causing them to hide or even hiss/growl at you from fear. We cannot predict with certainty what your go home experience will be like as each kitten is different and may act differently in the stress of relocating than they do here with us. If we know that your baby is shy we try to tell you that up front. We usually have a pretty good idea and we believe in full disclosure. Some babies just pick up a little more of the ALC traits in terms of temperament. This can be overcome and your baby will bond to you but he/she will need a little more time to adjust to their new home. It is important that you spend a lot of time with them during this adjustment. Stick/feather toys are wonderful things for bonding. If a kitten is shy he/she will usually respond to the stick toy and will come out to play with you. These little ones are super playful! That is step one in building trust with your new baby. If he/she does not want to come out and play it may mean that he/she is still too overwhelmed and is scared. Be patient, this will pass. Just keep spending time in the room, offering a toy to play from time to time, even if it just means sitting in the room and talking to your baby. If your kitten is responding this way and is not already in a smaller secluded room like a bathroom where there are limited areas to hide, I would move them to a more suitable location. You want your baby to feel safe but you do not want to have them hiding in a place that you cannot get to them for interaction. You can also offer him/her some canned food, tuna, or chicken baby food as a treat. You want your baby to associate you with positive experiences and these little ones love meat. Do not use your fingers to feed your baby. Sometimes they get too excited and in that frenzied time will bite at the food. You don’t want your finger to become a casualty. The longest I have had a baby that was more shy take to settle in is around 2-3 weeks…but most much more quickly, some from the very first day.

These babies can make awesome and exceptionally loving pets but please know that for some kittens it may require a little more time and patience than your average domestic kitty. From my experience it seems like around 1 in 4 will be “hard-wired” a little differently and be predisposed to being a little shy and cautious. These kittens also seem to be the most observant kittens in the litter and highly intelligent.

Kitten Proofing……

You must kitten proof the area that you plan to house your baby in while he/she is acclimating to the home as well as the home itself when it is time to let your new companion explore. These little ones will investigate EVERYTHING. All houseplants need to be checked to make sure they are not poisonous. The kitten will eat and mess with the plants until they eventually die. : ( Houseplants and Bengals do not coexist. Even fake plants can pose a threat as they will chew and may ingest them.

Toilet lids should stay closed unless you want your baby taking a swim or using your toilet as their toilet.

Be sure that all windows and doors remain closed. These little ones are WICKED FAST and if they get outside the chances of finding them are low. Once outside in a changing and new environment they tend to freak out a little and will hide. Having a door that is between your main entry/exit door for a safety barrier with your F1 is recommended if you are able to do this in your home.

Breakables should be moved to a safe location where your F1 cannot get to them! These babies will climb and frequently things will get knocked over. You don’t want this to be a treasured family heirloom.

Last and certainly not least, if you are having any trouble with your F1 baby please let us know. We may be able to help! We want our buyers and kittens to be very happy together. We put a lot of time and love into these kittens and want to know that they are doing well.

Congratulations on your new F1 baby!

Summit Bengals