A new kitten on Christmas day sounds like a wonderful surprise, however, it can be very stressful for a small kitten.  If you stop and think of the kittens point of view - a long car ride, new people, trying to remember where these people put the litter box...add to that the excitement and hustle and bustle of the holiday season - that can be pretty scary for a small kitten.  It can cause the kitten to become over excited, scared and confused.  In the confusion, a kitten may try to dart out an open door or become fearful of the very things making all the commotion - people.  A kitten requires adequate time and lots of patience to adjust to his new surroundings.

Now, we understand that a wonderful gift for the holidays is a warm, fuzzy kitten, but to make it easier on the kitten, try to pick him up no later than the weekend before Christmas.  I have never met anyone who would not like a bit of Christmas cheer early!!  This will give the kitten time to adjust to his new home and new family before the holiday.  If this is not possible, then we would recommend after Christmas, when the household is calmer.  Try to make the kittens home debut as calm and relaxing as possible so that your new kitten feels confident to explore.

Photos compliments of Aspen & Suzi!!  Thanks Suzi for such cute photos!!

We also know that you will want to show off your new bundle of fur, but it is important not to overwhelm him.  Introduce him slowly to your friends and neighbors...one or two at a time and only after he is comfortable with you and your family.

We hope that this helps in making the kitten's transition into his new home during the holiday time more relaxing and enjoyable for everyone.

Tips for making the Holiday Season Safe and Enjoyable for your Kitten.

*Keep an eye on Holiday lights to ensure that your kitten does not chew the wires (Unplug all lights when you leave home)
*Keep breakable decorations for trees out of reach of a curious kitten
*Keep fragile figurines/candles out of your kittens travel path and away from his favorite sleeping spot
*For a kitty that likes to climb trees - try these tricks:
     -Spray "Bitter Apple" or "Citrus Magic" on the lower branches & trunk of tree (available at most pet stores)
     -Hang lemon scented air fresheners or dryer sheets from the low branches close to the trunk of tree (Most cats don't care
          for the smell of citrus)
*Other Tree Precautions
     -Preservatives in the water for the tree can be harmful, even fatal - cover tightly so your kitty does not have access to this
     -Avoid tinsel & garlands - shiny ribbons and strings if swallowed can cause internal damage if swallowed
     -If you can not supervise your new kitten, it is best to keep him confined until he learns or close the door to deny access if
          possible
     -Tie off the tree to a ceiling hook (nope, not kidding), to keep it from toppling over if your curious feline decides to climb
          or leap at it.
*With the holidays comes the tempting holiday treats and although we may not intentionally feed our animals these human   
  treats, they may find them when our backs are turned.  Be sure to keep garbage sealed tightly and other tasty morsels kept
  put away in locked Tupperware etc… Turkey and other foods can cause gastrointestinal problems in felines.
*Buying presents brings a lot of plastic bags into the home and we all know that cats/kittens love bags!  Please remember
  that a plastic bag can smother a kitten if they get tangled in it.
*In the event of your pet escaping out the front door as people come and go - please be sure to have a collar with ID tags or
  have your kitty micro chipped before the holidays so that they may find their way back to you.
*If your kitty likes to hog the heat and lies across the heating units and wears a collar, please be sure to have a break away
   collar on him, so if he gets caught on the register he won't be trapped.
*Toxic Plants - there are many plants that cats like to chew on and although pretty, are just not worth your cats health. 
   http://www.fur-angels.com/toxicplants.htm has a good list of plants that can be harmful to your kitty.

Enjoy your Kitten and the Holidays!!