A Simple Guide to the First Days, First Week, and a Happy Transition
Bringing your Russian Blue kitten home is an exciting moment for the entire family. At the same time, remember that for your kitten, almost everything has suddenly changed.
A new home means new people, new sounds, new smells, and an entirely new environment.
Even a confident and affectionate kitten may feel cautious during the first few hours or days. Your kitten may hide, sleep more than usual, eat less at first, or simply watch the new environment from a safe place.
This is usually a normal part of the adjustment process.
The best thing you can give your kitten during the first few days is not constant attention — it is time, patience, predictability, and a safe place to settle in.
At UBETCAT, our kittens are raised with people and prepared for family life. Following a simple transition routine at home helps them feel comfortable and confident much faster.

Before Your Kitten Arrives
Before bringing your kitten home, prepare one quiet room that will become your kitten’s temporary safe space.
A bedroom, home office, or another calm room works well.
The room should contain:
Food
Fresh water
Litter box
Familiar type of litter
Comfortable bed or blanket
Scratching post
A few safe toys
A safe hiding place

Keep electrical cords, strings, small objects, toxic plants, medications, cleaning products, and anything your kitten could swallow out of reach.
Whenever possible, use the same food and litter your kitten was accustomed to at UBETCAT, especially during the first days.
This reduces unnecessary changes while your kitten is already adjusting to a new environment.

The First 24 Hours
Keep the World Small
When you arrive home, take your kitten directly to the prepared room.
Open the carrier and allow your kitten to come out when ready.
Do not pull the kitten out.
Some kittens leave the carrier immediately and begin exploring.
Others may remain inside for a while or quickly find a place to hide.
Both reactions can be completely normal.
If your kitten hides
Do not reach underneath furniture and pull your kitten out.
Do not repeatedly pick the kitten up or pass the kitten between family members.
Instead, sit quietly nearby.
Speak softly.
Read a book, work on your computer, or simply spend time in the room without demanding interaction.
Your kitten needs to learn:
This place is safe. These people are safe. Nothing bad happens here.
Curiosity usually begins to replace caution naturally.

What If My Kitten Does Not Eat Right Away?
Some kittens eat almost immediately.
Others may be too excited or nervous to eat normally during their first several hours in a new home.
Offer the same food your kitten was eating before leaving UBETCAT and keep fresh water available at all times.
Avoid introducing several new foods, treats, supplements, and feeding routines on the first day.
The fewer unnecessary changes you make, the easier the transition usually becomes.

The Litter Box
Place the litter box in a quiet, easy-to-find location.
Keep it away from food and water.
During the first days, your kitten should not have to walk through an entire house trying to locate the litter box.
When your kitten first arrives, gently show where the litter box is located.
UBETCAT kittens are accustomed to using a litter box before leaving our home, but accidents can occasionally occur during the stress of moving.
If an accident happens:
Do not punish your kitten.
Simply clean the area thoroughly and make sure the litter box is easy to access.
Using the same type of litter your kitten already knows can make the transition easier.

Days 2–3
Let Your Kitten Come to You
During the next few days, spend increasing amounts of quiet time together.
Sit on the floor.
Speak gently.
Offer toys.
Allow your kitten to smell your hands and approach voluntarily.
Short, positive interactions are better than overwhelming your kitten with constant handling.
You may notice your kitten beginning to:
Explore more confidently
Follow you around the room
Play
Eat more normally
Seek attention
Sleep openly instead of hiding
Purr when touched
Rub against you
These are all signs that your kitten is beginning to feel at home.

When Can My Kitten Explore the Rest of the House?
There is no need to rush.
Before expanding your kitten’s territory, make sure the kitten is:
Eating normally
Drinking
Reliably using the litter box
Comfortable around you
Playing and exploring the original room confidently
Once your kitten appears relaxed, you can gradually introduce another part of the home.
Allow exploration under supervision at first.
For a large home, it is usually better to introduce new areas gradually rather than opening every room at once.
Your kitten should always know how to return to the original safe room.

The First Week
By the end of the first week, many kittens are already behaving much more like themselves.
Your kitten may begin following family members, sleeping in favorite locations, playing throughout the house, and actively seeking affection.
Some kittens adapt almost immediately.
Others need more time.
Do not compare one kitten’s adjustment period with another.
Personality matters.
A thoughtful, cautious Russian Blue may spend more time observing before deciding that a new situation is safe.
Allow that confidence to develop naturally.

Children and Your New Kitten
Russian Blues can form wonderful bonds with children, but the first introductions should be calm.
Teach children to:
Sit quietly and allow the kitten to approach
Pet gently
Avoid chasing the kitten
Never pull the tail or ears
Never disturb the kitten while eating or using the litter box
Respect the kitten when it walks away or hides
Avoid surrounding a newly arrived kitten with several excited children at once.
The goal of the first interaction is simple:
The kitten should leave feeling safe and curious enough to return.

Introducing Your Kitten to Other Cats
Do not immediately place your new kitten face-to-face with your resident cat.
Even friendly cats can feel territorial when an unfamiliar animal suddenly enters their home.
Begin with separation.
Allow the animals to become familiar with each other’s scent before direct interaction.
You can exchange bedding or allow each cat to smell an item used by the other.
Later, short controlled visual introductions can begin.
Keep early meetings calm and supervised.
Hissing does not automatically mean the introduction has failed. It is often simply communication.
Never force the animals together.
Some cats become comfortable quickly; others need days or even weeks.
A slow introduction is much easier than repairing a frightening first encounter.

Introducing Your Kitten to a Dog or another Cat
Never allow a dog or another to rush toward your kitten during the first introduction.
Even a friendly dog or another cat can be frightening to a small kitten.
Keep the dog or another cat calm and controlled.
Allow the kitten to observe from a safe distance with access to an elevated escape area.
The kitten should always have the ability to move away.
Early meetings should be brief and supervised.
Never leave your new kitten alone with a dog or another cat until you are completely confident that their interactions are calm and safe.

Keep the First Days Quiet
Try to avoid turning your kitten’s arrival into a party.
The first day is not the ideal time for extended family, neighbors, and friends to come meet the new kitten.
There will be plenty of time for introductions later.
During the first few days, your kitten benefits most from:
routine, quiet interaction, sleep, food, play, and a predictable environment.

Food Changes
Moving to a new home is already a major transition.
We strongly recommend avoiding an immediate change in your kitten’s diet.
Continue feeding the food your kitten is familiar with during the initial transition.
If you would like to change foods later, make the transition gradually.
Sudden dietary changes can contribute to digestive upset, including soft stool or diarrhea.
You can find our current food and litter recommendations on our Prepare for Your Kitten page.

Your Kitten’s First Veterinary Visit
We require new owners to have their kitten examined by a licensed veterinarian within 5 days of receiving the kitten, as outlined in the UBETCAT Purchase Agreement.
This visit gives your veterinarian an opportunity to establish your kitten as a new patient and perform an independent wellness examination.
Please bring all veterinary and vaccination records provided by UBETCAT to the appointment.
We recommend scheduling this appointment before your kitten arrives, especially if veterinary appointments in your area are difficult to obtain on short notice.
This visit should be a wellness examination unless your kitten requires additional care recommended by your veterinarian.
Please refer to your Purchase Agreement for the complete terms of UBETCAT’s health guarantee and veterinary requirements.

What Is Normal During Adjustment?
During the first several days, it can be normal for a newly arrived kitten to:
Hide
Sleep more
Be temporarily quieter than expected
Follow you everywhere
Meow during the night
Eat slightly less during the first hours
Observe family members from a distance
Become very affectionate very quickly
Take several days before showing its full personality
Every kitten is different.
Russian Blues are intelligent and observant cats. Some prefer to understand a new environment before completely relaxing.
Give your kitten the opportunity to build confidence at its own pace.

The 3–3–3 Idea
A simple way to think about adjustment is:
First 3 Days
Decompression
Your kitten is learning where everything is and deciding whether the new environment is safe.
First 3 Weeks
Routine
Your kitten begins learning your household schedule, family members, sounds, and daily routines.
First 3 Months
Home
Your kitten’s confidence, relationships, habits, and full personality continue to develop.
These are not strict deadlines.
Some kittens adjust much faster, while more cautious kittens may need additional time.

How You Can Make the Transition Easier
The most important things are surprisingly simple:
Keep the environment calm.
Keep the routine predictable.
Keep familiar food and litter at first.
Give your kitten a small safe space.
Let your kitten approach you.
Introduce children and animals gradually.
Play every day.
Be patient.
You do not need to force your kitten to bond with you.
Give your Russian Blue safety, consistency, affection, and time.
The relationship develops naturally.

Your Kitten Already Has a Foundation
By the time a UBETCAT kitten leaves our home, the kitten has already experienced human interaction, handling, play, household life, litter training, and daily routines.
The move to your home is simply the next chapter.
Your job is not to immediately teach your kitten everything.
Your job during the first days is to show your kitten:
You are safe here.
Your food is here.
Your litter box is here.
Your people are here.
This is your home now.
Once your kitten understands that, confidence usually follows.

We Are Here to Help
Bringing home a kitten is exciting, and questions are completely normal.
We want UBETCAT families to feel prepared before their kitten ever arrives.