Introducing Jack-Jack, Our New Kitten

The post below is sponsored by Meijer. All opinions are my own.

I haven’t had a fluffy pet in YEARS {just fish!}, so when I suggested it to my husband as a way to shake up our summer with the kids, he was hesitant. We both felt a little nervous to get a new pet not knowing what kind of personality it would have, and how it would feel about our three young and very active kids.

So when I saw my friend Metro Detroit Mommy was fostering some sweet kittens for Paws for Life Rescue, and she has three little ones as well, I knew it was a sign that it was time to bring a fur baby into our home.

World, meet Jack-Jack, a part Siamese sweetie!

I grew-up with animals, but haven’t had a pet in years, so I found myself reading like crazy to brush up on my kitten care. I was determined to make it a great experience for all of us.

One thing we did the first week Jack was in our home was keep him in my daughter’s room to allow him to adjust to the house and our scents. My girls slept in a different room so he could explore at night and not disturb them.

We set-up his food, water and toys and let him just go to town in her room. He immediately took to us, and thankfully — his litter box.

I’m crazy about smells and am always worried my house stinks. With a cat, that can happen very easily, so we’ve been sure to clean out his box daily, vacuum up any stray litter, and spray some room air freshener to help reduce any stink. He’s only had two accidents — and both times it was because the kids accidentally shut the door for him to get to his litter box.

Since that first week, we’ve moved his box to the basement, and he has adjusted great. With that said, we are in the basement a lot, so we’re still on top of keeping his area super clean and fresh smelling.

One thing we’ve learned is kittens LOVE to play! He is super hyper in the morning and at night, so we are sure to give him lots of opportunity to play. After, he is the cuddliest kitty EVER.

He is spoiled with lots of toys and attention from not only our kids, but the neighbor kids as well. One piece of advice my friend had when we got him was to handle him a ton so he was de-sensitized to the kids. He has taken to them beautifully and seeing their little moments together warms my heart. As my husband jokes, he’s earning his rent 😉

It has been great for the kids to take ownership with him — they have been the ones to feed him, brush him and of course, give him plenty of attention.

A few items that have helped us during our first weeks together:

• Laser pointer and toys. Toys are not only fun for kittens, but great for helping them burn energy.
• Quality food. We’ve been purchasing food with actual food as the first four ingredients. Jack has been happy with a blend of wet and dry food.
• Quality litter. I’ve been getting smaller boxes of litter to test a few varieties to determine which keeps the smell to a minimum.
• Air freshener. The new Febreze One is fantastic because it doesn’t include any aerosol, dyes or heavy perfumes, so it’s not harmful to pets or kids. We’ve been spraying the carpeted area outside his litter box to keep the area smelling fresh.

We cannot wait to watch Jack-Jack grow, both in the physical sense, but also in our hearts. He is very well loved already, and we’ve enjoyed laughing at his kitty shenanigans, and cuddling him when he’s ready for some affection. He’s definitely a keeper, and we feel so lucky to have been able to rescue him!

Extra Savings At Meijer

Make sure you have mPerks for extra savings when it comes to your home, pets and groceries, and be on the lookout for coupons for Febreze One, like this one for $1.50 off.

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Do you have any tips for introducing pets to your home? Feel free to chime in!