Adopting a pet is a special moment. The excitement of bringing a new best friend into your life can also bring big expectations about what your relationship should look and feel like.

From the first meeting, to years of companionship and adventures, lasting love takes time, patience, and space to grow.

To help set up realistic expectations from adoption to building the foundations of a lasting relationship, behavioral experts recommend the 3-3-3 rule:

• 3 Days to Decompress
• 3 Weeks to Establish a Routine
• 3 Months to Feel at Home

For more information, click here.

Congratulations on adopting your new cat! To ease the transition into their new home, consider the following:

Time for Adjustment

Welcoming a new cat into your family is an exciting milestone, so it’s tempting to want to show them off to the world. Every cat is different, but it generally takes a few weeks to a few months for them to decompress from their time in the shelter, acclimate to their new surroundings and establish a routine. Routine is very important for cats – establish a predictable routine, including play time with a wand or other interactive toy just before mealtimes.

Introducing Your New Pet

Take your time introducing your new cat to other people and pets in your home. Allow them to acclimate at their own pace. Supervise all interactions until everyone is comfortable. Adult cats may take weeks to months to get comfortable with other pets in the home. Having a safe space to retreat is important.

Creating a Safe Space

Walk through your home and pick up any items that might be harmful to your pet. Are there hair ties, ribbons and/or plastic bags your cat could accidentally ingest? Are there wires your new cat could chew? Are there any plants that are toxic to pets? Helpful information from the ASPCA about plants that are harmful to pets can be found here.

Start your new cat in a small space like a bathroom where they can’t hide under a bed or underneath furniture. Provide a litter box, food, water, a bed in a box and some toys in this space. You can visit them there as often as you like but keep all other pets out until you’re ready to introduce them. Slowly expand their territory as they become more comfortable.

Over time, gradually introduce your new cat to the rest of your home, allowing them to explore and adjust at their own pace. Provide a high perch, if possible, where they can observe and adjust while feeling secure. Observe their behavior and comfort level and provide positive reinforcement and rewards when they show confidence in new areas.

Caring for Your Cat’s Nails

Cats must keep their nails. To help maintain proper nail care, provide multiple outlets for them to scratch. Observe the cat to determine the type of scratching post they prefer. Not only does scratching file and condition their nails, but scratching is also a form of stress relief and stretching exercise for cats. Clipping their nails can help to reduce unwanted scratching. Use treats and a gradual process (just clip one or two nails at a time at first) to help them learn to be more comfortable with having their nails trimmed.

Supplies & Tasks Checklist

Make sure you have the following essentials to make your cat feel right at home:

• Food & water bowls
• Food (we encourage a slow transition to a new diet)
• Treats for training and enrichment
• Bedding
• Toys: provide a wide range of materials to meet your cat’s different needs, such as comfort, interaction (wand toys are great for this) and enrichment. Monitor for preference and safety.
• Litter box
• Collar and ID tags
• Cardboard and sisal scratching posts
• Grooming supplies: brush, nail clippers, etc.
• Explore pet insurance options
• Establish veterinary care (it’s important to find a veterinarian for your new pet ASAP to continue any necessary preventative care (e.g. vaccines, flea/tick prevention), review history and records and make a care plan for your new family member).

Congratulations on adopting your new dog! To ease the transition into their new home, consider the following:

Time for Adjustment

Welcoming a new dog into your family is an exciting milestone, so it’s tempting to want to show them off to the world. Every dog is different, but it generally takes a few weeks to a few months for them to decompress from their time in the shelter, acclimate to their new surroundings and establish a routine.

Introducing Your New Pet

Take your time introducing your new dog to other people and pets in your home. Allow them to acclimate at their own pace. Supervise all interactions until everyone is comfortable. This takes weeks to months. It’s important to prioritize a slow and cautious approach to prevent negative experiences that could require lengthy recovery.

Creating a Safe Space

Walk through your home and pick up any items that might be harmful to your pet. Are there wires your new dog could chew? Socks or other objects that they could ingest? Are there any plants that are toxic to pets? Helpful information from the ASPCA about plants that are harmful to pets can be found here.

Consider crate training or blocking off a room with a pet gate as a safe space for your new dog. Make either option inviting and cozy with a comfortable bed, toys, and a water bowl. This space provides a sense of security and serves as a place to retreat when they need some quiet time.

Over time, gradually introduce your new dog to the rest of your home while under your supervision. Allow them to explore and adjust at their own pace. Observe their behavior and comfort level and provide positive reinforcement and rewards when they show confidence in new areas.

Supplies & Tasks Checklist

Make sure you have the following essentials to make your dog feel right at home:

• Food & water bowls
• Food (we encourage a slow transition to a new diet)
• Treats for training and enrichment
• Crate and bedding
• Toys: offer a diverse selection of materials to cater to your dog’s various needs, including comfort, interaction and enrichment. Be sure to include chew toys/items. Monitor for preference and safety.
• Collar and ID tags
• Leash and harness
• Grooming supplies: brush, nail clippers, etc.
• Explore pet insurance options
• Establish veterinary care (it’s important to find a veterinarian for your new pet ASAP to continue any necessary preventative care (e.g. vaccines, flea/tick prevention), review history and records and make a care plan for your new family member).
• Enroll in a training class to enhance your dog’s socialization, reinforce good behavior, prevent problems and bond with your pup. SafeHaven has partnered with GoodPup for 1 week of free online training, plus discounts on future training needs. You can find more information here. Prefer in-person or group training, here is a list of trainers in our area.

Cat to Cat Introductions

Dog to Cat Introductions

Dog to Dog Introductions

What is Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)?

Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) is a contagious viral disease of cats. While some cats who are exposed to FeLV can clear the infection, other cats become persistently infected for life. FeLV can lead to immune system suppression, infections and cancer. The virus is only contagious between cats and is transmitted primarily through direct contact with saliva and other bodily fluids, including: grooming, shared food and water sources, mother’s milk, etc. There is no cure for FeLV; once persistently infected a cat can have a good quality of life for months or many years. Persistently infected kittens are at highest risk for a shortened lifespan. There is an effective vaccine against FeLV, but this is only useful prior to exposure/infection. This vaccine is not administered at SafeHaven.

What is Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)?

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is a contagious viral disease. Some cats who are infected with FIV never experience any symptoms, while others may be affected by immune system suppression, secondary infections and cancer. While FIV can affect cats of any age or gender, the group most commonly affected are intact male cats who have lived outside. FIV is transmitted most commonly through bite wounds or more commonly, through mother’s milk and uterine transmission. There is no cure for FIV; with proper care and management, cats may have a good quality of life for many years.

Testing Considerations

The prevalence of FeLV and FIV in the cat population is very low nationwide (1-4% depending on region). Following exposure to either virus, it can take 1-3 months for an infection to develop. One negative test for FeLV or FIV does not guarantee that a cat is truly negative. All cats should be retested in 3 months, even those adopted with a negative test. No test is perfect, and false positive test results are possible.

SafeHaven’s Testing Policy

At SafeHaven, we strive to provide the best care possible for every cat, while also paying close attention to the health of the overall population. We try our best to move cats through our shelter system and into loving homes as quickly as possible to avoid the negative side effects (stress and infectious disease) that come along with longer shelter stays. SafeHaven does not routinely test cats/kittens for FeLV & FIV, but tests only those cats who show clinical signs consistent with either of these infectious diseases. Testing every single cat is expensive (both in terms of actual cost and staff time), stressful for cats and leads to higher rates of confusing or inaccurate test results. At the time of adoption, adopters of cats 6 months or older are offered the chance to have the test run at an additional cost.

Any dog 6 months of age or with permanent canine teeth which has been in your possession within Linn County for 30 days must be licensed. To learn more about licensing fees and what documentation is needed for licensing, please click here.

You can either mail in your licensing request, or complete Linn County’s online licensing registration.

Need to Return a Pet? We’re Here to Support You!

We understand that sometimes an adoption may not be the right fit. If things aren’t working out, adopted pets may be returned to SafeHaven Humane Society within 30 days of adoption by the original adopter.

Returns are by apointment only. To begin the return process, please email us at: intake@safehavenhumane.com. At your scheduled appointment, please bring any new veterinary records or other relevant information about your pet to help us provide the best care moving forward.

If you need help with your pet, you’ve come to the right place. Our resource library is huge and growing all the time. Look for articles and resources about pet care, safety and behavior. View the library.