Preparing for the new cat
为新猫咪做准备
Take a good, hard look around your house. You might think that there is nothing dangerous for Kitty to go sticking her nose into, but you would be wrong. Everyone knows that cats are instinctually curious. Places humans overlook out of routine can pose some troubles for felines, especially kittens.
仔细努力观察你的房子。你或许认为猫咪碰伤自己鼻子的风险在你房子里面是没有的,但是你可能错了。每个人都知道猫咪的直觉非常敏感。人类日常居住的地方忽视的小地方会对猫科动物造成某种麻烦,尤其是小猫咪。
Cat-proofing
做好防护猫咪的措施
This is like what you have to do for a toddler when they first start crawling. Get on your hands and knees then scan the spacing between furniture, objects that could come tumbling down or get jumped on and yanked loose, bundles of wires and other cords. You don’t want a scared cat to get cozy inside the sofa or knocking down something that could traumatize him inside an enclosed space.
这就像当婴儿第一次开始爬的时候需要做的事情。趴在地上,然后看一下家具、物体之间的空隙,这些都可能会倒塌或者掉下来,突然被拉松,以及一捆电线和其他绳子等。你不想你的猫咪被吓到,想要让它在沙发里面舒服的待着,不想让它破坏什么东西,这都有可能让他在封闭的空间里面受到伤害。
High traffic versus Low traffic areas
高活动量和低活动量的区域
One of the best places for a cat is an unused room that is away from places like the kitchen and living room, where people tend to gather and make noise. The first few days present a lot of new sounds that Kitty might not be used to. Let your new addition unwind in someplace small, like a walk-in closet or spare bathroom. The same rule applies to where the litterbox and feeding station should be placed.
最适合猫咪的地方就是不用的房间,而且距离厨房和卧室比较远的地方,因为厨房和卧室是人来人往,嘈杂的地方。刚到的几天猫咪或许不太适应房子里面许多新的声音。让你的小东西在某个小的地方彻底放松,比如更衣室或者空闲的浴室。同样的规则也适用于猫咪的小窝和进食的地方。
Plant life
植物的生命
Another thing to be careful of is plant life that is potentially poisonous to cats. Be wary of the following:
另外需要注意的事情就是植物可能对猫咪有潜在的中毒危险,要小心以下这些植物:
Aloe vera
芦荟
Lilies
百合
Asparagus and all variants
芦笋和其他变体植物
Rhododendrons
杜鹃
Baby’s breath
满天星
Begonia
秋海棠
Ivy
常春藤
Carnations
康乃馨
Chinese Jade
中国玉
Coleus
薄荷类植物
Dracaena (Lucky Bamboo)
龙血树植物(富贵竹)
Hemp (and Marijuana)
大麻类植物(大麻)
Poinsettia
一品红
Yucca
丝兰
Now, that is not to say your new cat will immediately begin chomping on these poisonous leaves. I have had cats for as long as I have had lucky bamboo and hosta. Never had a problem.
现在,这并不是说你的新猫咪会马上咬这些有毒的叶子。我养富贵竹和玉簪花的时间和养猫咪的时间一样长。而且从未出现过问题。
However, cats that love to chew and are looking for greens might be tempted to try these plants. Make sure you keep them out of reach while also providing friendly options like catnip, lemongrass, and mint.
然而,猫咪喜欢咀嚼,寻找绿色的植物,因为试着咬这些植物对猫咪的诱惑很大。要保证猫咪够不到这些植物,同时也要提供一些适合猫咪的植物,比如猫薄荷,柠檬草和薄荷。