Before You Bring Your Cat Home:
· Cats are territorial, and coming into a new home leaves them feeling really uneasy. So provide a small area for the first few days or weeks. A bathroom or laundry room works well. Furnish the room with cat amenities, such as food, water and a litter box. You’ll want to spend time with your cat, so make sure there’s a comfortable place for you to sit as well.
· Fill a litter box with one or two inches of litter and place it in his room where he can use it undisturbed.
· Set up a feeding spot with food and water bowls. Away from the litter box.
· Cats love to get away from it all in small places, and you can provide one for your new cat as his own little safe haven. If he came home in a cat carrier, that might be a good choice.
· A cat’s claws need to be worn down, and they do this by scratching on things. Something made of corrugated cardboard and lie on the floor; others are posts which have to be tall enough so that the cat can extend himself upward to scratch. You can encourage your cat (once he has arrived) to use the post by sprinkling it with catnip or dangling a toy at the top. You’ll probably want a scratching post in each room where there is soft furniture, perhaps blocking access to it.
First Day:
· Sit on the floor and let her come to you. Don’t force her. Just let her get acquainted on her own time. If she doesn’t approach, leave her alone and try again later. Some cats are particularly frightened, and she may retreat to her hidey hole and not come out when you’re around at all. She may only come out at night when the house is quiet.
· Your newly adopted cat may not eat much or at all at first. It’s best to give your cat the same food she had at the shelter or in her foster home, at least at first. Keeping some things familiar will make her feel more secure. Be sure to change her water frequently and make sure that she is drinking.
· Following Weeks:
· Within a week of being adopted, take your newly adopted cat for her first wellness visit with a veterinarian. If you have a record of immunizations from the shelter, take it with you.
· As your cat adjusts, she’ll show signs that she wants to explore outside her safe haven. Many cats like feather wands from the pet supply store, but homemade toys are often favored. A wad of a tissue paper to bat around or a paper bag to hide in can be fun.
