Adopting 2 cats tomorrow! Questions!

[ArabellaBeaumaris]

I've posted once or twice as we mused about getting a cat but it is suddenly happening - someone can't keep their cats in their new home so we are inheriting them. A 2 year old female & a 6 month old tom (not related).

We got a litter tray & food in (their preferred brands). They are coming with their preferred beds.

Should we keep them in one room for the first few days? Are collars still okay, was thinking about bells so they can't catch the birds?! & when can we have the tom neutered?

Out of interest why can't they keep them in their new house? If it's just a clause in a rental contract these can normally be overcome with a bit of negotiation.

Anyway the tom should be neutered now (at five months ideally). There is no need to keep them in one room, but you need to make sure they can't go out for about three weeks. So don't open windows (they can squeeze out of the smallest of gaps) and if you have children who are likely to open doors then you need to be very, very careful. And before you let them out, get them microchipped.

Will you be putting a cat flap in? Collars are best avoided really. Partly because even the snap off ones can cause injury, and also because a lost cat with a collar will tend to be ignored rather than helped as people assume it must be fine as it obviously has a home.

Anyway good luck!

Collars are ok as long as they are snap release, I buy mine in poundland, 2 for £1 and I write my address on the outside of them. I am a bit meh about bells, never stopped my white Persian and if a bird can't spot a huge white fluffball heaven help them.

The toms the right age for neutering and should not be allowed out at all until he has been done. I'm assuming they have had vaccinations but if not book them ASAP for a check, vaccination and a course of flea protection.

Get them both microchipped ASAP. It's usually done at neutering, if one of them goes missing you will wish you'd chipped them.

They should be in for a month at first then you can let them out. But get that Tom neutered this week if you can. Toms are feisty buggers! I'm am scarred for life by my cat pre neutering. Actually scarred

Is the female neutered? (Just checking.)

The female is neutered, yes.

They can't keep them because they actually have 3 cats, & have negotiated with the landlord to be able to keep 1 of them.

We will not be getting a cat flap as we have french doors at the back so not really an option. Will keep them in 3 weeks & arrange neutering for the tom ASAP. They have had all their taxes & recently been flea'd.

They currently have dry food down all day & wet food twice a day. I have read here that they shouldn't have food constantly accessible, should I change their habits or will that un settle them as they get to know us all?

Maybe keep the status quo for a while then retrain them.

We adopted two cats last week and are planning to keep them in until after the weekend following bonfire night, the cat rescue advised a month and we don't want to put them out only to have them frightened to bits by fireworks in the first few days if they haven't got totally into the routine of coming in for the evening.

We have just put snap release collars with bells on them today because they are so silent otherwise, gives us a better chance of hearing them if they approach a door as we are going in or out. Will see how they get on with them.