Possibly getting a rescue cat - what do I need?

[penstemon]

We are hoping to get a cat from a rescue later this month. If we do get it, it will be fairly short notice. What do I actually need? I don't want to get a load of stuff in case it doesn't work out as it probably won't be another few months until we have another opportunity.

Food and water bowl, litter tray and a couple of little toys are all you really need and they are all pretty inexpensive.
You'll probably need a carrier to bring it home in as well but you might be better just borrowing one off a friend if you can.

I'd get a scratching post as well.

I'm getting one next week.
I've got all of above plus an igloo type cat bed.

All of this is stuff I have thought of which is a relief. I will ask the rescue if they know if the cat likes a scratching post and what they like to sleep in.

The radiator beds are quite nice for cats in winter although one of mine prefers to sleep in the snow!

Get a mat to put the dishes on- some of them are very messy eaters.

Make sure you have the de-worming, de-fleaing stuff in.

patience. it may well spend the first few days hiding behind the sofa and not want to interact, or be a bit bitey. It needs time to adjust.
Although our current rescue thugcat, strolled out of the cat basket, looked around, plonked himself in the middle of the rug and gave us a look which clearly said "Humans, I have arrived. Feed me!"

I've got a week off work and have mentally filed it as a week a bit like the one I took for potty training. It's not going to be an exciting holiday but it should be worth it.

Insurance.

Our cat ignores his bed and scratching post. He prefers to lay all over the window sills and uses the doormat to file his nails

Some money set aside for vet visits.

If you really wanted to, you could buy a plug in diffuser for cats, to really relax them.

We also took an old towel over to the cattery for her to lay on.

We had the diffuser when we rescued our girl. She was 9 when we got her.

We still put it on days before firework night, as shes petrified.

When we collected her from the cattery, she cried all the way home,

I closed her in a large bedroom as suggested by Cats Protection, to allow her to have her own space & familiarise herself with our smell & noises.

She scratched the bedroom door straight away & cried.

I let her out, she ran straight downstairs, layed on the lounge floor next to DD who was 2 & they watched a cartoon together.

I had put the cartoon on for DD to keep her quiet whilst I settled the cat in!