Wisdom needed, getting a first cat.

[caffeinated]

We have decided to take in a rescue cat, he’s about 9 months old. I’ve never had a cat before and grew up with dogs. We are ready and excited for a family pet.

It’s a minefield though, right? He’s currently fed whiskas wet food but I’ve read so many conflicting things and looked at so many foods grain free/dry/wet/various price points. There appears to be a lot of negativity towards IAMS/whiskas etc (the supermarket brands) and I’m just a bit overwhelmed by the choice. I don’t mind paying more at all if it’s better but I also don’t want to spend more just for the sake of it. (I’m aware any change of diet needs to be gradual).

Also litter? Wood/not wood/clumping/not clumping.

Feel like I’m becoming a parent for the first time all over again.

Thank you.

Imo you need to ask the rescue if it comes with a free dfriend...

A free friend?

Food - the supermarket foods are a bit like if you ate microwave ready meals all the time. Just not made out of the best ingredients for what a cat needs. Look for high protein, grain free foods - ideally mostly wet, as cats are obligate carnivores and don't drink enough water so dry food can be problematic (risk of bladder/urinary and kidney problems).

Zooplus for example has a good selection and they don't end up costing more if you buy in bulk - for example Bozita, Smilla, Animonda Carny and the other European brands are good.

Litter - different cats prefer different ones really and some don't seem to care. Having a good sized litter box, or ideally two, is more important. If it's a covered one, take the flap/door off, most cats don't like it at all.

It's best to keep a new cat on the food he's used to for a few weeks while he settles. You can introduce a new food gradually, by mixing the two together - less likely that the cat will reject it or have an upset tummy.

Mine are on Purina.

What does the shelter feed the cat? Start out with that and if you change it do it gradually. I fed mine dry and they just drank water to make up for it.
As for litter, again ask the shelter what they use. If you are the kind to clean it after every time use the clumping variety. Some cats are more fastidious than others. If you are allowing the cat out (keep it in for first three weeks) then your cat may not use the indoor box much at all.
Also your cat may be shy and run under the sofa as soon as you get him/her home. Just let it be. Don't force it to come out, don't constantly pick it up. Give it time to adjust.
Also decide now if there are off limit rooms and start from day one. It's not fair to allow the cat access to your bedroom the first few nights because you think its lonely then banish it afterwards.

I think just be prepared for trial and error.
For example my cats refuse wet food. They like the flap on the litter tray. Other cats would be the opposite.
We give them go cat, they only like fish flavour 🙄

Get a good tall scratch post (so they can stretch) and some catnip spray to encourage the use of it!

Also ours love a laser pen. 😆

As in buy/donate for one dcat and get 1 dcat free...

And cats will have fads. Perfectly happy eating something one week totally turning their noses up at it another. My cat is pretty unfussy and will eat anything you shove in front of her. my neighbour's cat (the sister of mine from the same litter) is very picky. My neighbour and I often swap packets - things hers has gone off for something else from my stock. Mine is currently thriving on Tesco's own-brand pouches

Pouches can be recycled via:
www.terracycle.com/en-GB/brigades/petfood-uk

Definitely get two cats. Double the fun and not much more expensive.
You will no longer be in charge in your own home!

Yes has he got a friend at the rescue. At that age they are so active its nice for them to have a mate.

I'd keep feeding the same food and use the same litter as at the rescue for the first few weeks. After that it's a case if trial and error as to what they like (and what you like as to the smell of the litter tray..). I'd recommend getting a covered tray as it really does cut down on smell (although you have to leave it open while they get used to it).

Most important thing - don't let them get out until they definitely know where "home" is.. I think we kept ours in for 6 weeks.

I would say don't worry too much about the food - just see what he likes. HOWEVER cheap dry food, such as Go Cat and Whiskas (dry only, not the wet) is dangerous for male cats as it is directly linked to urinary crystals and blocked bladders. So if you want to give dry food make sure it's a more expensive one, such as James Wellbeloved, Lily's Kitchen, Arden Grange, even Iams.

And remember that lilies (the flowers) are fatal for cats. They only need to brush against them or walk through dropped pollen and they'll die. So make sure no lilies come into the house and don't have them in the garden.

When we adopted our cat she was being fed Felix in gravy pouches. We were full of good intentions to transition her onto better food. Three years on, she will eat nothing bar Felix, and we have provided the local food bank with every type of cat food on the market for any users with cats.

Litter-wise we stuck with what she was using, but as soon as we started letting her into the garden, she pretty much stopped using the tray. (We have two still, just in case, but she has probably used the tray about five times in the last year.)

Ours goes through phases with toys, but her absolute favourites are ribbons. I often wake up with a ribbon being trailed over my face because she fancies a play in the night. On that front, I wish we had shut her in the kitchen overnight from the start, she is a total nuisance, but I feel like it would be cruel to do it now and she wouldn’t understand.

Have you got him yet? Waiting for pictures!