New rescue cats, lots of questions!

[dancemom]

We are adopting 2 cats this week, they are 3 and 4, Turkish Angoras and have been living together. Being rehomed for a genuine reason and we have already had a home visit which went really well. They have always been house cats and will continue to be. Just back from Pets at Home where I spent an absolute fortune but I have so many questions!

Food - owner has told me what they currently eat which is Felix wet food and Go Cat dry food. I'm aware these aren't high quality but I think it's best to keep them on these at least until they settle in. Owner said they get half a wet pouch each in the morning and another half pouch in the evening and dry food down constantly. Cats look in great shape, not underweight but when I bought the Felix it says up to 3 pouches a day? Is this just to get you to buy more? When cats came for a visit they took a dreamie treat but didn't seem overly hungry so should I stick to the half pouch as advised?

Litter tray - I have bought 2, one large covered and one smaller uncovered. I have bought the same litter they currently use, if I poop scoop as soon as I see them, will the litter tray last a week before it needs emptying and cleaning and replacing? I have also put puppy pads around the trays but hopefully the cats will use the trays from the start. I have also bought a cleaning spray for any cat pee accidents.

Haven't bought cat beds although did buy blankets. Should I get some cat beds or just wait and see what they prefer once they settle in?

Bought a few toys and have flat cardboard cat scratchers in order, again what they had at their previous home.

And I have purchased Feliway and it's plugged in hopefully doing its job for their arrival!

Is there anything I have missed or not thought of?

And I promise to post pictures as soon as they arrive!

So cute! Congrats. I second the radiator beds, my lot love them.

And yes, you can register the microchips here - my 6 are all from the ME and chipped there, no issues registering them here. Ask your vet which databases they are signed up to, there's a few to chose from!

I have 5 cats. 1 Bengal, 2 Maincoon, 1 ragdoll and 1 SHT. They have 5 pouches in mornings, 2 male cats eat their own pouch then finish up bits females leave. Then crunchies down all day which they nibble on slowly then 5 pouches in late evening again large Maincoons eat more than a pouch and small female ragdoll eats about half a pouch. they all love large cat trees with dangling pompoms with.jingle bells in. Bengal likes to go almost to ceiling on top of unit in dining room. They have a padded basket each which they sleep in with a soft blanket in. In the winter I put under floor heating on for them in kitchen too. They have cat flap so they can come and go as they please but they spend most of their time indoors cuddled up with me. All very affectionate. Enjoy your new cats.

@dancemom

Meet my new fur babies

Beautiful

Second everything above about them not really using their dedicated beds. We have sacrificed one human chair in the kitchen and one human chair in the lounge to them - with a blanket on each. Intermittently they decide to sleep on the floor on a blanket or on a spare bed on a blanket. No cat beds desired - and the self-reflecting heat fleece thing designed for cats is detested!

Also have lots of flat or curved cardboard scratch pads. I was pleased to be told I can get double the usage out of them by simply turning them over (doh).

Plus, not sure how fluffy your cats will be, but having an indoor cat after previously having outdoor cats, I sometimes get overwhelmed by the fur everywhere, absolutely everywhere and had to get special extra-sticky tape to remove said fur from my clothes etc.

Oh they are gorgeous

Oh my they are beautiful 😍

Sounds like you're well organised.

I use felix wet and go cat dry for mine - nothing wrong with the quality. I have 2 cats and put down 2 pouches in the morning and 1 evening between them (so 3 total). Used to do 2 morning and 2 night but they wasted loads. Always leave biscuits out for them. It depends on their appetite so see how you get on.

Litter trays - my tip is to put them in different places. I use clumping and empty completely once a week which is plenty.

My cats never used beds, but yours might - maybe get 1 to test?

I'd suggest sitting bowls of water around the house (away from their food).

And don't be surprised if when you get them home they hide for a few days! Perfectly normal and they will get more confident as they explore.

Good luck 😊

Well absolutely no hiding, they haven't stopped all afternoon. They have eaten, used both litter boxes and been in every cupboard and room we have! Wee L has finally settled for a nap on a blanket on the sofa but H is still prowling about and not relaxed yet. Can't blame him though, neither have I, anytime I can't see them I'm checking where they are and what they are up to 🙈

They are gorgeous OP.

Don't be surprised if they eat you out of house & home for a while, kittens grow very fast and are very active so they eat LOADS. It should settle down when they get older.

Ours have a pouch each for breakfast and one each for supper with a few grain free biscuits .
The vet said not to leave biscuits out all day .

Our male sleeps on our bed , female vaies from DS room, dining room chair , cat tower , landing

He loves a laser light pen to chase .
She likes throwing things off the table . Two fruit bowls have met their makers at the paws of our female cat

Christmas trees are but a sad distant memory

The cats from the ME are they left there by expats? It seems so cruel.

Most cats on here seem to be eating little in the way of pouches. I have dried food out all day but one of my cats easily eats 3 pouches and that is on a bad day. He is not overweight.

I've one normal sized cat that eat dry food, that is left out all day, as she wants. Will occasionally ask for a pouch but usually licks the jelly off it and wanders off.

The other rescue is nearly 6kg. Definitely not just a long hair but must be a cross with something with ear tufts and a mane type of feline. Maine coon maybe.

He is slim and has a waist and hunts a lot and is 11. He can easily eat 4-5 pouches a day. He occasionally takes a mouthful of dry food but mostly ignores it.

Usually it's breakfast pouch. Followed in the next half hour by second breakfast pouch. Long sleep. Early afternoon another pouch. Late afternoon when I'm making food for humans another pouch. Then a bedtime pouch most days.

I watch their health but feed on demand as they seem to regulate their appetites really well. Both rescues.

@EachandEveryone

The cats from the ME are they left there by expats? It seems so cruel.

Either left by expats, dumped by nationals (very common), or just rescued ferals. All mine were street cats from feral colonies. It costs a fortune to get them into the UK. I'm pretty sure we didn't have any change out of £10k to get ours back here.

@dancemom

Well absolutely no hiding, they haven't stopped all afternoon. They have eaten, used both litter boxes and been in every cupboard and room we have! Wee L has finally settled for a nap on a blanket on the sofa but H is still prowling about and not relaxed yet. Can't blame him though, neither have I, anytime I can't see them I'm checking where they are and what they are up to 🙈

That all sounds very positive!

@crimsonlake

Most cats on here seem to be eating little in the way of pouches. I have dried food out all day but one of my cats easily eats 3 pouches and that is on a bad day. He is not overweight.

I was thinking the same. Arthur consumes anything up to 6 pouches a day (plus a mouse day)! He is rather like a camel though, and tends to eat lots for a couple of days, then less for a few days. Also eats more in the winter and less in the summer. He has a bowl of Iams down all day too, probably eats a full bowl every day. I am pleased he is eating more dry now, in summer, as we get a lot of flies otherwise. He is an outdoor cat though, and assume this makes them more hungry.

I've stuck with the half a pouch each morning and night so far and they seem happy enough. They didn't finish last nights and they have just grazed on this mornings pouch. They don't seem particularly food orientated although have enjoyed a few dreamies!

Last night went well, they were up at 4am but managed to settle down again till 7am. They are much more relaxed today, they have just snoozed most of the morning.

Going today to get some deodorising powder for their litter tray as it does smell immediately after they poo even though I'm scooping straight away.

@janopolisdeNorthEast

I'm only here for the photos

Me too! 😁😁😁

I am glad to read that there are a couple of cat owners whose cats are big eaters too.
Dryersheep...you have just described my cat's eating habits :) yes, could easily get through six pouches a day. One is only sufficient if it is followed by another between meals. He would leave home if I offered him half a pouch.

@dancemom

I've stuck with the half a pouch each morning and night so far and they seem happy enough. They didn't finish last nights and they have just grazed on this mornings pouch. They don't seem particularly food orientated although have enjoyed a few dreamies!

Last night went well, they were up at 4am but managed to settle down again till 7am. They are much more relaxed today, they have just snoozed most of the morning.

Going today to get some deodorising powder for their litter tray as it does smell immediately after they poo even though I'm scooping straight away.

Are you using the nonclumping litter you mentioned upthread? I used to use one of those but switched to Cat’s Best, based on recommendations here, and I’m really happy with it - it seems to surround the poos and smother the smell even when they’re not very good at covering it.

It is expensive, but a trayful lasts for weeks with an occasional top-up, and I think in the long run it’s cheaper - it’s certainly more pleasant to use, with a nice neutral vaguely woody sort of smell, plus you can flush clumps and poo, and eventually put the remains in the compost bin.

www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_litter/cats_best/14001

@crimsonlake

Most cats on here seem to be eating little in the way of pouches. I have dried food out all day but one of my cats easily eats 3 pouches and that is on a bad day. He is not overweight.

My 2 are very fussy with wet food and wouldn't eat more than half a pouch at a time. Sometimes they only lick a few bits of gravy and then leave in disgust

@crimsonlake

I am glad to read that there are a couple of cat owners whose cats are big eaters too. Dryersheep...you have just described my cat's eating habits :) yes, could easily get through six pouches a day. One is only sufficient if it is followed by another between meals. He would leave home if I offered him half a pouch.

Me too! He is a lover of the outdoors and does normally spend hours hunting snd sitting in the fresh air and climbing fences and snoozing under the hedge

Guess that builds a good appetite!

@GiantKitten do you flush their poos? Is that possible?

Don't think you're supposed to flush cat poo down the toilet