Adopting a new cat. Buying new things?

[Kit24]

My senior cat sadly passed away from cancer a month ago. The house feels very sad and strange without a cat so today I am going to meet a new rescue cat at the rehoming centre. She seems very similar in personality to my previous cat which is nice. Shy and gentle from the description. I’m looking forward to meeting her and will probably bring her home tomorrow, as she’s struggling in the cattery and hasn’t settled well.

I am preparing the house for her but I’ve never adopted another cat after having one before. Can I use my old cat’s things, for example the scratching post and litter tray? I may buy a new tray because I am worried she will smell my old cat even if I clean it.

Also, I am not sure which vet to choose. My previous vet was good but tbh I find going in there very triggering. My older cat was PTS and I might see the room and remember it. Also I sobbed in front of all the staff and feel embarrassed 😂
I know it sounds silly but I didn’t expect to think this.

Does anyone have any advice? Should I buy new scratching posts, toys, bowls, litter tray etc? I have a water fountain/ bowl so I can re use that. And I will wash the bed and carrier. Old DCat never used the bed anyway, she preferred a box.

I would get a new litter tray and scratching post as they will both smell very strongly of your old cat . Also I'd replace any soft / fluffy toys for the same reason.
But anything like bowls and hard toys can be washed so they will be fine.
To help her get familiar with her new litter tray ask the rescue center for a small amount of soiled litter from her tray there and put it in her new one at home .

Also unless you absolutely can't face it I'd stick with the same vets ( provided uou like them of course )
Don't worry about the fact that your cried there , they will be very use to that.
They would probably be more concerned if you didn't cry !

Our new boy came with his own litter tray, bowl and toys (via Cats Protection). We kept his tray as the “main” one and have two others which belonged to our previous cat - but she toileted outside 99.9% of the time anyway. We use her bowls as well as the one he came with, they all go in the dishwasher - I got him a few new ones too.

I hadn’t had it in me to get rid of her beds - we only had about ten days between her being PTS and meeting him - and when I realised he was actually a bed cat like she was I just put them through the machine. It sounds weird but it feels right.

I like our vet and coincidentally it’s the same one CP use so we had to bring him there for his booster after a fortnight. After that we could have switched but DP took him and registered him there. I had to be taken out a side door after our girl was PTS, I was such a mess. When I went back to pick up her ashes I dropped off a card for the vet and apologised for being in such a state - the vet actually appeared at reception and gave me a hug. They see it all!

(our darling gentle girl, and our best boy, the little orange menace - she sent him to fill that bed.)

I lost my darling Boycat about 18 months ago. Still have his sister and as a single indoor only cat with me out at work every day I couldn't really leave her as an only so brought Tobias home as her Toyboy.

Tobias had the spare bedroom as him only for a few weeks with a cleaned litter tray but the igloo in there was one the others had used. Once he had the run of the house he's using all the same things as Girlcat, which are of course the ones Boycat used to use as well. The only thing I've changed is the cat tree, which had to be replaced as it was falling apart due to over-enthusiastic gymnastics & was no longer safe.

Thanks for all your advice.
@Judystilldreamsofhorses Both your cats are gorgeous. It’s lovely to see your new boy using the same bed.

I met my new cat today and she’s lovely. They said she was timid so I was expecting her to be withdrawn and hide away but she was very confident! Loud, chatty and wanted all the attention. Picking her up tomorrow morning!