Setting up room for rescue cat

[Esgaroth]

We're going to pick up our rescue cat on Sunday and I've been making him a base camp in our spare bedroom, which is on the basement level so quieter than the main floor and upstairs.

I've put for him:

A litter tray
A cardboard box with an old pillow and a blanket
Bowls for water and dry food
A toy mouse (I imagine he won't be feeling very playful yet but just in case)
A cat tree with a cave thing, scratch posts and platforms that will allow him to climb up to the window sill (which is quite high up because it's the basement) or the top of the book shelf.

There's also a bed in there and an armchair so he should have plenty of places to sit/sleep and also places to hide.

I've put the litter tray, food bowl and water bowl all apart from each other, as I've read this is how cats prefer it.

Is there anything else I should be getting ready for him? He's about 4/5, not a kitten, and was left behind when his owner moved house so he was living outside for a while, then in a cage at the rescue, then in a foster home this past week so he's definitely going to be very unsettled and will need to spend at least a few days just in this room.

Should I leave him completely alone in there apart from coming in to feed, water and clean litter box or should I bring my laptop in to work there during the day? Should I sleep in the bed or would he probably prefer to have the night alone?

Oh yes, and a mattress protector. Very very occasionally the shyer of our two lads will still wee on the bed if we have company. We keep a big fleece throw over the bed that washes easily just in case.

The lamppost from the footpath behind our house shines a little through the window so it's never pitch dark in there if you leave the blinds up (which I will of course). I think it should be light enough for a cat to see his way round.

Good point about protecting the bed!

Would it be good if the children did their reading aloud homework in there? Just one at a time, sitting calmly next to me on the bed? They understand that we mustn't harass him but allow him to come to us when he's ready.

Children reading in there would be perfect!

We deposited him in the room and he took a quick tour of it, checking out the food bowl and the litter tray before heading under the bed. We've left him to himself but I did peep through the window once and he was walking round inspecting the joint.

No picture opportunities as yet really, so you'll have to take my word for it that he's very handsome.

Lovely! Look forward to the pics....😻

Sounds like he's settling in happily!

That sounds very promising already!

Me and DD went in with a few treats and sat on the floor and chatted quietly. He was under the bed, grooming himself. He looked at us and came out for a few seconds and rubbed against the side of the bed, but didn't want to come up to us.

He seemed quite calm, though. No hissing or running away, he just didn't want to say hi yet.

It sounds like you’re doing it all exactly right OP. And your DS’s portrait is a great likeness!

Aww 😻

That bodes really well.

Ah the rubbing is good, he is scent marking out his territory, that means he is planning to stay! Would have recognised him from his photo fit, your dd is a very clever artist.

I'm absolutely in love, he's such a sweetheart. I'm in with him and he's been walking around everywhere, rubbing his head on everything (including me!), purring his head off, approaching for head strokes. He's eaten some food and had a drink and gone back under the bed now but I think he likes it here! I'm so thrilled.

So beautiful!

That's so lovely 😻

How lovely! I'm happy to hear this.

That’s wonderful!

He’s marked you as his.

He is indeed a very handsome boy. And just like your DS's picture.

I think we're friends ❤️

OMG I love the new photos.

He seems to be settling in so well.

After all the upheaval he's had. I'm glad he has you and your family @Esgaroth

Aww, how sweet he is 🧡

So handsome!!

He was being so cuddly and chilled out that I phoned DH to come down and he did not like that - made a low rumbling noise as soon as he came in and shot back under the bed so DH needs to do some more bonding work, though he had been stroking him on the floor earlier.

Went in this morning and almost panicked because I couldn't see him anywhere - he was on top of the bookshelf.

I had thought he might like to go up there but didn't think to look up until I'd looked absolutely everywhere else and was starting to think he'd got out somehow (not possible!). He jumped right down to say hi though once I spotted him and spoke to him.

He's used his litter box and tried to follow me out when I went to get him fresh water and his breakfast. The rescue say he should stay in the room until Wednesday at least, though, which I think is wise because the way the house is he can't really see it in sections - it's all or nothing. We have to make sure he's friends with all of us first!

There will be loads of times when you’ve looked absolutely everywhere & think he must have got out, but then he’ll suddenly materialise either right in front of you or somewhere you’ve searched a dozen times!

He's gorgeous!

He seems to be doing well. He is still a little jumpy and obviously not feeling completely settled, but that's to be expected. He is however very sociable and friendly, eating, drinking, using his litter tray. We haven't managed to tempt him to play yet, but it may be a case of not knowing how he likes to play / what kind of toys he likes - or he's just not ready.

He's almost always under the bed when we go in, except first thing when he's up on the bookshelf, but he comes right out when you call him and will hop up on the bed with you where he purrs, demands head rubs, cuddles up against you and goes to sleep. If someone else comes in, though, he jumps down under the bed again and that person has to invite him out again. He doesn't seem to chill on the bed by himself yet and gets down if I leave.

I have tried leaving the door open today and he's done a quick tour of the ground floor before returning to 'his' room. He will occasionally mew a bit when I go out - maybe asking me to come back? I don't know!

I've been scooping the litter box when I notice he's used it, so twice a day ish. When should I completely empty and refill it? I got clumping litter so I can get almost all the pee out.