Settling in a new cat

[Puppylucky]

Hi all

After the sas loss of Elton we are taking on a new cat who arrives on Friday. I'm getting more confused as to how to settle him in though. Whilst Elton lived in an apartment before he came to us, the new boy has always lived somewhat semi - detached from his fosters, in a separate room adjacent to the yard. He has been well cared for and gets a lot of attention and affection but basically does not live in the house with the family. My question is how best should we transition him into our home? The fosters are suggesting that we continue to provide him with his own room where he will stay for the first few days and where he will be put to bed every night. Unfortunately the only room suitable is on the attic floor which means he will be distanced from us and not really at the heart of things. Elton always slept with us and roamed freely around the house and we envisaged the new boy having the same freedom. Now I don't know what to do for the best. I appreciate that the fosters are encouraging us to keep our boy to the routine he knows, but I wanted him to have more freedom and experience a proper home. Does any one have any advice? It's just my DH and I at home and no other pets so it's a calm environment if that changes anything.

As an adult cat I'd initially restrict him to one room which you also access (living room?) but he can hide in, so he gets used to you. If he's confident this could be for a very short period.
Hope all goes well.

Agree, one room at a time. Living room or kitchen. Somewhere he can have food, water as well as a litter tray. Also nooks and crannies available to hide in. Cats love cardboard boxes so I usually have a couple available in the room when the cat arrives. They often like to go inside and peer out from their safe spots If he settles easily you may want to let him explore further around the house within a day or so.

Thanks both. The living room or kitchen was what we were originally thinking but the fosters seemed to think he needed to be totally shut away. I'm glad that you don't feel it's necessary. I do think they have a point that we need a plan for the first night - Elton slept with us but goodness knows what this boy will want initially so I will make sure he's safe in the kitchen when we go to bed. Cat tax will be paid on Friday!

Could you possibly borrow a large dog crate, to temporarily create a small room of sorts, within the kitchen or living room? If you leave it open but cover it in a blanket, he can retreat there when he wants to, but still be near the family. Obviously will take up a lot of space, and isn’t intended to be permanent, but would provide him with somewhere to retreat to until he’s settled?

It's a good idea @Castlerigg but I'm not sure we have time to buy one before Friday . I'm feeling more confident with the plan of shutting him into the kitchen at night at least initially and keeping him in the wider living room area during the day. The fosters are clearly worried that he will become over stimulated and scared and somehow blot his copy book if he is let out of his room but we will try and help him adapt as I really don't think keeping him shut up is the answer.

I think I'd try to keep to the same room day and night (unless of course your new cat turns out to be very relaxed and you can give him free run more or less immediately.)
It may mean litter tray and food in the living room for a few days 😱 (had that with kittens in the past) but it would avoid trying to manhandle a potentially frightened and unwilling cat between rooms at bedtime.

I don't know if this is helpful @Puppyluckybut we adopted 2x 1 year old cats just over 2 weeks ago now. They had only lived in 1 room or a cat pen before. We didn't have anywhere else suitable to shut them except our kitchen diner. We also have 2x children so I was so worried they'd be terrified in there as it was likely to be quite noisy.

Anyway, one hid for 24 hours under a coffee table or in our shoe rack. But then settled. We let them out of the room on day 2 and it's fair to say they are loving house life!!! New fave place is the bedroom! Just because a cat has lived a certain way before it doesn't mean that's what they like, sounds like it could be more due to necessity.

Your home sounds lovely and definitely an upgrade on their current accommodation.

I don't think I would shut him in a room but I would make sure there is a mostly undisturbed room where he can hide and start him off in there with the option to leave if he wants to. He will come out when he's ready and in his own time.

As you say there's only quiet adults in the house, the living room sounds like a good idea to me. I did that when I got my first two who were VERY shy and nervous (formerly feral colony then in a multi cat pen at the rescue). Yes they hid behind the sofa, under the corner coffee table with a cloth over it, or behind the book shelves, but I let them come out in their own time & made sure they had litter, water & food reasonably close to their favorite hiding place.

Behave normally, and chat to them quietly when they do start exploring. I also found bribery a good way to get them to come out when I was in the room!

Different situation but our boy had been in foster care with access to the lady’s full home. The CP lady advised creating a “sanctuary room” for the first few days. It was just me at home as DP was away with work, so I set up litter, foot, water etc in the living room as a base, but actually didn’t restrict access to only that room. He did stay mainly in there Friday to Tuesday and did a bit of hiding and hissing - but by midweek he was doing his own thing and I moved his bowls and main litter tray to the kitchen where they stayed. We kept him in for about three weeks then started doing short, supervised visits to the garden.

Our previous cat we didn’t restrict at all (other than outdoors) and she slept behind the living room curtains for a couple of nights, but popped up in our bed at 3am on the third or fourth!

Thank you so much everybody I feel so much better! @Hopefulbride18 your comments about adapting to something better, really resonated as that's what we believe we can offer. The poor little boy is constantly trying to get into the foster family's main living area, so it's not like he's happy being cut off - which is why I was surprised by their suggestion. It's a good point about not forcing him into the kitchen - although it's pretty open plan to the living room so hopefully he will naturally gravitate. I can't thank you all enough - you really have helped settle me down 🙏

Sneak peak of our boy on the outside looking in 🙁

Oh he’s lovely! Does he have a name or will you change it?

We actually do shut our cat in the kitchen overnight - big room, he has his cat tree, another bed, and my office chair with a blanket on it plus litter, water etc - for bed. He’s an absolute pain at dawn otherwise. Our previous girl we did the same with. With Louie his cue is my electric toothbrush then he will trot through himself, and our girl knew “beddy-bed” was her sign to go and settle herself. We don’t deserve cats 😭

He's currently called Amin ( he's another Mau from Dubai - as Elty was). We are changing it to Marvin to keep the music theme going!

Gosh he’s handsome! 😻

We have had two rescue cats at separate times. The first one came in explored the house swore at his reflection in a mirror then got on a chair then my elderly Mothers lap. No problems settling the other was quieter sat underneath the sewing machine or piano. But came out to eat got on my brothers lap first night. Didn’t shut him up at night and he wandered upstairs and onto my bed. Quiet for first few days but still came out for a lap and to eat. He isn’t quiet now an enormous meow but a huge gentle giant loves company will try everyone’s lap. He was an abandoned Tom uneutered I think he is just so happy now.

He's ridiculously lanky @WildCherryBlossom !

He’s a beauty!

He'll be fine adapting. Cats love comfort and cuddles, he'll soon come round, they know which side their bread is buttered.

Here is this mornings pic of my angry, unrehomable cat who pee'd all over her previous owner's home, hides all the time and hates people so "good luck with her".
She is the most velcro of all the cats who have ever lived with me 😅

I was adopted by a skinny stray so she decided on which room she wanted as her safe space(s) until she gradually owned it all. Despite falling asleep on our beds at night and enjoying lots of fuss (not a lapcat) she is extremely wary of the TV when it's on. Guns blazing, cars being blown up, blenders being whizzed on cookery shows is acceptable. People chatting such as News or Gogglebox and anyone would think we had invited the whole street into our living room and she freaks/runs out the room. So any chatty shows are very quiet with subtitles 😂 Just thought I would mention it in case your new cat thinks the same.

Looking forward to meeting your new guy!