First cat... any tips and advice please!

[LetMeJustCheckMyCitrusPocket]

We've seen a lovely little rescue cat and are hoping to bring her home at the end of the week.

First family cat, never had one before so just wanted to ask for any tips or advice at all that might be useful to help her settle in well, that we maybe wouldn't think of ourselves!

Thank you 🙂

Don’t feed her from your plates. She’ll become like a dog and beg!

you need to keep her in one room for a few days so put the tray and food in there. And give her hiding spaces as usually they want to do that for a few days.

Ask the rescue things like what she's eating currently and what litter she's on, and don't change them in a hurry. If and when you do decide to change either, do it gradually over a few days. In fact ask the rescue anything and everything - they would much rather you ask even very basic questions than make assumptions.

Remember she will need to be kept in for a few weeks if you are planning for her to go out. Block up any tiny hiding spaces she may get stuck in, and any chimneys in rooms she will be in, or she may vanish.

You don't say if you have any children; make sure they know the cat is not a toy! You need to let her come to you in her own time, though I'm a great believer in bribery! If you do have smaller children, ensure she has high up places she can escape if she wants.

And remember that you don't own a cat, she owns you and your lives from this day forward are purely to care for her & obey her every wish 😂

Rescue cats can be very timid in new environments (not all obviously) look up up the 3-3-3 rule that’s what the rescue I foster for recommends. 3 days/3 weeks/3 months I have had some cats who just settle in straight away and are affectionate and some that take time to warmup. Let them come to you don’t go round chasing them, sit in a room with them quietly read a book, watch something on a tablet etc. but it really does depend on the cats personality. But 100% don’t give up on them if they aren’t cuddly etc straight away. If they have been a in a foster home I’ve found that the ones I thought were really shy settled sooner than when they came to me, so jus continue the work with them 😊

Depends on the cat. My rescue has had about 5 different types of litter and I’ve never gradually introduced any of them. She doesn’t give a shit. Or rather she doesn’t mind giving them a shit.

Ditto with food. She’ll eat any brand.

And yes to chimney. I found mine trying escape to it and getting a very snooty nose.

And yes to high places. I thought my cat had disappeared when I came down the first morning. But she had got up to the highest book shelf somehow and was hiding behind a plant. When they’re scared they go high

Buy lots of dreamies

How exciting!

My now eight year old cat was found on a farm at about five weeks old! So a tiny baby when she arrived at my house.

she initially liked confined spaces and hid in a cardboard box. I replaced this with tunnels when she was a little older and she still lives to play in them - or sit in them if there are strangers in the house! I highly recommend them. Thy fold away ver small.

Also a water fountain - cats love fresh rub I g water and it is good to get them used to a water fountain early on!

are you going to let her sleep in your bed - decide now. I do - my little monster has free roam of the house. We have only now got into a routine where she doesn’t wake me at 3am to play😂.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bemodst-Collapsible-S-shape-Tunnels-Interactive/dp/B088K5VS9L/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?adgrpid=181743942210&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.w3UyOnj6ai88koQgPql1byNGlPCzhHfhiS6x4LKaHabSqivvPpOVrrgTTbXqyKOAWL1A-Hxkpg4kEp3sl6w433pSgKovg5HU0OtWbXcvBQaxlWJNDzo52JNOA4h6f6jDHOTv5mNnffkLWg5pnpNOp1e1qbeP2vi0mf37P_STsSjJOEApmteZWJJzfmTQHmVMMwDxgU_XjbM3a1UZ6l7yAQ.iWemRoLEe_mKilk2Q7onUISKcwZZLjrVjj4gXiAJsKM&dib_tag=se&gad_source=1&hvadid=779273752474&hvdev=m&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9045207&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=1811724826816401855--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1811724826816401855&hvtargid=kwd-470308601739&hydadcr=18408_2413427_379259&keywords=cat+tunnels+amazon&mcid=e7947db6338333a29b5c161d468a3562&qid=1777910283&sr=8-2-spons&aref=0PDY2pZMY2&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1

Definitely agree with the three-three-three thing, take everything at the cat’s pace and also remember it may not be linear. People on here always joke about cat beds being expensive trip hazards, but our last cat (who we adopted directly from her family) came with her bed and always slept in it. When she had to be pts two years ago and we adopted our boy I washed her beds and kept one out to see if he would like it. Despite having been a stray kitten living in a shed, he was straight in the bed once he settled in. We obviously then got him his own rather than her cast offs and now he has one in the kitchen, one in the living room and one in the utility room. He does sleep in his cat tree and on human beds too, of course, but I think a cat bed is a good “your place” space.

Related to sleeping, and absolutely no scientific value, but when we adopted Louie I created a “nest” of my worn knitwear anywhere he liked to sleep to try and get him comfortable with my smell. DP was away on a work trip for the first few weeks we had him, and I switched out my things for his when ge returned.

remember they can climb or jump up and escape out of a high up hopper window, they are so agile. not like a dog at all.

And when you open a door they can bolt past your leg and escape. they are so fast.

so keep windows shut or locked on a snib so they cannot be pushed open and on entering the house or a room you want the cat to stay in try putting your leg in the gap as you look round to make sure the potential escapee isn’t near you before entering. (it wont happen for a while but once kitty is brave…..)

the way to catch an escapee is by waving a fishing rod toy about or something else prey like so the cat comes to you.

or use food. If you use a word or way of speaking when feeding treats they will recognise the word and come for one. especially Dreamies. they are like cat crack.

if a cat claws your hand say in excitement as you’re holding something it wants, dont pull your hand away as the prey drive will make the claw dig in more!! it’s hard to suppress your instinct to pull your hand back but shout instead and the cat will let go.

they shed claws every so often all over the place. And bite them to keep them in shape. it’s weird when you find your first one lying on the rug. they split vertically, unlike ours - when we break a nail it’s more likely to be horizontally!

Don't give them treats when they wake you up at 4am in the summer to get them to go away and shut up for a bit. I did it once, realised my mistake when it took him 6 months to forget about it. Also don't accidentally train them to expect treats before bed because you'll soon have a hairy little thing dictating to you when you go to bed each night so they can get their treats on time.

Make sure you are careful to keep all the outside doors shut and the windows open just a bit, not enough for a cat to get out - they are very good at hiding when you first bring them home and you will be worried sick that she has escaped (I speak from experience!) Otherwise, don't worry if she hides a lot at first, it's normal and she will come out when ready, just let her do it in her own time.

Wow, thank you so much for all these replies! Loving all the advice, keep it coming as it's going to be very much learn as we go along. Have been reading lots but really think others' personal experiences are so valuable.

@Flowersdie yes trying to set up one room for her to start with and will take it from there. Not sure about the feeding yet...all good intentions!
Will be sure to stock up on Dreamies and need to look for a nice cat tree or similar so she can get higher up. Who knew there were so many cat items to shop for!

@Allergictoironing I'm making a list of questions for the rescue! Children are older teens and pretty cat aware from friends' pets but are also so excited which is very sweet 🙂

@autumn1610 I've just read about the 3-3-3 rule somewhere so that's good to know you'd recommend it. There's a comfy sofa in the room where she'll be to start so am looking forward to quietly reading away next to her, the perfect excuse..

@Bellyblueboy there were some teeny kittens at the rescue today, I can't imagine having one of 5 weeks old, how amazing. Love the tunnel idea, will have a look for one. Not sure about sleeping on the bed as couldn't cope with 4am wake ups now 😬

@Judystilldreamsofhorses was wondering about beds and thought I'd pick up a couple of the squashy soft doughnut types but I like your idea of the beds being "their space" regardless of where they actually then prefer to sleep! And using our own clothing too. My son did that when he was a baby, adopted an old top of mine as his cuddly, and in some ways preparing for this cat feels very similar to the baby years.

@TalulahJP yes I'm a bit worried about windows etc coming into the warmer sunny weather, we'll need to be really careful. Am nervous of being clawed lots or bitten but it makes sense when you say to try not to pull away if I can. Honestly had no idea about the shedding of claws 😲 so thanks for the heads up on that!

@SlothCat very good points which I'll try hard to remember not to do 😁

@herbalteabag yes we all need to be super aware of doors and windows and am a bit wary of this with summer approaching. Not sure how long we'll need to keep her in for but I think she'll be trying to get out as soon as we let her.

Can I also ask you all for any specific advice about litter trays?

I used to house share years ago with a friend who had cats but there was a cat flap and they never had litter trays in the house. Is there a best kind...covered? Best kind of litter to make it easiest to clean? How often to change all the litter, or just scoop each day and put...where??
I know the cat might have preferences and would keep the same to start with.

And also... feeding? The rescue just said she has a mix of wet and dry, but would that usually be in the morning and evening for the wet food, and then leave the dry out to graze on? They said she's not a big eater and I'd prefer not to have wet food lying around if possible.

Thanks so much for everyone's advice, it's all so helpful 🤗

On litter tray I have a covered one - it keeps the litter contained when she buries her poo!

I scoop the poo out as soon as I smell one 🤢. There is quite a noice with the kicking of the litter so if you are home you can’t miss it! I use dog poo bags and just put it in the outside bin. I change the litter every week. It gets smelly with the pee.

pick a place for the litter tray and don’t move it. My childhood cat poked and peer in the same spot - even when my mum moved the litter tray😂

keep the litter tray away from their food and keep the water and food separate.

the lik e yoghurt things are a big hit in my house - I put the ontop of wet food.

For my cat and my foster cats I put their tray in a shallow storage box and it helps to catch a lot of the litter. Just depends if you have a digger or not some cats go wild in a litter box 😂 I don’t do covered boxes as my cat sits really tall and he wouldn’t fit but I’ve seen one at pets at home I’m debating getting which is basically like a trug with a hole in. I much prefer clumping litter so use it with mine and my foster cats usually have wood pellet as you can buy in bulk.

for treats licki lix have been a saviour with my cats haven’t know any to resist!

Following up on a few points you ask in your response post...

The thing about not changing food quickly is because sudden changes in diet can cause stomach upsets.

Have a look at Flatcats for window protection. I've had a well over 5kg cat hanging off them exploring, they let in fresh air and breezes and keep cats in, and as an added bonus keep larger insects out.

Regarding litter take the rescue's advice to start with. Once she's settled in you can try changing it but if she's been on e.g. wood pellets then may not even recognise some of the crystal types as litter so you want to get her used to where her litter is first. If you get a covered tray, bear in mind you may need to take the cover off at first again if it's something she isn't used to.

I feed mine wet morning and evening, and have the dry down to graze on 24/7. Most cats do self regulate, so hopefully she won't scoff the lot as soon as it goes down. Mine are such grazers that even their wet meals have to stay down for ages as they drift about having the odd bit now & again.

Oh, and don't panic if she doesn't use the tray or eat for the first couple of days, that's common.

It’s worth getting a honeycomb mat to sit under the cat tray to catch any litter she might kick up or track out of the tray. Cat litter is a pain to sweep up and very sore if you stand on a grain or two - the mat catches it all and is easy to clean.

Litter…

I buy SaniCat 7 day freshness from Amazon, one bag per litter box and I scoop the poop daily but it last 7 days so only needs changing once a week. I use a puppy pad in the bottom and a litter liner over the top of the pad so no scrubbing and easy cleaning.

@Bellyblueboy I'm not sure where best to put the litter tray as was going to confine her to one room to start with everything in there, but once she's hopefully settled I'll need to move the litter tray elsewhere... hope that doesn't cause lots of issues 😬

@autumn1610 I think the rescue uses wooden pellets so I'll need to carry on with similar but would probably prefer something clumping, not sure whether to mix them to transition her over at some point after she's settled. Do you have a link to the Pets at Home litter tray you were thinking of?

@Allergictoironing that's good to know she might not eat etc when she first gets here until she's more settled, hadn't thought of that and would definitely have been worried, thank you

@Jellycatspyjamas I'm off to Google those mats!

@Favouritefruits thanks I'll look that up for future reference. Most of the covered litter trays I've found are plastic and thought I'd read that stainless steel might be good as won't retain odours the same way

Thanks everyone, so much to think about 😬

Pets at Home do a good own brand wood pellet litter, it's the one I use. Wood pellets can be messier than many others as they go all dusty when they get wet so can be tracked all over the house, but they are very good for odour control.

I agree the decent litter tray mat is a must, especially if she turns out to be a bit of a digger (looking at you there Tobias).

@LetMeJustCheckMyCitrusPocket I’ve never had a problem swapping litter gradually I just do it not sure if the cats I’ve had are super chill. You’ve got to work with what’s been donated! In terms of you being worried about everything in one room it’s totally fine. Like I said I foster cats so their food, water and litter are in the same space and never had an issue. You’ll likely find she won’t eat or use the litter tray (not a bad thing!) around you until she knows your safe

this is the link Litter box

@LetMeJustCheckMyCitrusPocket We stuck to what she was being fed and the litter from the rescue- wood pellets. I had previously used cluming with a previous cat and was surprised how low odour the wood pellets were. We Scooped each day, fully changed every 3. Do not know if this is correct. Started with an uncovered tray then moved to this. She now prefers to go outside in a tray of soil and sand (in a catio at the moment)
Am going mad buying these mice she adores them

Thanks again @Allergictoironing @autumn1610 and @Breadcat24 all the advice is so much appreciated.

We picked up lovely Yuna yesterday and so far, fingers crossed, she seems to be doing well 🙂.

She's super purry and friendly, wants to explore, up on laps and chirping away at us.

Although I'd got wood pellet litter and there was a different kind at the rescue when we picked her up, she used the tray overnight so don't want to chop and change things too much.

Only thing she's not keen on is eating, though I know it's early days. She's been munching on dry food but refusing anything we put out from a pouch or can. She had been taking water so I guess we carry on for now and I'll ask at the vet when I take her next week as know a mix is recommended.

Here she is! 😺

She is gorgeous! Looks like she has already sussed you out and is in complete control. Good luck!

She looks totally chill already - gorgeous!

I’ve never worried about swapping litter/ food and my cat has never cared.

Don’t buy everything. I spent so much and my cat ignored almost all of it. Refused all toys, tunnels etc

I use the gourmet petit pouches as my cat only eats a little at a time. If it’s been sat out they won’t eat it usually. But honestly, don’t worry. Cats cat. Sometimes mine eats loads and meows for more, sometimes she barely eats for days