The first days with a new cat: the safe room
Type your pet's name on the map and every guide uses it.
Start your pet in one small, quiet room, which helps most with kittens and homes with other pets: food and water on one side, the litter box on the far side, a box to hide in, a high perch and a scratcher. Open the carrier, then sit quietly or leave. Hiding for the first days is normal, so let your pet come out on their own. Some cats take several weeks to feel safe, and that is fine.
For a cat, a safe place comes before a friendly face. Never tip or pull a cat out of the carrier, and never pull a hiding cat out from under the bed.
What to do
- Set up the room before pickup day.One quiet room you can close, if you have one; it matters most for kittens and homes with other pets. Food and water well away from the litter box. A box or covered bed to hide in, a high perch, and a sturdy scratcher near where your pet will nap.
- Open the carrier and step back.Set it on the floor, open the door, and let your pet come out in their own time. Leave the carrier in the room with its door open, as a den.
- Let hiding happen.Hiding is how a new cat copes. Don't coax, pull or block the hiding spot. Sit on the floor and read out loud, softly, so your pet learns your voice.
- Let your pet come to you.Hands in your lap. If your pet rubs against you, touch the cheeks, chin and head for about three seconds, then pause. Stop at once if the tail thrashes, the ears turn back or the skin ripples along the back.
- Keep the box clean and the day the same.One litter box for each cat, plus one extra, scooped every day. Meals, play and quiet at the same times.
- Open the door when your pet is ready.Once your pet is calm, eating regularly and starting to explore, open the house one room at a time, and keep the safe room as a retreat.
The first night
- Carry the covered carrier into the safe room.Open the door and sit back. Let the cat choose when to come out, and leave the carrier there as a hiding place.
- Expect hiding.It's a normal first reaction. Don't reach in or pull the cat out; a cornered cat may lash out.
- Keep water and food within reach, and the litter box easy to find but away from them.
- Don't worry about a small appetite on night one.Some frightened cats don't want to eat at first, and a little wet food may tempt them.
- Some cats explore at night, then dash back to their hiding spot.That's a good sign.
Your job
Wave a quiet hello from the doorway, then let your pet rest. No picking up; a lap is by invitation.
Free to print: Pet-proofing
Did you know?Cats rub their cheeks on corners and furniture to leave a smell that says, "This is my place."
Hiding for the first days can be normal, and some cats take several weeks to feel safe. Watch the pet, not the calendar. A new pet is settling in when they're calm, eating regularly and starting to explore.
If your pet isn't eating at all, or stops using the litter box, call your vet early. Asking early is what good owners do.
Blocked cat? Go to a vet now, or an emergency vet if yours is closed. Signs: going back to the litter box again and again; straining with little or nothing coming out; small amounts of bloody urine; vomiting; seeming tired, weak, or off food. Boy cats are the usual case, but any cat who strains and cannot pee needs help. Do not wait to see if it passes, and do not try to fix it at home.
Two things we never repeat
This moment is in our Welcome Home picture book, the cat edition
Spreads 3 and 4 live in the safe room and under the bed, so your child can follow along. It is in the works. About the book
Sources: International Cat Care (2, 3, 4) · VCA Animal Hospitals (2) · Cats Protection · San Francisco Humane Society · HAWS · ASPCA · AAFP and ISFM · AAFP and Feline VMA · Maddie's Fund · San Francisco SPCA · Humane Society of the Hudson Valley · Found Animals · Cornell Feline Health Center · University of Illinois Veterinary Medicine. Full list