Your first week together

Start with one quiet room

A whole house is a lot for a cat who has just moved. Set up one quiet room first, such as a spare bedroom, with everything they need. Your cat can explore the rest of the home once they're eating, using the litter tray and coming to you for attention.

• A litter tray, placed away from food and water
• Food and a wide bowl of fresh water
• Somewhere to hide: a cardboard box on its side works well
• A scratching post
• A soft bed, ideally with a blanket from the rescuer that smells familiar

Let them come to you

Sit in the room, read or talk softly, and let your cat approach when they're ready. Hiding for the first few days is normal. Avoid pulling a cat out from a hiding place.

A slow blink is a friendly greeting in cat language. Try blinking slowly at your cat; many cats blink back.

Keep the first days calm

• Feed the same food the rescuer used for at least the first week, then change gradually if you want to
• Keep visitors to a minimum
• Keep your cat indoors for at least two to three weeks so they learn this is home
• Introduce other pets slowly, starting with scent swaps before face-to-face meetings

When to call the vet

Stress can make cats unwell. Call your vet if your cat hasn't eaten for 24 hours, is straining in the litter tray, or seems lethargic. A male cat straining to pee with little or nothing coming out is an emergency.