Setting Up Your Cat’s New Space

Before you even think about letting your new pet out of its cat carrier, you’ll need to set up a safe space with everything they need. A quiet room away from busy areas of the house is ideal – it’ll give them a chance to relax before exploring everywhere. The room should include:

• an area for food and a separate one for water
• at least one litter tray placed as far away as possible from their food and water in a private location
• a place to hide – perhaps a cardboard box or a snuggly bed somewhere cosy
• access to a high spot. Cat perches are great for cats that like to climb but a cardboard box on a sturdy shelf is just as good
• a suitable place to sleep
• a scratching post
• a few cat toys to allow them to play

Helping your cat to explore their new home

Once you have a quiet room set up in your home, it’s time to welcome your cat to their new environment. On arriving home, leave your cat to explore their new room for an hour or so before introducing yourself and your family. Some cats might need longer so be prepared to go at your pet’s pace.

If they choose to hide, sit quietly in the same room and talk to them gently. Avoid forcing them to come out. You’ll need to give them plenty of time to adjust, especially if they are particularly shy.

Worried that your cat still hasn’t come out of hiding? As long as they are eating and drinking and using their litter tray, there is no need to worry. If your cat is too shy to eat, you may want to move their food bowl closer to their hiding place and leave the room.

Resources

http://www.cats.org.uk

http://www.petfinder.com

http://www.wikihow.pet

http://www.petcube.com

Cats Protection in the U.K.

Please note this was an informational research project to educate a friend & a new parent for proper senior cat care & adoption. I did not write most of this material, only gathered & now sharing it to help other cat parents.

To see the last Series “Rehoming A Cat”, start here.

To read the beginning of this series, “Welcome Home Your New Cat”, click here.

To read the next Article in this series, go here.