Adopting a cat
Discussion
I have applied to adopt a cat from Cats Protection. Have been accepted and arranging to see the her tomorrow. She is 8. I grew up with cats but this will be my first on my own.
Just looking for some advice on what to buy to welcome her into her new home.
Going to buy a litter tray house, cat litter, water and food bowls, food (wet and dry) scratching post and some toys. Will buy the carrier from Cat protection and some toys too.
Is there anything else I can maybe get to help her feel at home and calm?
Thanks in advance
Just looking for some advice on what to buy to welcome her into her new home.
Going to buy a litter tray house, cat litter, water and food bowls, food (wet and dry) scratching post and some toys. Will buy the carrier from Cat protection and some toys too.
Is there anything else I can maybe get to help her feel at home and calm?
Thanks in advance
kermit03 said:
I have applied to adopt a cat from Cats Protection. Have been accepted and arranging to see the her tomorrow. She is 8. I grew up with cats but this will be my first on my own.
Just looking for some advice on what to buy to welcome her into her new home.
Going to buy a litter tray house, cat litter, water and food bowls, food (wet and dry) scratching post and some toys. Will buy the carrier from Cat protection and some toys too.
Is there anything else I can maybe get to help her feel at home and calm?
Thanks in advance
I'd ask CPL what she has currently.Just looking for some advice on what to buy to welcome her into her new home.
Going to buy a litter tray house, cat litter, water and food bowls, food (wet and dry) scratching post and some toys. Will buy the carrier from Cat protection and some toys too.
Is there anything else I can maybe get to help her feel at home and calm?
Thanks in advance
Buy multiple litter trays they prefer to swap around rather than use 1 all the time, some cats wont use hooded trays.
Ask CPL what food she prefers, if shes fussy with litter types as some can be.
You could also buy her a cat bed/blanket again worth asking if she current has/uses one as they can be picky with closed
Other than that its all good, just a lot of time and patience as she may be wary/timid
Got our cat from CPL Sheffield not long back.
Just my experience - we have rehomed three now....
Try and make your home as much like what the cat currently has. CPL SHOULD give you a sample of the litter and food the cat has been enjoying. If not ask so you can get the same - at least then its a constant for the cat in what can be a nervous time.
IME CPL generally use open litter trays - so either start with that or get a hooded one and leave the hood off for the time being.
As above take any blanket etc the cat currently has at CPL to give that consistency and homeley feeling.
Aside from that prep the cats room so there is stuff to do - places to explore etc - but also places to hide as the cat will likely be very nervous.
Resist the temptation to interact with the cat too quickly. Leave it alone to calm down / explore its new home for a good while before starting to go in and see it.
When it starts to be bolder let it interact with more of the house - for instance close all hall doors but open its room so it has more to find. The whole thing can be overwhelming / exciting for a cat - so guage how its doing and dont have a rigid timeframe for it having more freedom (obviously going out is the really big step)
Weve done this with ours and they all seem happy enough?
Try and make your home as much like what the cat currently has. CPL SHOULD give you a sample of the litter and food the cat has been enjoying. If not ask so you can get the same - at least then its a constant for the cat in what can be a nervous time.
IME CPL generally use open litter trays - so either start with that or get a hooded one and leave the hood off for the time being.
As above take any blanket etc the cat currently has at CPL to give that consistency and homeley feeling.
Aside from that prep the cats room so there is stuff to do - places to explore etc - but also places to hide as the cat will likely be very nervous.
Resist the temptation to interact with the cat too quickly. Leave it alone to calm down / explore its new home for a good while before starting to go in and see it.
When it starts to be bolder let it interact with more of the house - for instance close all hall doors but open its room so it has more to find. The whole thing can be overwhelming / exciting for a cat - so guage how its doing and dont have a rigid timeframe for it having more freedom (obviously going out is the really big step)
Weve done this with ours and they all seem happy enough?
Thanks for the replies.
I will speak to CPL today about buying the blanket she is currently using, if she has one and confirm what food she is on and litter used.
I live in a large 1 bed flat so will give her the run of the whole place and will set up a few scratching posts and toys.
I will ask CPL about what litter tray she is using and will probably buy the covered type but leave the lid off for a couple weeks so she is used to it.
I am going to buy a climbing tower/house for the living room and a bed on the floor in the bedroom so she has a couple of options.
She is neutered, chipped and vaccinated/fleaed and comes with 4 weeks petplan insurance which I will continue. Our family vet is close by so will get her registered there as soon as I can.
http://mitcham.cats.org.uk/mitcham/adopt-a-cat/?ci...
I will speak to CPL today about buying the blanket she is currently using, if she has one and confirm what food she is on and litter used.
I live in a large 1 bed flat so will give her the run of the whole place and will set up a few scratching posts and toys.
I will ask CPL about what litter tray she is using and will probably buy the covered type but leave the lid off for a couple weeks so she is used to it.
I am going to buy a climbing tower/house for the living room and a bed on the floor in the bedroom so she has a couple of options.
She is neutered, chipped and vaccinated/fleaed and comes with 4 weeks petplan insurance which I will continue. Our family vet is close by so will get her registered there as soon as I can.
http://mitcham.cats.org.uk/mitcham/adopt-a-cat/?ci...
She's gorgeous & it sounds like you have everything under control 
The only items is add are saucers for her to eat from (they don't like their whiskers to touch the sides of feeding bowls) and scour your charity shops for a couple of old glass fruit bowls for water (mine prefer drinking out of glass & again, the width helps)
And as she's used to having another cat around... a friend for her
Enjoy her
The only items is add are saucers for her to eat from (they don't like their whiskers to touch the sides of feeding bowls) and scour your charity shops for a couple of old glass fruit bowls for water (mine prefer drinking out of glass & again, the width helps)
And as she's used to having another cat around... a friend for her
Enjoy her
ali_kat said:
She's gorgeous & it sounds like you have everything under control
The only items is add are saucers for her to eat from (they don't like their whiskers to touch the sides of feeding bowls) and scour your charity shops for a couple of old glass fruit bowls for water (mine prefer drinking out of glass & again, the width helps)
And as she's used to having another cat around... a friend for her
Enjoy her
Our Torty has few teeth (she was very young and small when she found us, and we don't think she had much nutrition), when the Vet checked her over (she was only a couple of months old), he said her teeth were terrible, and she'd probably end up losing them before she made three.The only items is add are saucers for her to eat from (they don't like their whiskers to touch the sides of feeding bowls) and scour your charity shops for a couple of old glass fruit bowls for water (mine prefer drinking out of glass & again, the width helps)
And as she's used to having another cat around... a friend for her
Enjoy her
Because of this she laps here food rather than biting it, so she has it in bowls rather than saucers, otherwise it goes everywhere. She has no problem with her whiskers rubbing the sides of the bowl, and neither do the other two if she leaves any that they can clean up.
Rather than a water bowl my 2 ragdolls prefer a water fountain.
Like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pet-Mate-06039-Cat-Fountai...
except when they drink out of a puddle in the back garden
Hi All,
Picked her up yesterday, she is more beautiful in the fur than the pics :-)
I will upload some pics when I can.
She seems fine eating out of the bowls as that is what she was used to so all good there.
She came with 3 beds, so along with the 1 I bought and the climbing frame she has several places to hide away if she fancies.
She has settled in beautifully, had a good nosey around my flat before spending the evening on my lap purring away.
Picked her up yesterday, she is more beautiful in the fur than the pics :-)
I will upload some pics when I can.
She seems fine eating out of the bowls as that is what she was used to so all good there.
She came with 3 beds, so along with the 1 I bought and the climbing frame she has several places to hide away if she fancies.
She has settled in beautifully, had a good nosey around my flat before spending the evening on my lap purring away.
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