Bringing home an adult shelter cat

An adult shelter cat needs time to feel safe. Give it a small quiet room, a hiding place, food, water and a litter box, and let it decide when to come out. Many cats hide for the first days and relax over weeks. Plan on a vet visit in the first week and a slow, calm start.

Adult cats have a known size, coat and temperament, which is one of their advantages. A shelter is also a stressful place, so a cat's behaviour there may not show what it will be like at home. Expect the real personality to appear gradually.

Before you bring the cat home

Ask the shelter what they know. Useful questions include:

• Why was the cat surrendered or how did it arrive?
• What is its age, vaccination status and medical history?
• Has it lived with other cats, dogs or children?
• What food and litter did it use?
• Does it have any health conditions, medicines or behaviour concerns?
• Has it been spayed or neutered and microchipped?
• What paperwork comes with the cat?
• What support does the shelter offer after adoption?

Get a secure cat carrier and make sure it closes well. Cats that panic can escape in a car park or on a doorstep.

Prepare a settling room. Choose a bedroom, a spare room or a bathroom. Put in the room:

• A litter box, in a corner away from food and water.
• Food and water bowls.
• A bed or blanket and at least two hiding places, such as a cardboard box or a covered bed.
• A scratching post.
• A few toys.
• A high perch if there is space.

A plug-in pheromone diffuser may help some cats settle. Evidence is mixed, so treat it as an extra, not a cure.

Close windows, fit screens, check for gaps and hide cords. Make sure every person in the home knows to close doors.

Count your resources with the litter boxes and new-cat checklist tool if you have other cats.

The first day

Carry the cat in its carrier into the settling room, close the door and open the carrier. Sit on the floor for a few minutes and then leave. Do not pull the cat out or crowd it. Some cats walk out and explore. Others stay in the carrier or squeeze under furniture for hours.

Offer water and a small meal in the usual food. Keep noise and visitors down. Check on the cat quietly a few times, and avoid staring, which can seem threatening. Speak softly.

The first days to weeks

Many shelters and rescue groups describe a pattern called 3-3-3: about three days to decompress, three weeks to learn the routine and three months to feel at home. Treat it as a loose guide. Every cat differs, and some settle in hours while others need many months.

During the first week:

• Keep to a steady routine. Feed and play at the same times each day.
• Spend short, quiet periods in the room. Read aloud or sit and let the cat approach. Offer treats on the floor.
• Play with a wand toy when the cat shows interest. Play helps build trust.
• Let the cat come out of hiding. Do not pull it out.
• Open the door to the rest of the house only when the cat is eating, using the litter box and moving around the room with confidence. Then widen the space a room at a time.
• Keep other pets apart until the cat is settled and has been to the vet. Our guides on introducing a new cat to a cat and a cat to a dog give the steps.

Watch for signs that the cat is settling: eating well, using the litter box, grooming itself, stretching, rubbing on furniture, playing, coming out for attention and sleeping in the open.

The vet visit

Book a check-up within the first week, sooner if the shelter has not done a full exam. Shelter cats are exposed to many other animals, and an upper respiratory infection is common, with sneezing, watery eyes and nasal discharge. Ask the vet about vaccines, parasite control, dental health, weight and tests for common feline infections. Share everything the shelter told you. Ask what the vet recommends for an adult cat's age and health. Do not start any treatment yourself.

Bring the paperwork. Update the microchip registration to your name and contact details, and ask what identification the cat needs. A cat that is new to a home is more likely to bolt, so make sure it wears a collar with a safe breakaway clip or has a registered microchip, or both.

Common mistakes

• Too much too soon. Introducing the cat to everyone or giving the whole house in the first hour overwhelms it.
• Forcing affection. Wait for the cat to ask for contact.
• Punishing hiding or mistakes. A cat that hides is coping, not misbehaving.
• Leaving doors and windows open. Newly adopted cats escape easily.
• Changing food suddenly. Switch slowly.
• Skipping the vet.
• Judging the cat after a day or two. The first behaviour is rarely the real one.
• Letting children chase or hold the cat.

When to call a vet

Call your vet if you see any of these:

• The cat does not eat or drink for a day or more. Cats that stop eating can develop a serious liver condition called hepatic lipidosis. Do not wait for the cat to "settle".
• Trouble breathing, open-mouth breathing or constant coughing.
• Repeated vomiting or diarrhoea.
• Straining to urinate, frequent trips to the litter box with little urine, or no urine. A male cat in this state needs an emergency vet at once.
• Eye or nasal discharge that is thick, green or yellow, or sneezing that persists.
• Lethargy, hiding for days with no eating, or pain on touch.
• Limping, swelling or a wound.
• Sudden aggression.

Ask the vet or the shelter for referral to a behaviour specialist if fear or aggression stays high after a few weeks.

Summary

• Prepare a quiet settling room with hiding places.
• Ask the shelter what they know and get the paperwork.
• Let the cat set the pace and avoid forcing contact.
• Keep to a routine and widen the space gradually.
• See the vet in the first week and update the microchip.
• Call a vet if the cat stops eating, strains to urinate or breathes with difficulty.