New adopters 6 min read Draft · vet review pending

Your cat's first week at home

Your new cat has just lost everything it knew: the street, the smells, the people. It will probably hide. That's normal, and it's not about you. Here's how to make the first week easy.

Time: 1 week, mostly patience Set up: before the cat arrives

You'll need

One small, quiet room (a spare bedroom or even a bathroom)
A litter box with unscented clumping litter
Food and water bowls, and the food it's used to eating
Somewhere to hide: a cardboard box or a paper bag on its side
A bed or an old T-shirt that smells of you
Netting on every window and balcony it could reach

Before day one

Net your windows and balcony.
This is the big one in a Mumbai flat. Cats fall from windows and balconies more often than you'd think, and vets see serious injuries from it. Fit mesh or netting and check for gaps a cat could squeeze through.
Done
Cat-proof the safe room.
Tie up dangling cords, put away anything fragile, and lock up cleaning products. Close off any gap behind a cupboard where a scared cat could get stuck.
Done

Days 1 to 7

Keep it in the safe room.
A small space feels safer than a big one. Plan on about a week before you open up the rest of the home.
Done
Let it hide.
Many cats hide for the first few days, some for the whole week. Don't pull it out. It will come to you when it's ready.
Done
Just be there.
Sit in the room and read a book or scroll your phone. Talk softly. Offer a treat from your hand, then leave it be. Boring is good.
Done
Keep other pets apart.
Your other cats or dogs stay out of the safe room this week. It also protects them from anything the new cat might be carrying. Introduce them slowly, after the vet visit.
Done
Book a vet visit.
A general check, vaccinations, deworming, and a plan for neutering if it isn't done yet. Bring whatever records the rescuer gave you.
Done

The cat that hides under the bed for five days is often the one asleep on your chest by week three.

Litter box basics

One box per cat, plus one extra.
Open boxes, away from food, not wedged in a corner.
Scoop every day. Wash the whole box every week or two.

Please don't

Let it roam the whole flat on day one.
Leave windows or balcony doors open without netting, even for a minute.
Keep lilies in the house. True lilies and daylilies can cause fatal kidney failure in cats, even from a nibble.
Let children chase or grab it. Teach them to sit still and let the cat come.

Call a vet if

It hasn't eaten anything for a day
It strains in the litter box and nothing comes out. In a male cat this can be an emergency.
It has diarrhoea, keeps vomiting, sneezes a lot or has runny eyes

Where this comes from

Animal Humane Society: bringing home a new cat (safe room for the first week, hiding, litter boxes, cat-proofing)
Lort Smith Animal Hospital: keep cats safe in apartments (falls from windows and balconies, netting)
IndeVets: lilies and cats (true lilies and daylilies cause kidney failure)
Anicira: 10 signs of a cat emergency (straining to pee)

This guide is a draft and hasn't been checked by a vet yet. It's general information, not a diagnosis.