If they will be introduced to other cats, offer easily exchangeable bedding. Be sure to offer food, water, solo toys (so they can play when they feel safe and comfortable) and cozy, fuzzy beds. Cats prefer to urinate in one area and defecate in another. ![]() If space allows, offer more than one litter box. This is your chance to start them off right, so if you adopted kittens, don’t offer puny kitten products! Give them the real thing that they would use as an adult cat. Set them up for success! Include at least one scratching post. Make sure that all of the cat’s needs are met in the safe space. Moving everything out of their safe room to suddenly convert it back into a guest room can be very stressful and result in unwanted behaviors such as eliminating where their litter box used to be or forgoing eating. Cats are creatures of habit and do not welcome abrupt change. Set them up in a room where you will be comfortable having resources (food, water, litter) long-term, potentially forever. This is especially important if the cat is timid. Avoid using rooms where the cats can get under large pieces of furniture, such as beds, where you cannot access them, pet them, play with them, or offer treats and encouragement. Hiding places should be available, and the cat should be allowed to come out at his or her own pace. ![]() This keeps them from feeling threatened and is especially important if the cat is shy or under-socialized. Cats are both predator and prey, so when presenting them with a new environment, it is best to start small and allow them to acclimate slowly. Their safe room should be a cozy area cats feel comfort in small, confined spaces. Instead, create a safe room where they will remain until they tell us that they are ready to start exploring their new home and potentially meeting the existing cats. Regardless of whether there are existing pets in the household, you should not give a new cat(s) the run of the house when you bring them home. Helping a new cat get comfortable in your home involves much more than opening the carrier door.
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