Your New Cat's First Week at Home: A Calm Start

Arrival day: keep the world small

Take the closed carrier straight to a quiet room, shut the door, and place it near a wall. The room should already have a litter box away from food and water, a resting place, a stable hiding spot, and a scratching surface. Open the carrier and let the cat come out without being pulled or tipped out. BC SPCA recommends starting in a small room and letting the cat choose contact.

Check that windows and doors are secure. Keep children, visitors, and resident pets out of the room at first. Sit nearby for a short while, speak softly, and then give the cat privacy. Hiding is not a failed first day. What matters more is whether the cat can find food, water, and litter and whether you can check on them without a chase.

Keep the first meal familiar if you can. Ask the previous caregiver about food, portions, and meal times, and change diets gradually with veterinary guidance if a change is needed. Put a little of the familiar bedding or the carrier in the room so recognizable scent remains available.

The next few days: make care predictable

Refresh water, offer meals, and scoop the litter box at roughly consistent times. Note what the cat eats and drinks and whether they urinate and pass stool. You do not need to monitor them every minute. A simple daily record makes changes easier to notice and gives your veterinarian useful facts if you need advice.

Spend calm time in the room. You can read, work quietly, or offer a toy on the floor. Let the cat approach your hand before trying to pet them. If they retreat, stop. Some cats eat only when the room is empty at first; give them privacy and check the bowl later. The Feline Veterinary Medical Association describes safety, choice, and separate resources as foundations of a cat-friendly environment.

Offer play when the cat seems interested, but keep string or wand toys out of reach afterward. A scratcher, hiding space, and a place to perch give the cat ways to explore and rest without being handled. Avoid a stream of introductions to friends during this first adjustment period.

Notice progress without forcing a timeline

Small changes can show growing confidence: eating while you are present, stretching in the open, investigating the doorway, using the scratcher, or choosing to approach for contact. A cat that stays hidden but eats, drinks, and uses the litter box may simply need more time. BC SPCA notes that adjustment can take hours, days, or weeks.

Call your veterinarian if appetite is poor, the cat seems unwell, or hiding comes with a concerning change in normal behavior. Repeated vomiting, marked weakness, or straining with little or no urine needs prompt veterinary attention; difficulty passing urine can be an emergency. Do not assume those signs are ordinary relocation stress. Bring any records from the shelter, rescue, breeder, or previous home to the first veterinary visit.

Open the rest of the home in small steps

When the cat is eating, using the litter box, resting, and exploring the room comfortably, you can supervise access to one additional quiet area. Let them return to the original room whenever they want. Before opening a new space, remove reachable medicines, cleaners, loose cords, unsafe plants, and gaps where a frightened cat could become trapped.

If there is a resident cat or dog, expanding territory is a separate decision from introducing the animals. Keep them apart initially and follow a gradual plan for scent and controlled contact. BC SPCA's cat-introduction guide starts with separate rooms and resources; a direct meeting on arrival can make adjustment harder for both animals.

The first week may end with a cat exploring the sofa, or with a cat who still prefers the safe room. Either can be okay if they are healthy and their daily needs are being met. Keep the routine steady and let their behavior decide what comes next. If hiding continues alongside a change in eating, drinking, or litter use, contact your veterinarian.