Tips for New Cat & Kitten Owners: First 30 Days at Home

Whether you’re getting a new cat from a shelter, a home, an urban street, or a country barn, the first 24 hours after bringing a new cat home are special and critical. Looking for advice for new cat owners? Before you bring a new cat into your life, it helps to understand a little bit about how they relate to their world.

You can avoid pitfalls with your new cat or kitten and help them adapt more easily by following these tips for new cat or kitten owners. Learn what to do when and after adopting a cat or kitten. 

What to Do When Adopting a Cat

A cat’s territory is of paramount importance. They view their territory the way most of us view our clothes; without them, we feel naked and vulnerable. Place us naked in a room filled with strangers, and most of us would try to hide! It is common for cats to hide in a new territory, regardless of whether they come from homes or streets. Very sensitive or under-socialized cats often hide for a week or more!

Preparing for a Kitten Checklist

Learn how to get ready and prepare your home for a new kitten or cat and how to help your feline feel comfortable in a new space. We can help with the new cat tips you need, below:

1. Do them a favor and provide a small area to call their own for the first few days or weeks. A bathroom works well.  
2. Fill a cat litter box with one or two inches of litter and place it in their room where they can use it undisturbed. After all, everyone deserves a modicum of privacy when pottying and giving them that will help forestall litter box aversion. If you’re adopting a kitten, make sure the litter is non-clumping. 
3. Set up a feeding station with food with the appropriate cat nutrition and water bowls. Locate it away from the litter box.  
4. Prepare a scratching post for your cat.

Cats Need a Place to Scratch and Explore

Cats love to get away from it all in small places, and you can provide one for your new cat as their little haven. If they came home in a cat carrier, that might be a good choice. You can also make one by cutting a doorway for them at the end of a box. If you prefer, you can buy a covered cat bed at a pet supply store. In either case, ensure the space is big enough for the cat to stand up and turn around. Cat “feng shui” probably requires that they be able to see the door to the room from their hidey-hole, so that they won’t be startled.

A cat’s claws need to be worn down, and they do this by scratching things. Cats need to scratch, so they might start scratching your furniture.

To minimize cat scratching damage and to cat-proof your house, provide a designated scratching area instead of allowing them to scratch your chairs and sofa. Some types are made of corrugated cardboard and lie on the floor; others are posts that must be tall enough so that the cat can extend himself upward to scratch. You can encourage your cat (once they have arrived) to use the post by sprinkling it with catnip or dangling a toy at the top. They’ll get the idea. You’ll probably want a scratching post in each room with soft furniture, perhaps blocking access to it. You can install sticky tape (available at pet supply stores) on corners of upholstered furniture to dissuade scratching.

Look at your house with a curious cat’s eye view for its climbing and exploring potential. When your cat is acclimated to your home, you may be surprised to find them on top of the upper kitchen cabinets, so make sure there’s nothing on display there or on other high shelves that can be damaged or knocked off.

Look for holes or registers that leave ductwork accessible and cover them up. A kitten can easily slither into one of these. You won’t want firefighters in the house, jackhammering the concrete floor to extract your cat. If possible, buy a cat tree for your new family member. Cats like to survey their territory, so a high perch is often a favored resting place.

Review the ground rules about your new pet if there are other human family members. Remind people not to startle them and to keep the door to your new pet’s room shut. Decide on how to introduce your cat to other pets, such as other cats and dogs. Keep their door closed, and don’t let your other pet race in unexpectedly.  

First Few Days with a Cat or Kitten

Now, you are ready for your cat’s first day home. Here’s a first-time cat owner guide on how to handle your first few days with your new kitten, including how to help a kitten or cat adjust to a new home:

1. Preferably, bring them home in a cat carrier. It will feel safer for them. 
2. They have seen a lot of excitement, so take them directly to their new room.  
3. Make sure that the cat has clean, easy access to their new litter box in that room and that their food and water are on the opposite side of the room.  
4. Close the door to their room before opening the carrier. Do not pull the cat out. Allow them to come out on their own and begin to explore their new home.  
5. Now, leave the room and close the door.

Remember, during a kitten’s first few days in a new home, you need to give them time to acclimate. Ideally, you would restrict their exposure to the whole family, but naturally, everyone will want to see them. Remind everyone of the ground rules you’ve set up. 

Sit on the floor and let your cat come to you. Please don’t force them. Just let them get acquainted on their own time. If the cat doesn’t approach, leave them alone and try again later. Some cats are terrified and may retreat to their hidey-hole and not come out when you’re around. They may only come out at night when the house is quiet. Give them time.

You’ll have to prepare for your new cat to be possibly not eating. If your new cat goes more than a day without eating or drinking at all, it is important to talk to your vet right away. If the cat is openly soliciting affection, eating and not hiding, you can open the door and give them one more room. Do this slowly until you have introduced the cat to all the rooms in their new home. Be sure to change their water frequently and make sure that they are drinking.

How to Help a Cat Adjust to a New Home

It may take your cat a week or two to adjust. One of the most essential tips for cat owners is to be patient.

Within a week of being adopted, take your newly adopted cat for its first wellness visit with a veterinarian. If you have a record of immunizations from the shelter, take it with you.

As your cat adjusts, they’ll show signs of wanting to explore outside their haven. As you introduce your cat, make sure dogs, other pets or family members won’t startle them while they gradually expand their territory. They may be ready to play, so you can furnish some toys to avoid kitty boredom. Many cats like feather wands from the pet supply store, but homemade toys are often favored. A wad of tissue paper to bat around or a cardboard box to hide in can be fun.

Congratulations! If you follow these tips for new cat owners, you’ll be on your way to having a well-adjusted feline family member.

For more expert tips on adopting a new cat, explore our other cat and kitten adoption articles.