How to Adopt a Rescue Cat: A Complete Guide

Choosing the right cat

Start with your home rather than with a photo. Think about how much time you have, who lives with you and whether there are other pets. Kittens are curious, playful and full of energy, and they need more supervision. Healthy adult cats usually need less intensive care. Their personality is already set, so it is easier to judge how they will fit in.

Ask the rescue team about each cat you are considering. Useful questions include the following.

• How does the cat behave with people, children and other animals?
• Has it been vaccinated, neutered, microchipped, dewormed and treated for fleas?
• Has it been tested for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)?
• What food and litter does it use now?
• Does it have any health problems, medicines or special needs?

Behavior in a shelter can differ from behavior at home. A cat that hides at the back of a pen may become confident once it feels safe, and a very sociable cat may still need quiet time. Before you commit, make sure everyone in the household has met the cat. The RSPCA notes that a suspected allergy is one of the most common reasons an adoption does not work out. No breed is truly allergy-free, because the main allergen is a protein in the skin and saliva that all cats produce.

Supplies to have ready

Set everything up before the cat comes home, so the first day is calm.

• A sturdy carrier for the journey home and for vet visits
• The food the cat already eats, plus wide, shallow bowls for food and water
• A large litter box, the same type of litter the cat used before, and a scoop
• A bed and at least one hiding place, such as a covered bed or a cardboard box with a blanket
• A scratching post tall enough for a full stretch
• A few toys, including a wand toy for playing together
• A shelf, cat tree or windowsill so the cat can rest up high
• A quick-release safety collar with an ID tag, if you plan to use a collar

Before the cat arrives, get down to floor level and look for hazards. Move toxic plants out of reach, and remember that lilies are very poisonous to cats. Lock away medicines, antifreeze, cleaning products and pest poisons. For a fuller list, see our guide to common household poisons for dogs and cats.

Set up one quiet room

Most rescue cats have lived in a small pen, and a whole house can be overwhelming at first. Choose one quiet room with a door that closes, such as a spare bedroom. Cats prefer not to eat, drink, sleep and use the toilet in the same spot. Put food and water in one area, the bed in another and the litter box as far from the food as the room allows. Place the hiding spot away from the door, and add something to climb on so the cat can watch the room from a height.

Check for escape routes. A frightened cat may try to bolt, so keep windows and outside doors shut for the first weeks. Remember less obvious gaps, such as cat flaps and open chimneys.

The first day

Put the carrier in the safe room, close the room door and then open the carrier. Let the cat come out in its own time. Some cats walk out at once, and others stay inside for hours. Both are normal. On the journey, a towel over the carrier and a familiar-smelling blanket inside can help the cat feel more secure.

Keep the first day quiet. Put off visits from friends and family, and keep children calm and seated. Sit in the room for short spells and talk softly, so the cat gets used to your voice. Let it decide whether to approach. If it does, offer a gentle stroke on the head or cheeks, and let it walk away whenever it wants.

Hiding and decompression

Hiding is how cats cope with stress, and many rescue cats hide for the first days. Leave the cat where it feels safe. Pulling it out can set it back, so only do this if you are worried about its health or safety. Instead, make the room predictable. Feed at the same times each day, clean the litter box quietly and keep your visits short and calm.

Treats placed on the floor near you, and then a little away from you, help a shy cat learn that people bring good things. Short play sessions with a wand toy build confidence. Let the cat catch the toy at the end, so the game finishes on a good note. Leaving the carrier open in the room gives the cat another resting place, and it makes the next trip easier.

When the cat eats well, uses the litter box and seems relaxed with you, open the door and let it explore a couple of rooms at a time. Keep the safe room available as a retreat. Many cats are ready within a few days. Others take weeks, and rescue centers note that some cats take months to fully relax. For more on building trust, see Bonding with a Rescue Animal.

Food, litter and routine

Keep feeding the food the cat ate at the rescue for the first days. If you want to change it, mix in the new food gradually over five to seven days to avoid an upset stomach. Use the same litter at first too. Scoop the box at least once a day and wash it fully about once a week. Strong-smelling litter, cleaning products and air fresheners can put cats off the box, so choose unscented ones.

The Cornell Feline Health Center advises as many litter boxes as you have cats, plus one. Even a single cat benefits from a choice of two boxes in quiet spots. Accidents are common in the first weeks. Clean them with an enzymatic cleaner and never punish the cat. If problems continue, read Why Is My Cat Peeing Outside the Litter Box?

If your cat will go outdoors later, keep it inside for at least two to three weeks first, until it is comfortable with you and its new home. Make sure it is microchipped and vaccinated before the first trip out, and ask your vet about neutering if it has not been done. Start with short, supervised visits before a meal, so food can call it back in.

Other pets

If you have other cats, keep the newcomer in the safe room until your vet has checked it, especially when its health history is unknown. Then introduce the cats slowly, starting with scent. Swap bedding between them, then let them play on either side of a closed door, and only later let them see each other. Feline veterinary guidance says this can take from a few days to a few months. Move on only when every cat is relaxed with the current step. Hissing, growling, pacing and toileting outside the box are signs to slow down.

The first vet check

Book a vet visit soon after adoption, even if the cat seems healthy, and bring any records from the rescue. The vet will check weight, teeth, eyes, ears, heart and coat, and plan vaccinations and parasite control. If the cat has not been tested for FeLV and FIV, ask your vet about testing. It is also a good time to confirm that the microchip can be read and is registered to you. For tips on the trip itself, see How to Take Your Cat to the Vet With Less Stress.

Stress after a move can bring on illness in some cats. Feline herpesvirus can lie dormant and become active again in stressful conditions, causing sneezing and discharge from the eyes and nose. Contact your vet promptly if you notice any of these signs.

• Eating little or nothing for more than a day or two
• Sneezing with thick yellow or green discharge from the eyes or nose
• Repeated vomiting or diarrhea, or a cat that seems weak and quiet
• Breathing with the mouth open, or breathing that looks like hard work
• Pale or gray gums, or a cat that is very hard to rouse

The last two signs need urgent care. A cat that stops eating for several days can also develop a serious liver condition called hepatic lipidosis, and cats that were overweight are at higher risk. For more, see Cat Not Eating: Causes, Dangers, and When to See a Vet.

At Paw Squadron, the first stops after every rescue are the vet and a bath. Each cat has a checkup, deworming and treatment against fleas and other parasites, and before adoption it also gets vaccinations and a microchip. Even so, a new home is a big change for any cat. A quiet room, a steady routine and plenty of patience give a rescue cat the best start.

If you are ready to adopt, see the animals waiting on our Adopt page, or browse more guides in PawPedia. Questions about adopting from us are answered in our FAQ.