For the first 48 hours, give the cat one room, no visitors and as little handling as possible. Put the carrier on the floor, open the door, set down food, water and a litter box, and leave. A cat that hides for two days and eats at night is behaving normally. The goal is not affection — it is to get the cat eating, drinking, urinating and defecating somewhere that smells safe.
Set the room up before the carrier opens
Choose the smallest room with a door that closes: a bathroom or spare bedroom. Not the living room, not your bedroom, and not a room with a cat flap. The space should be boring, dim and quiet; a cat that sees the whole house on day one spends the week under the sofa.
- Litter box at the far end from the food, ideally in a corner with two sides. Most cats will not eat next to where they eliminate.
- Water away from the food, in a wide shallow dish.
- A hiding place that is not under the bed. A box on its side with a blanket, or the carrier with the door off and a towel over it. If the only hiding place is under furniture, you cannot see whether the cat is eating.
- The same food and the same litter the shelter used. Ask before you leave, and take a small bag of each if they will give it.
- A scratcher — a cardboard one is fine. Put it where the cat sleeps.
- Nothing else. No bell collar, no harness, no cat tree, no diffuser the shelter did not use.
Block gaps behind appliances, tape loose cables, and check the window screens. A frightened cat finds the one hole within an hour.
Hours 0-6: open the door and walk away
Carry the carrier in, set it on the floor, open the door, leave and close the door behind you. Do not tip the cat out, pull it out, or pick it up to show it the litter box.
Come back every hour or so, sit on the floor, say a few words and leave. Ten minutes is enough; no staring, no reaching into the hiding place. If it rubs against you, stay still. If it retreats, that is not rejection.
Most cats will not eat in front of you on day one. Put down wet food, leave, and check later.
Night one: what is normal and what is not
Expect hiding, a reduced appetite, dilated pupils, crying at 3 a.m., and no bowel movement for 24-36 hours. Most cats explore only after lights out. Hissing near the hiding place is fear, and it fades.
| Normal in the first 48 hours | Call a vet the same day |
|---|---|
| Hiding all day, eating at night | Open-mouth breathing at rest |
| No poop for 24-36 hours | No urine for 24 hours, especially a male cat straining in the box |
| Hissing, growling, flattened ears | A kitten that has not eaten for 12 hours |
A male cat straining with nothing coming out has a blocked urethra, which can kill within 24-48 hours. There is no wait-and-see at any age.
Feeding for the first two days
Feed what the shelter fed, in small amounts, three or four times a day. Warm wet food to body temperature in a bowl of hot water, not the microwave. Do not upgrade the food in week one; a sudden switch causes diarrhoea.
Do not hand-feed to force a bond. Leave the food and walk away. A measured amount of dry food left down is acceptable for these two days; calories matter more than the schedule right now. Change the water twice a day and note how much is gone.
Litter: expect mistakes, never punish them
Use the same litter type, unscented, and an uncovered box for the first weeks. Scoop twice a day and count what you find — output is your best health signal in week one.
If the cat urinates outside the box, do not rub its nose in it or push it back in. In the first 48 hours it is usually stress or a medical problem, and punishment makes both worse. Clean with an enzymatic cleaner, move the box somewhere private, and call the vet if there is straining.
Things not to do in the first 48 hours
- Do not bathe, trim nails, brush teeth or clean ears. It can all wait a week.
- Do not introduce it to a resident cat or dog yet. Scent swapping through the door starts after a few days.
- Do not invite friends over "to see the new cat". Every new person resets the clock.
- Do not let it outside — not now, not ever without a secure enclosure.
- Do not pick it up to cuddle, or haul it out from under the bed. Let it come to you.
Book the vet visit now, for day 3 to 7
Call on day one and book an appointment for the end of the first week, even if the cat looks healthy. Bring the shelter's paperwork and a stool sample. The check-up confirms FeLV/FIV status, catches ear mites and dental disease, and sets a baseline weight you will compare against for years.
After the first 48 hours the pace changes, not the rules: three days to decompress, three weeks to learn the household routine, about three months before you meet the cat it actually is. Do not judge the decision in week one. Still deciding between sources? Read adopting vs buying; a cat that is not eating by day three is covered in health, and the routine you will settle into is in care.
Frequently asked
Should I let the new cat out of the room on day one?
No. Keep it to one room for at least three days, longer if it is still hiding. A cat that has the run of the house before it feels safe tends to pick a hiding place you cannot reach and stay there.
My new cat hasn't eaten in 24 hours. Is that an emergency?
For an adult cat, 24 hours of not eating is a reason to call the vet, not yet an emergency. For a kitten under six months, 12 hours without food is an emergency — small kittens cannot tolerate a fast. Either way, offer strong-smelling wet food, warm, and leave the room.
Can I introduce my resident cat on day two?
Wait. Keep them separated for at least three to seven days, with scent swapping through the door, then brief visual access through a cracked door or baby gate, then supervised meetings. Rushing this is the most common cause of long-term conflict between cats.