Homing advice (from your cat)

Thank you for accepting me to be part of your family.

I am new to your home so I may be a bit scared and unsure at first. Here are some guidelines that my friends at Paula’s Cat Rescue have written to help me settle in.

You should start by keeping me in just one room to begin with if you have space of course, I will need a litter tray, food and water and a cosy bed.

Keep food and water bowls well away from my litter tray please. I may even need 2 trays.

If I hide, wait until I come to you. Please do not worry and try and get me out. I will come out when I am relaxed and ready.

Give me space and time to get used to my new surroundings.

It can help me to settle in and relax by giving a spray or two of Pet Remedy in my room, or if you have them, perhaps use a Pet Remedy wipe, unfold it and pop it under my bed.

I may not want to eat my food or could have an upset tummy at first if I am a bit nervous. If it does not go on for longer than 2 days do not worry, but if it does go on longer, please check with the vet.

When you let me out of my new room into the main house please do not move my litter tray straight away as I know where it is, and I might get confused when I need the loo. You can put extra trays around for me to get used to. Do not change the brand of litter in case I do not like it. Please place litter trays in quiet areas away from doors. Again, it might help me to settle a little quicker if you use Pet Remedy as I suggested previously.

You should keep me indoors for 3 weeks before letting me out into the big wide world. Keep doors and windows shut. Remember that I can get out of the smallest of gaps.

If you have a cat flap already, please make sure it is securely locked and put something heavy in front of it for the 3 weeks I am kept indoors.  I may smell air round it and force it open if you do not do these things.

Please buy me a nice big scratching post or a cat climbing frame so I can get up high to survey my new home and keep my nails in tip top condition.

Keep some of my treats in a small tin or container and have them close by. When you want me to come to you can give it a shake and give one to me. Do not overdo the treats so when I start to go out you can give it a rattle and I will hear it and be more likely to come in.

Before letting me out for the first time, sprinkle some contents from your vacuum cleaner in your garden. This will help me to find my way back home if I do decide to have a little wander.

The first time you let me out, you should make sure that I have not had my breakfast, I am more likely to come home with an empty tummy. Open the door and give me the choice of whether I want to go out or not. If I do go out stay around and watch me. After a short time, no more than an hour, call me back by shaking my treats tin then feed me. That is enough for my first day of being allowed out. Build it up until I am more confident. Please do not leave me out at first and always keep me in at night.

On the second or third day of being let out, I may go missing for longer. Do not worry too much as I will be checking out my territory and will be back when I have seen enough.

If you have a cat flap but I do not use it, try opening the flap and putting a peg on the top of it to make it stay open. Please do not try pushing me through it as this will make me afraid of using it. Once I happy with it, I will use it and the peg can be removed.

Please send updates to Paula and the team so they know how I am getting on in my new home. They really look forward to hearing news.

I mentioned a couple of times about using a great product called Pet Remedy, if you do use this with me and you find I get stimulated by the spray, please try using a thing called a Pet Remedy plugin instead, this isn’t quite so strong

If you have any worries about me, please contact Paula’s Cat Rescue by phone, email or facebook messenger.

Please take a look at our homing advice video in partnership with Pet Remedy by: clicking here