What an adult or rescue cat needs on day one, and what can wait
An adult or rescue cat needs less than you think on day one: a carrier, two litter trays, the litter and food they already know, wide shallow bowls, a bed or a hiding place, a scratching post, a couple of toys and, if they will go out later, a breakaway collar with ID. A fountain, a cat tree and fancy beds can wait until you know the cat.
Day one: the short list
Start with the carrier. A top-opening design is far easier with a nervous cat, because you lower them in rather than pushing them through a door they are bracing against. The Soft Cat Carrier Bag with Top & Side Opening does this and folds flat afterwards; the Moderna Odyssey Carrier is the hard-sided choice if you want something wipe-clean for the car.
Then the trays: one per cat plus a spare. The Plastic Cat Litter Tray in Large or XL suits most adults, and the Moderna Corner Hooded Flip Loo gives a shy cat privacy. Add the Moderna Scoop & Sift, a bag of the litter the rescue used, two bowls, a bed, a scratching post and a couple of toys.
Set up one quiet room first
Do not give a new cat the run of the house. Pick one quiet room with a door, ideally a spare bedroom, and put everything in it: tray in one corner, food and water in another well away from it, and a bed off the main walkway.
Two hiding places beat one. A covered bed such as the Cosy Cave Pet Bed gives them somewhere enclosed, and a cardboard box on its side with a towel in it does the same job. Cats Protection advise opening the carrier door and letting the cat come out in their own time. Some explore within minutes, some stay put for a day. Both are normal.
Keep litter, bowls and food the same
A rescue cat is coping with a new home, new smells and new people; do not add a new litter and a new food on top. Ask what they were using and buy that, even if it is not your long-term choice. Catsan Hygiene Cat Litter is common in rescues, and it is unscented and fine-grained, which most cats prefer anyway. Change later by mixing the new litter in over a couple of weeks.
Bowls should be wide and shallow so the whiskers do not touch the sides; the Ancol Cat Ear Dish and the Classic Non Slip Cat Stainless Steel Superdish are both that shape. Put water away from the food, because many cats drink more away from their dinner; the Mason Cash Cat Drinking Saucer suits that job. Feed what they know, when they know it, for at least a fortnight.
What can wait, and the settling-in period
A fountain helps cats that do not drink enough, and a cat tree suits a confident climber, but you will not know which you have until they settle. Fancy beds are the classic wasted purchase; cats pick their own spots. Toys are cheap, so a Feather Cat Teaser Wand with Bell is worth having from the start.
Settling takes days for some cats and weeks for others. Once they are eating, using the tray and coming to greet you, open the door and let them explore one area at a time. Keep other pets apart at first and introduce them by scent, swapping bedding, before they meet.
The first trip outside, the microchip and the vet
If the cat will go outdoors, keep them in for at least three to four weeks so they learn where home is. Let them out for the first time just before a meal, on a dry day, and stay with them. Fit a breakaway collar with ID first: the Boho Breakaway Cat Collar With Bell or the Reflective Cat Collar with Bell and ID Tag both release if they snag. Never put an elastic collar on a cat.
Most rescue cats are already chipped, but the chip only helps if the details are yours. Microchipping is a legal requirement for owned cats in England, so update the record to your name and number in the first week. Register with a vet before you need one, and International Cat Care suggest sorting insurance at the same time, because a policy taken out before anything shows up covers far more.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Sanicat Essential Oils Argan Oil Clumping Cat Litter
A 10kg bag of clay clumping cat litter, scented with argan essential oil
£13.99
Catit Pea Husk Unscented Clumping Cat Litter
Unscented clumping cat litter made from upcycled pea husks, 99% dust-free
£17.99
Catsan Hygiene Cat Litter
A 20LTR unscented mineral cat litter that works on odour before it develops
£20.45
Catsan Hygiene Non-Clumping Odour Control Cat Litter
Natural non-clumping litter that locks liquid into white mineral granules
£5.45
Catit Go Natural Pea Husk Clumping Litter Vanilla
Pea husk clumping litter, 99.9% dust-free and biodegradable, lightly vanilla-scented
£17.99
CJ's Kitten Wood Litter
A 10 litre wood pellet litter milled small enough for kittens to dig in, with no additives
£6.99
Breeder Celect Recycled Paper Cat Litter
A 25 litre sack of UK-made recycled paper cat litter, biodegradable and low dust
£18.25
Pampuss Wood Pellet Cat Litter
A 5L biodegradable wood pellet cat litter, made from 100% recycled wood residue
£3.75
Cats Best Original Cat Litter+20% Free
A plant-based clumping cat litter made from active wood fibre, absorbing up to 700% of its volume. 4.3kg bag.
£13.45
Breeder's Choice Formerly Breeder Celect Recycled Paper Pellet Cat Litter
Recycled-paper pellet litter for cats and kittens, in two sizes
From£9.99
Catsan Ultra Clumping Odour Control Cat Litter
Fine-granule clumping clay litter, low tracking and made to stop odour forming
£10.25
Common questions
- How many litter trays does one cat need?
- Two: one per cat plus one extra, in different spots rather than side by side. A cat that always has a clean tray available is far less likely to start toileting elsewhere, which is a much harder habit to undo.
- How long should I keep a rescue cat indoors before letting them out?
- At least three to four weeks, and longer if they are still nervous, so they learn the sounds and smells of home and can find their way back. Make the first trip just before a meal, on a dry day, and go out with them so it ends with food.
- Should I change a rescue cat's food straight away?
- No. Keep them on what they were eating at the rescue for at least a fortnight, at the same times. A sudden change on top of a new home can upset their stomach or put them off eating. Switch later by mixing the new food in over a week.
- Does an indoor-only cat need a collar?
- Not for everyday wear, and many indoor cats are happier without one; the microchip is what matters, so keep its details current. If your cat is a door-dasher, a breakaway collar with an ID tag is a sensible safety net. Never use an elastic collar on any cat.
Related
Sources
Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.