First time cat owner to a shelter animal!?

A little intro first...


I asked a while back about getting a shelter animal, and today I adopted her! Her name is Jenna and she is a 6 year old domestic short-haired cat. I got acquainted with her today and tomorrow I will be taking her home (they need to do her dental procedures before she comes home.) I have never personally owned a cat though my family did for some time while I was a kid. I've already set up her litter box, food and water, her bed and toys and gotten a collar. She will be living with me alone in my apartment. She has been declawed, microchipped, and all of her medical procedures have been taken care of up to date. Her previous owners gave her to the shelter because she 'didn't get along with the new kitten.'


Now for my question...


As a first-time cat owner, how can I help her settle in, feel comfortable, and are there any things I need to know as a new cat owner?


Thanks!!

First time cat owner to a shelter animal!?
Here is a trick our vet showed us to help our cat acclimate to his new surroundings:





Put him into the room that will be considered his "sleeping quarters". Be sure the room has a door which can be shut to seclude him. In this room you should also put his cat box by the door, and his food %26amp; water bowls in the complete opposite corner of the cat box (as far away from the cat box as possible). His bed should be where it will always be. Rub a little bit of butter on top of both of his front paws %26amp; legs (not too much, just enough to make his paws a bit greasy), and confine him in the room for at least a week. Keep an eye on his paws, when he starts to clean himself, he has grown used to the room and considers it home (cats do not clean themselves when they are not at home). Be sure you interact with the cat many times during this process. You need to be in the room with him as much as you can, petting him, talking to him, playing with him, and if it's your bedroom, sleeping with him. Once he starts to clean himself, you will also hear him purr more often. Then you can let him explore the rest of the home. He will always come back to "his" room if he feels threatened or afraid. At this time you can move his catbox and food bowls to their permanent locations and show him where they are. He will find them on his own very quickly. After a month of exploring your apartment, you can put him on a leash and slowly take him outside to discover the neighborhood. He will quickly learn where home is and he will come home if he gets out. Remember that if you don't declaw him, he will have a much better chance of surviving outside.





It seems like a lot of work, but you will be happy with the results. We have moved 5 times since we first brought home our "kitten" and he never ran away. He is 19 years old now. The acclamation process worked every time, even for an old cat. The last time we moved our cat was 10 years old (7 years is considered a senion cat).





Good luck, with your new best friend!
Reply:the FIRST thing u should do (once u get the cat @ home) is IMMEDIATELY show it the litter box. Just take the cat, and sit it in there... It will smell it acouple times and know that this is the "business" area. Then, after that, just show it love and affection.





Some cats "relocate" differently than others. I found a free cat in my newspaper, and when I brought him home, he hid in our basement for like 2-3 weeks. Then, he started to come out of his shell. And it took him over a year to really start to like me....





Sometimes, it depends with an older cat, and how many people you'll have around that they have to get used to. Since you live alone, and in apartment (not a big house), you should be fine.
Reply:I brought in an "outdoor" cat that was headed to a shelter. He's been here almost 6 years and has never wandered. Just give her the love she craves. Show her where the box is and let her roam. Let her hide under the bed. Let her decide it's HOME. She'll love you always for it!!
Reply:Get a cardboard box and cut a door in it--and put in a towel, or a baby blanket. let the cat have as many days in its box as it wants, and it will acclimate at its own pace.


Speak gently to it, and move slowly around it till it relaxes. Stroke it when it comes up to you, and it will bond. Best of luck.
Reply:Keep her confined to one room for at least the first few days, preferably a quiet one. It's less of an upheaval to become familiar with a smaller area first. Once she's comfortable and you start letting her, she'll investigate the rest of her new home at her own pace. If she's nervous around you at first, one thing that might help is putting an unwashed blanket or item of clothing in her bed. It'll carry your scent, and she'll become accustomed to it and associate it with comfort.





Also, since she's declawed, make sure you keep her as an indoor cat. If she does slip out on accident she most likely still has her rear claws and would be at least partially capable of taking care of herself, but it's always safer to keep cats indoors if possible.





Some cats adjust instantly to their new surroundings, but some others can take months. Be patient and accomodating, and she'll bring a lot of joy to your life. Congratulations!
Reply:We adopted a 4 yr old shelter cat last summer. First thing we did was put her in the basement where her litterbox and food was and shut the door. The basement is a finished basement. We stayed with her until she looked around and used her litterbox. Once she used her litterbox (like 20 min later, if that) we opened the door and let her explore upstairs. She hid under the bed for a bit and eventually she would sit between my b/f and I. We kept her in the basement overnight for a couple nights or a week just to make sure she would use her litterbox. And we kept her there during the day when we were at work for a few days. I came home at lunch time to make sure she was alright.





After a few days or a week we let her roam the house during the day. She did fine, so we let her roam around at night too. She even slept between us on the bed. Unfortunately she isn't that cuddly to us anymore and just likes to be close by, laying on the floor near us, but not touching us, and laying at the end of the bed at night. Overall she transitioned well!! She is constantly purring and playing.





Good luck!!