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This information has been taken from our welcome home leaflet and gives you lots of useful tips when bringing home your new companion. Remember that it might have been a stressful time for your new cat or kitten and sometimes it's taken months to nurse a neglected cat back to health and happiness before they're well enough to be rehomed.  It’s important that you and your new cat or kitten get off to a good start. Arriving Home With Your New Cat Keep your cat in a confined area with doors closed until they have settled in. Have a litter tray ready in a private corner before you let them out of the carrier. Keep their bed, water, and feeding bowl away from draughts so that they can begin to recognise,  'This is my home and a safe place to be'.  Close bedroom doors because a timid cat will initially want to hide under a bed, behind kitchen units, or some other dark, secretive place. Be aware of windows and please keep them secured! Your cat needs to be kept indoors for at least four weeks (kittens much longer). Arriving Home With Your New Kitten On arrival, let the kitten inspect their new home. Show them their litter tray, water and bed, and stay with them, keeping their attention until they settle. Don't leave them on their own. Offer your kitten a little food and generally keep an eye on them until they tire and go to sleep. Don’t let anybody pull them around; your kitten has senses and emotions and is a living creature, not a toy! Your kitten might be frightened and distressed after leaving its mum and siblings so lots of gentle cuddles and tender loving care are needed. Give your kitten a cuddly toy to snuggle up to at night and make sure they are warm. Playing before bedtime will ensure a better night for your kitten. Eating and Feeding The fosterer will have discussed with you the food your cat or kitten has been receiving. It’s important not to change a cat or kitten’s diet suddenly. If you choose another diet, it is important that the new food is mixed in gradually. Any sudden change in diet can cause diarrhoea which puts your cat or kitten at risk of dehydration. Dehydration is extremely dangerous, especially in a small animal, and may require veterinary treatment. ​IMPORTANT Please ensure fresh water is always available. ​Feeding Your Adult Cat (Unlike dogs and humans,) cats are ‘obligate carnivores’ and require a diet based on meat protein. The majority of animals in our care are fed Royal Canin dried food, a nutritionally balanced complete food, this is our preferred brand for dry food. Twice a day, based on their weight, feed your cat the required amount of dried food. Other brands available wihch we also use are James Wellbeloved or Hills. Morning and evening, feed your cat a small amount of wet food, this can also be used as a training aid, for encouraging your cat to come in at night for instance. We don't recommend a diet consisting of just wet food, it can stick to your cat’s teeth and could eventually cause dental problems. Likewise, a diet based solely on cheaper dry kibble could cause kidney problems in later life.  If you choose to give small pieces of cooked meat or fish please check for bones. ​Feeding your kitten Up until six months of age, your kitten needs a complete, balanced diet, formulated for kittens. Your kitten can be fed continuously, or four times per day.  As your kitten grows, their appetite will increase so, if they cry, asking for more, give more.  Kittens will not overfeed themselves – they will go back to their food as required but, if you choose to feed wet or fresh food, do not leave it down for long, especially in a warm room, due to spoilage. NEVER give cow’s milk to cats or kittens.  They may love the taste but cannot digest it and the lactose sugar ferments painfully in their tummies, even causing diarrhoea. ​The Litter Tray Just like us, cats and kittens like their ‘toilet’, or litter tray, to be out of the way of people, intrusions, and noise; somewhere with a degree of privacy!  Whilst at first, their food and water need to be close-by, to avoid contamination please place the litter tray carefully. Litter needs to be regularly replaced and the tray and scoop sterilised.  Please ensure that any disinfectant products you use are allowed to dry thoroughly otherwise they may pose a risk to your cat. The First Outing You must not let your cat outside for at least four weeks, kittens even longer. Your cat needs to have worked out their home territory, by scent and by creating a mental map influenced by the sun and stars. This must be ‘imprinted’ or your cat will simply become lost again. However much they may ask to be let out, the answer must be 'No'! ​After four weeks, your adult cat can be let out. Do it at a time when you are going to be around for a while and before tehy've been fed. This will encourage your cat not to venture too far at first. Don’t carry your cat outside! Let them explore by themselves. If they don’t, they won’t be able to scent their territory (with their cheeks and paw pads) making it familiar to themselves. Give them plenty of time. We always recommend keeping your cat inside after dark. More bad things happen to cats at during the hours of darkness! ​Registering with a Vet Don’t forget to register your new pet with your local vet. Although your cat will have seen our vets, its always a good idea to register your new pet with your local vet, so they can get to know each other. Your vet will want to see the medical card so remember to take it with you to the first appointment. Collars and Microchips If you intend to put a collar on your cat please ensure that it has a quick-release safety buckle, to avoid injury, this will release immediately if the collar becomes caught on something or twisted on the cat. A small tag needs to carry your phone number/address or possibly that of your vet. Please remember that all our cats and kittens are microchipped which means that any vet or animal charity can scan them to identify them. Remember: the microchip contact details, you gave us at the time of adoption, are logged and are the only means of contacting you. If you move house or change phone number, it is it is essential that you inform the microchip company otherwise they simply cannot contact you if your pet is lost and found. We hope that this information has helped you with any initial questions you may have. Be aware that in the early days of your cat’s/kitten’s arrival they might be stressed. This may lead to minor symptoms such as sniffles, runny eyes, or diarrhoea which, providing your cat is otherwise active and healthy, may be of no consequence in the short term.   But if symptoms persist over more than two or three days or your cat/kitten stops eating and becomes lethargic, then don’t hesitate to contact your local vet immediately.