How to Prepare
Your Home for
a New Cat

Start with one room

This is the most underrated piece of advice for new cat owners: don't give your cat the whole house on day one. Pick one quiet room — a bedroom, a spare room, anywhere calm — and set that up as your cat's base. Put the litter box, food, water, a hiding spot, and a bed in that room. Let your cat decompress there for a few days before expanding their territory.

Cats find new environments overwhelming. A smaller starting space lets them build confidence without being flooded by stimulation. Most cats given a "base room" adjust significantly faster than those dropped into a full home immediately.

Remove toxic plants first

Many common houseplants are toxic to cats. Before anything else, audit your home and move or remove any of the following: lilies (highly toxic — even small amounts can cause kidney failure), pothos, snake plant, philodendron, aloe vera, peace lily, and daffodils. This is not optional — lily toxicity in cats is frequently fatal and fast-moving.

The ASPCA maintains a full list of toxic and non-toxic plants at aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants if you want to check specific plants in your home.

Litter box placement

The rule most people get wrong: one litter box per cat, plus one extra. A single-cat household should have two boxes. Place them in quiet, low-traffic areas — not next to the washing machine or in a busy hallway. Cats won't use boxes that feel exposed or loud.

Avoid placing the litter box near food and water. Cats have a strong instinct not to eliminate near where they eat. Keep boxes scooped daily and fully changed weekly. A dirty box is the number one reason cats go outside it.

Set up vertical space

Cats feel safest when they have height. A cat tree, shelving they can access, or even a cleared windowsill gives your cat somewhere to retreat and observe from above. This matters especially in multi-pet households — vertical space lets cats escape conflict without confrontation. It also gives them somewhere to go when they're startled or overstimulated.

Window access is particularly valuable. Cats are highly stimulated by watching birds, movement, and outdoor activity. A perch near a window costs nothing and keeps indoor cats mentally engaged for hours.

Scratch posts — non-negotiable

Cats scratch to stretch, to mark territory, and to maintain their claws. They will scratch something in your home. The question is whether it's your furniture or a scratch post. Put scratch posts near the furniture they're most likely to target (usually couches and chairs) and near sleeping areas, since cats often scratch when they first wake up.

Both horizontal and vertical scratch surfaces work — some cats prefer one, some prefer both. Sisal rope tends to be more satisfying than carpet-covered posts.

Hiding spots for decompression

A new cat from a shelter has been through significant stress. They need somewhere to hide when they're overwhelmed — a cardboard box with a blanket, a covered cat bed, space under the bed. Don't block these off or try to force interaction when your cat is hiding. Hiding is healthy. Respect it and let them come to you on their own timeline.

Secure windows and loose wires

Check that window screens are secure — cats lean on them and screens often give way. Loose electrical cords are a chewing hazard, especially for young cats. Tuck cables away or use cable covers. Check that your balcony (if you have one) has no gaps a cat could fall or squeeze through. "High-rise syndrome" — cats falling from buildings — is a real and preventable problem.

Food, water, and feeding location

Set up food and water before the cat arrives. Keep water and food bowls separate — ideally in different locations. Many cats prefer running water; a simple cat fountain can increase how much your cat drinks, which matters for kidney and urinary health, especially as they age.

For the first week, try to continue feeding whatever the shelter was feeding. A sudden diet change on top of a new environment is a lot of digestive stress. Transition to your preferred food gradually over 7–10 days by mixing.

Before you pick them up: the vet

Line up a vet before you bring your cat home, not after. Shelter cats frequently come home with upper respiratory infections — runny eyes, sneezing, congestion. These are common and usually treatable, but they need a vet's attention within the first week. Have a clinic identified and the first wellness visit scheduled before adoption day.