Cats: a practical guide for adopters
Cats are territorial, routine-loving animals that do well indoors when the home gives them places to climb, hide, and scratch. The biggest thing new adopters get wrong is rushing the first days: a cat that hides for three to five days is behaving normally, and forcing contact slows the settling-in.
How smart they are and what that means for you
Cats are capable learners with sharp senses and a strong preference for controlling their own interactions. They see about six times better than people in low light, hear better than people and most dogs, and rely on scent to map territory, which is why a new cat sniffs everything and reacts to sounds you cannot hear. Social skills are learned early: kittens learn how hard they can bite from littermates, and Cornell reports that play aggression is most common in cats raised without them. Watch for the warning signs before a pounce (thrashing tail, flattened ears, dilated pupils), redirect with a toy kept away from your hands, and end the game rather than punishing; touching or striking a cat during rough play either frightens it or rewards it. Kittens are playful and moldable but need supervision; adult cats have set personalities, which makes them more predictable for a first-time home. Hiding is normal, not a failure. Best Friends puts it plainly: let the cat set the pace. Most cats become affectionate on their own terms once they trust the routine.
“Hiding is enrichment. Cats in the wild hide. So when we let our cats hide, we're letting them do a natural, instinctive thing.”
Best Friends Animal Society
Eating habits and diet
Cats are obligate carnivores and need a diet high in protein, moderate in fat, and low in carbohydrate, including taurine for heart and eye health. Choose a food labeled complete and balanced for the life stage. Dry food is 6 to 10 percent water and cheapest; canned is 75 percent or more water and more palatable; Cornell does not recommend raw or gently cooked diets because of bacterial and parasitic contamination. Frequency by age, from Cornell: kittens under 6 months get three meals a day, 6 to 12 months two, adults once or twice. The ASPCA recommends two portion-controlled meals 8 to 12 hours apart for adults; leaving dry food out all day suits some cats but leads others to overeat. Obesity is the most common nutrition problem in cats and raises the risk of arthritis and diabetes. Keep treats to 5 to 10 percent of intake. Clean water must always be available; wash bowls daily. Never feed cow's milk, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, raw eggs, canned fish made for people, onion, garlic, chives, chocolate, alcohol, grapes, or anything with xylitol.
“Obesity is the most common nutrition-related problem in cats, and makes cats susceptible to arthritis and diabetes.”
Cornell Feline Health Center
Health, vet care and lifespan
Plan on a full exam once a year for adults, every 3 to 4 weeks for kittens until 6 months, and twice a year from about age 8 or 9. Core vaccines are panleukopenia, feline herpesvirus, calicivirus, and rabies, plus feline leukemia (FeLV) for cats under one year; kittens get a series starting at 6 to 8 weeks, and adults who are overdue simply restart boosters. If the cat's history is unknown, the first visit should include FeLV and FIV testing and a parasite check. Spay or neuter by 5 months if the shelter has not done it; the ASPCA notes surgery is safe from 8 weeks and that early spaying cuts mammary tumors, which are malignant in about 90 percent of cats. Dental disease is extremely common, so brush teeth with a pet toothpaste and expect professional cleanings. Age-related changes typically begin between 7 and 10 years; kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, arthritis, and dental pain are the conditions to watch, and annual blood and urine tests catch them early. Keep cats indoors; the ASPCA cites traffic, disease, and predators. Call the vet for appetite loss, vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, straining in the box, or sudden behavior change.
“Kittens receive a series of vaccines over a 12 to 16-week period beginning at between 6 and 8 weeks of age.”
Cornell Feline Health Center
Litter box success and scratching
Most cats use a box instinctively if the setup is right. Provide one box per cat plus one, uncovered so odors escape and the cat can see around, filled 1 to 2 inches deep with unscented, fine-grained litter. Large is better; the ASPCA suggests a plastic storage container. Place boxes in quiet, private spots away from food and water, reachable 24 hours a day. Scoop daily; wash the box with unscented soap or baking soda weekly (ASPCA), or replace clay litter twice a week and clumping litter every 2 to 3 weeks (Humane World for Animals). Do not switch brands abruptly. About 10 percent of cats develop elimination problems, and a sudden lapse is a medical sign first: urinary tract infection, cystitis, kidney stones, or arthritis in older cats. Scratching is a need, not a habit to break. Give a sturdy post at least 32 to 36 inches tall, sisal-covered, placed where the cat already scratches, next to the couch if that is the target. Introduce it with play or catnip, never by forcing paws. Cover tempting furniture with double-sided tape while the habit forms, and trim nails every 2 to 3 weeks. Both the ASPCA and Humane World oppose declawing.
“Provide as many boxes as there are cats in the house, plus one.”
Cornell Feline Health Center
Exercise, enrichment and space
Indoor cats need a daily reason to stalk, pounce, and solve problems, or the unused energy becomes overeating, destructive scratching, and elimination outside the box. Cornell recommends toys that trigger those hunting behaviors and rotating them so novelty lasts; wand toys keep teeth and claws off hands. Cheap works: paper bags, cardboard boxes, and ping pong balls. Avoid string, feathers, and small parts that can be swallowed. Feed part of the day's food from puzzle feeders. Use vertical space with shelves or a tall cat tree, and give a window perch, ideally with a bird feeder outside. Humane World for Animals also suggests training tricks, cardboard box forts, a harness for leash walks, and a screened catio for safe outdoor time. Scratching surfaces should come in more than one form, since cats have preferences: cardboard, sisal, carpet, or wood, horizontal or vertical. Space matters less than layout. A studio with a climbing tree, a hiding box, and a quiet litter spot serves a cat better than a large house where every surface is at floor level. Provide a clean, dry bed the cat can retreat to and leave it there.
“Paper bags, cardboard boxes, and ping pong balls can be tremendously entertaining for cats”
Cornell Feline Health Center
What it costs
Best Friends Animal Society lists $100 for adult cats and $150 for kittens 6 months and under, with fees waived for cats 7 and older and occasional two-for-one kitten offers; local shelters vary, so check. The fee covers spay or neuter, vaccinations, a microchip, and a health check, and Humane World for Animals says shelter fees typically include flea and tick treatment and dewormer as well. Ongoing costs, from the ASPCA's 2021 estimates: $1,149 a year, about $96 a month, made up of food $225, routine medical $160, preventive medication $140, litter $150, treats $36, toys $22, health insurance $348, license $15, and grooming supplies $28. One-time first-year setup (carrier, litter box, tree, initial vet work) is estimated at $455, for a first-year total of $1,904. Big-ticket items to plan for: dental cleaning at about $300, boarding at about $25 a day, and emergencies. Urinary blockages, which the ASPCA lists among causes of litter box avoidance, are one feline emergency to plan for, and insurance or a dedicated savings cushion is the practical answer.
“Fees cover spay/neuter, vaccinations, a microchip, and a health check.”
Best Friends Animal Society
The first two weeks at home
Set up one quiet room before the cat arrives: bed or blanket, a cardboard box to hide in, an uncovered litter box with unscented litter, food and water bowls placed away from the box, the same food the shelter used, a scratching post, and a few wand toys. Keep the cat in that room for the first 3 to 5 days, longer if it is still hiding, and let it come to you. Best Friends recommends a 7 to 10 day separation from resident pets in any case. Book an introductory vet visit; Cornell advises FeLV and FIV testing and a parasite check if history is unknown. Switch foods gradually over a week, starting at one quarter new to three quarters old. Scoop daily from day one, and do not move the box once the cat has found it. To introduce a resident cat, run a pheromone diffuser for two weeks beforehand, swap bedding for scent, then allow sight through a gate before supervised meetings; feed them separately. Open the rest of the house one room at a time. Expect appetite and play to return as the cat relaxes.
“Don't force anything. Let them call the shots.”
Best Friends Animal Society
Questions to ask the shelter or rescue
Ask for the file, then fill the gaps. Has the cat been tested for FeLV and FIV, and what were the results? Which vaccines has it had and when, is it spayed or neutered, and is it microchipped? What litter and box style does it use now, since cats often prefer the litter they grew up with? What food and schedule is it on? How did it behave with children, dogs, and other cats in a foster home or the shelter? Does it hide, bite during play, or resist handling? Is there any history of urinary problems, dental disease, or chronic illness, and what is the estimated age? Has it lived indoors only? What does the fee include, and is there behavior support or a return policy if the match fails? Cornell's health checklist is a useful in-person test: clear bright eyes, clean nostrils, pink gums, a glossy coat without bare patches, and a cat that engages rather than one that is lethargic. Ask to spend time with the cat in a quiet room rather than at the cage front; a cat that hides in a shelter may be entirely different at home.
“Your cat may prefer the type of litter she used as a kitten.”
ASPCA
Sources
- Cornell Feline Health Center — nutrients, food types, obesity
- Cornell Feline Health Center — feeding frequency by age
- Cornell Feline Health Center — litter box number, type, placement
- Cornell Feline Health Center — core vaccines and kitten schedule
- Cornell Feline Health Center — senior age and conditions
- Cornell Feline Health Center — health checklist, first vet visit
- Cornell Feline Health Center — play aggression and socialization
- Cornell Feline Health Center — play and enrichment
- Merck Veterinary Manual — vet visit frequency, signs of illness
- Merck Veterinary Manual — senses
- ASPCA — treats, nail trims, indoor housing, spay age
- ASPCA — meal timing, water, milk
- ASPCA — box setup, cleaning, medical causes
- ASPCA — scratching surfaces, declawing
- ASPCA — spay/neuter ages and benefits
- ASPCA — foods never to feed
- ASPCA — annual and first-year cost figures
- Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society of the United States) — litter replacement schedule, vet check
- Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society of the United States) — post height, placement, declawing
- Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society of the United States) — enrichment ideas
- Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society of the United States) — what fees include, shelter support
- Best Friends Animal Society — supplies, safe room, food transition
- Best Friends Animal Society — quarantine and introductions
- Best Friends Animal Society — adoption fee benchmark
- Best Friends Animal Society — adoption fee benchmark