One room first, the whole home later
Open the carrier inside one prepared room, then step back and let her walk out when she chooses, even if that takes an hour behind the sofa first. That starter room needs her litter tray in one corner, food and water in another, a covered hiding place, and a scratching surface, so everything essential is within a few steps and she never has to cross an unknown house to find the tray.
A whole unfamiliar home in one go is too much information: new smells in every room, new sounds from pipes and appliances, and no mental map of where safety is. One room gives her a base she can memorise completely, and a cat who owns one room confidently expands from it far faster than a cat turned loose everywhere at once retreats from it.
Familiar smells do the heavy lifting
Bring bedding, a blanket, or a soft toy that already smells of her previous home or shelter and put it in her hiding place, rather than surrounding her with everything freshly washed and new. Scent is how a cat reads safety, and one familiar-smelling object anchors the strange room. Rubbing a soft cloth gently on her cheeks once she is relaxed, then wiping it on furniture at her height in the next room, spreads her own scent ahead of her first visit there.
Keep your own routine scents normal too. Cooking, laundry, and ordinary conversation tell her what this household sounds and smells like on a real day. A silent, tiptoeing house on day one followed by a normal loud one on day three is a second shock she does not need.
Let her set the pace of contact
Sit or lie on the floor in her room with a book, at her level, and let her investigate you. A cat who rubs along your hand is asking for a stroke; a cat watching from her hide with slow blinks is settling, not snubbing you, and reaching in to extract her undoes the trust you are building. Play with a wand toy kept at a distance is often accepted before touch is, because it lets her engage without committing her body to your reach.
Keep children and visitors out of the starter room on the first day, and keep other pets out entirely until she is eating, toileting, and exploring her room with confidence. First meetings with resident animals are a separate, staged process that starts when she is already secure in her base.
Food, tray, and the first night
Offer small, appetising meals at her usual times rather than one large bowl that goes stale while she hides. A cat who eats something on day one, uses the tray, and drinks is giving you the three clearest signs that stress is manageable. Do not change her food on moving day even if you plan to later; an upset stomach in a new home muddies every signal you are watching.
Leave a low, warm light or night light rather than complete darkness if the room is new to her, keep her hiding place available overnight instead of inviting her onto your bed, and expect some calling or restlessness the first night or two. If she has not eaten at all after a full day and night, is straining in the tray, or seems unwell rather than simply shy, call your veterinarian for guidance.
One welcome, agreed by everyone
Agree beforehand who feeds her, where her starter room is, and that nobody carries her around the house for a tour or invites neighbours in to meet her on day one. KinsLe's Family Sharing keeps those first-day arrangements and her feeding and tray notes visible to the whole household, so your cat gets the same calm, consistent handling from every person she is learning to trust.