Get a single starter room ready — litter tray in place, dishes filled, something to scratch, somewhere to hide — then work through the house securing cords, chemicals and small hazards, with a carrier standing by for pickup. Do that before pickup day, and your cat's arrival becomes a calm landing instead of a scramble — most first-week problems trace back to preparation that was left until the cat was already in the car.
The Starter Room, Piece by Piece
Choose a quiet room — a spare bedroom or home office is ideal — and set it up completely before she arrives. The litter box goes in one corner, food and water in the opposite area, because cats prefer not to eat beside their toilet. Add a scratching post, a bed or blanket, and a box or covered hideaway she can retreat into unhandled. Keep this room's door closed for the first day or days; a whole house at once overwhelms most cats, and a single room lets her learn the litter location, the food spot, and one safe base she can always return to.
Let her expand to the rest of the house gradually, one area at a time over the following days, always with the starter room available as home base.
The Safety Sweep, Room by Room
Get down to cat height and look at your home the way she will meet it:
- Cords and strings: tie up or cover electrical cords, blind cords, and charging cables — all are chew and entanglement hazards.
- Chemicals and medicines: cleaning products, laundry pods, and all human medication behind closed cabinets or latches.
- Small objects: hair ties, rubber bands, coins, and children's small toys off floors and low surfaces; swallowed string-like items are a top emergency.
- Plants: check houseplants against a reliable toxic-plants list and move offenders out of reach entirely — lilies in particular are dangerous to cats.
- Escape and crush points: secure window screens, check the gap behind washers and recliners, and warn the household about doors, dryers, and toilet lids.
Block hidey-holes you cannot retrieve her from — behind heavy appliances, inside recliner mechanisms — while leaving the safe hiding spots you provided wide open.
Supplies and People, Ready in Advance
Have her food (including some of what she currently eats, for a gradual transition), litter, bowls, and a few toys bought and placed before pickup. Line up a veterinarian if you do not have one yet, and know your nearest emergency vet's address — the time to learn it is not during an emergency. Brief everyone in the household on the plan: who feeds, who scoops, the rule about not pulling her from hiding, and quiet voices for the first days.
Arrival Day Itself
Bring her home in the carrier, set it in the starter room, open the door, and leave it open — do not pull her out.
Getting the humans organized is half the preparation: agree who feeds, who scoops and who drives to the vet before pickup day, and write those jobs down where the household can find them. Once her profile exists, KinsLe Family Sharing gives the family members you pick access to it ahead of her arrival.