Familiar food is an anchor, not a compromise
Everything in a rehomed cat's world has changed at once — the rooms, the smells, the voices, the other animals — and her appetite shrinks because eating requires feeling safe. The one thing you can keep constant is the food itself. Ask the previous owner, shelter or breeder exactly what she was eating, including flavour, texture and format, and get some before she arrives if possible. Even if you intend to feed something different eventually, that project starts in week three or four, once she is eating confidently; this week, recognition matters more than nutrition theory.
Small meals in her safe room
Set her up in one quiet room and make food part of that sanctuary. Offer small portions several times a day rather than one large bowl: fresh food smells more inviting, and a small amount eaten is encouraging data, while a big untouched portion can look like failure to you and pressure to her. Warm wet food gently to release its scent, place the dish a short distance from her hiding spot rather than right at its entrance, and then leave — many stressed cats eat only when the room is empty, often overnight, so check and record what has gone by morning.
Let her eat on her own schedule at first
Keep dry food and fresh water available around the clock near her refuge during this settling week, even if your long-term plan is set mealtimes. A cat who ventures out at two in the morning to eat in silence is making progress, and removing that opportunity in the name of routine slows her down. Weigh or measure what you put out so 'she ate something' becomes 'she ate about half of yesterday's amount' — that trend line is how you know the stress is easing and when ordinary routines can begin.
The point where patience becomes a vet call
Reduced appetite in a new home is expected; total refusal is not. A cat who has eaten literally nothing for a full day, who drools, retches, hides completely without emerging even at night, or who seems weak or unwell needs veterinary advice promptly, because cats who stop eating can deteriorate quickly, particularly if they are carrying extra weight. Stress may still be the whole explanation, but that judgement belongs to a vet who has heard the timeline, not to hope. Bring your daily eating notes to the appointment.
Reading her body language around the bowl
Progress in this first week often shows in posture before it shows in quantity. A cat who eats with her body low and rushes back to cover is still eating defensively; the same cat pausing to look around between mouthfuls, or choosing to eat while you sit quietly nearby, is relaxing into the routine. Let her set that pace. Sitting on the floor at a distance, reading aloud or simply being present without reaching for her, teaches her that the person attached to the food is safe — which is usually when appetite returns in earnest.
Building from week one into a routine
As her intake climbs toward normal, keep the same food, place and rhythm for a while longer before changing anything, then introduce your preferred diet gradually if you still wish to. The confidence she built around mealtimes transfers to the rest of the house: a cat eating openly in the kitchen has usually decided the home is safe. With KinsLe Transferrable Profiles, the record that moves with her from her previous home carries the foods she loves, her feeding times and her routines intact, giving you her trusted starting point from the very first bowl.