Going to pick up my lovely baby tomorrow, and looking for some helpful hints/tips.

Going to get all the stuff today, and was wondering if a cardboard box would do for now as a bed until I get one on Sunday, will put a blanket in it to make it cosy.

Any good pet shops in South East London?

Cardboard box with a blanket would be fine, depending on the age of the cat make sure its not too high to get in. Our cats don't actually have beds, we tried but they prefer to sleep whereever they want hehe Which is usually one on my pillow, one under my quilt, one at the bottom and the other two just crash out wherever.

I've given away lots of cosy little cat beds,they perhaps sleep in them once then thats it. They usually dictate where they want to sleep.. Just make sure you dont over fuss him/her too much just let puss wander around at his/own leisure....Just try to let puss have quiet. Good luck you are now officially owned ...

Mine spends hours curled up on me, he wants to sleep - I have things to do

Can't wait now, sooooooooooooooooo excited.

Off to get a carbaord box later, hope supermarkets still offer them?

Might get it to sleep on my boyfriend lol

Is it a kitten or a fully grown cat? Please put up a photo or two if you can when you've settled him/her in.

Both of the kittens we adopted spent their first week hiding behind the tv or under the sofa

Hi, he's 11, getting him from a rescue home. Will def put a pic up, he's actually still on the homes page.

Some like boxes,some like beds,some like armchairs. Some like the hot pipe in the toilet,some like the pipes under the floor boards,some like the airing cupboard. Some just want a lap or the computer. Some will enjoy a sunny windowsill or the dining room table.

As he/she is an older cat the bonding process may take a little longer than it does with a kitten, and he/she will probably decide where the best place to sleep is,

When we first got our Charlie as a kitten we got him a cat bed, he never showed any interest in sleeping in it,
Then we got our dog, 'Floyd' he got a dog bed, and Charlie decided that he would have it, so the dog slept in it at night and the cat slept in it during the day, and sometimes they would share it,

If you intend to let your cat out to come and go as he pleases, I suggest you try to keep him indoors for at least a couple of weeks first, this gives them a chance to get used to you and their new home,
Good luck and enjoy your new member of the family,

One of my cats enjoys sleeping on top of the wardrobe and goes up there regularly to sleep. The other one sometimes sleep in the hooded cat bed and on the bed in one of the bedrooms. They both occasionally sleep on the sofa.

Things I would recommend:

1) Keep the litter tray a long way away from the foot and water bowl.
2) The Cats Protection do good, cheap, second hand bedding, and the money goes to a good cause.
3) Keep the cat away from dangly things that you don't want ripped, such as curtains/blinds, etc.
4) Keep the kitten located to one smaller room for a while, they often get too scared if there's too much space. Then slowly open up more rooms.
5) During your first week or so, the kitten will probably cry for attention every night while you're sleeping...try to ignore it.

I wouldn't be to worried about a place to sleep as cats will usually find a place they like themselves.

At 11 years old my our cat is quite lazy and sleeps in different places every few weeks heh.

Have fun and adopting rescue animals is always rewarding.

Awww bless you for taking an older cat,he make take abit of time settling in, just let him be, no over fussing....cats always come to you rather than you go to them.....thats just cats.... Welcome to the world of a bein owned by a cat.

My cat's favourite sleeping place was either in the airing cupboard on top of clean towels/sheets, on my freshly changed bed, on top of my daughter's homework or on the kitchen table..sadly the cat bed was never used...

We are going to see some rescue cats tomorrow as I lost both of my old girlies last week, have decided to look at some of the cats that nobody seems to want as people like to have kittens.Hope to see one (or 2) we like!

Awww good luck! You have suffered a hell of a loss and I do hope you find a couple of Kitties that you will home....its those bloody faces though in those places....you want to take all of em.....I know I would.....

Our kitten will sleep where she wants too. Sometimes in her cat bed. On my bed, the spare bed, on the sofa. We leave it up to her.

She'll need lots of love as she'll be a little frighened/timid when comes to her new home for the first time and this can easily stress cats. She'll soon get used to it.

^good point. Someone I used to know moved (with cat) to another place, didn't do the "wait a few weeks" thing and as soon as he was let out he scarpered ..... he did return eventually but it was a worrysome 1/2day.
They do suggest, when you do the "letting out for the first time" thing, that you do it before feeding time, ie. not on a full belly.

NOOO rescue rescue rescue!!! There are soooooo many kitties out there needing homes, including kittens, please!!

Just make sure that poggy is well nested, warm, and has food and toilet close by as in the first few days he/she'll be very nervous and unlikely to want to "search" for anything. Over the next few weeks and months they'll develop into a little character who'll become more and more attached to you and soon you won't remember life before them!

Three years after getting my first cat (now 2), I can't imagine I was ever not a cat owner!

Enjoy!! xx

Think you`re confused - OP is getting a rescue cat

I was always a dog person till I got my cat. He's the best thing ever! EVER!!!

As to my cat's sleeping arrangement, he tends to sleep in whatever room I happen to be in. He has a bed in the bedroom and another in the study which he uses during the night and day respectively. However I think most cats tend to just plonk themselves down wherever they feel comfortable.

In fact the one surety I've learned over the years: assume that your cat will hate / avoid / not play with whatever you've spend your hard earned on. Just because you thought they'd like it doesn't mean that they will....

Well done on choosing to rehome an older cat, I admire your decision. I'm not sure I could choose an older cat myself having recently gone through the pain and heartache of losing my nearly 16 year old cat. In the past 2 years my friends have lost their cats at ages 13, 14 and 16.

Insurance costs also rocket from the age of 10 onwards and there are large excesses to pay.

Having said that, an older cat is good as a first cat, a lot calmer and less destructive. It took me a good 6 months to properly bond with Tabitha when she was a kitten, she was so hyperactive, climbing curtains and scratching furniture and I was so houseproud (still am), However, after that our bond was unbreakable and I tolerated her mischievous ways in a way that friends found surprising (eg bringing in live birds and rodents). I recently looked after a year old cat for a couple of weeks and I found the experience fairly exhausting and my furniture, carpets and rugs bear her scratch marks. I don't think I would choose another kitten when the time comes for me to take on another cat.

My second cat came to me when he was 18 months, past the kitten stage but still young. I think it's harder to form a really close bond with an adult cat but Bernard and I get along very well and we've become closer since Tabitha died. He's always been so well behaved (well, apart from play chasing Tabitha when she was ill), he's not very bright but he loves other cats.

I agree with those who say your cat will find his own sleeping spot. The only time my cats ever used their expensive beds was when they were at the cattery - they like the familiar smell of home. Your cat may not like the cardboard box, cats never do what you ask them to do. And give him time and space to adjust to his new surroundings, it'll take him at least a couple of days to feel comfortable with you

My boys had a cardboard box with a couple of cushions and blanket whilst they were kittens and confined to a couple of rooms but once they had the roam of the house they sleep wherever it takes their fancy - usually sprawled across my bed so I have a narrow strip to sleep on.

Good luck with your cat, I think it's wonderful you are taking in an older rescue cat. I hope you have many happy years together.

Aww, how exciting. I am so chuffed that you have chosen an older cat. I volunteer at my local RSPCA cattery and the rush for kittens is over whelming and I see some gorgeous older cats getting over looked. They are much more settled, calm cats and I am sure you two will be very happy!

You are a star!

I am sure a box will be fine, my two love getting into boxes. I am sure it won't be long though before your bed is the bestest place on earth for an afternoon kip! My two really like getting on my son's high up beds!

Good luck tomorrow and give us some pics!

Totally agree, I took one on two years ago who was 8 and it took him a long time to come round and trust me, but we're very much there, apart from he isn't fond of visitors.

The puss might like the cardboard box initially, as he will find it a 'safe place' until he knows the place is his...after that, well the recyling bin will probably be its final resting place