19 things that will help your new cat feel at home, according to cat rescuers and a veterinarian

• Make your cat's transition to their new home as seamless as possible by stocking up on the essentials before their arrival.
• Cats need supplies like a litter box, food, toys, and scratchers to make them feel safe, encourage healthy habits, and provide them with stimulation.
• We consulted with two cat rescue organizations and veterinarian Andrea Moore, owner and medical director at Pinnacle Animal Hospital in California, to determine the most important items to have when bringing a new cat home.

The day you bring home your new cat is full of joy. But while you may be ready for snuggles and play from the moment your kitty arrives, most felines aren't so gung-ho about moving day. Just when they were beginning to get used to the shelter or foster home — bam — here comes another transition. And cats, they aren't the best at dealing with change.

Preparing for the arrival of your new cat ahead of time helps to assure that their adjustment will be as seamless as possible. While it's a no-brainer that cats require a litter box and food, new cat owners may not realize that items like scratching posts, cat trees, calming pheromones, and toys can help reduce stress and provide your new pet with an enriching environment.

With the help of four experts, we've come up with a list of essential things to have when you bring a new cat home. For a veterinary perspective, we consulted with veterinarian Dr. Andrea Moore, owner and medical director at Pinnacle Animal Hospital in San Jose, California. Staff at two cat rescue organizations also lent their expertise on how to transition a cat to a new home: Danielle Gross, shelter manager at Town Cats in Morgan Hill, California, and Libby Farel-Friedman and Lindsay Franušić, supervisor and assistant manager of adoption programs, respectively, at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley (HSSV) in Milpitas, California.

We've distilled their advice down into the following 19 essential things to have on hand when you bring your new cat home.

A cozy carrier for your kitty's freedom ride and beyond

Mr. Peanut's Double Expandable Carrier, available at Amazon or Chewy, $54.99

A cat carrier is mandatory for bringing your cat home from the shelter, said Franušić. We love Mr. Peanut's stylish and comfortable tote, which can unzip to expand to almost three times the size of a regular carrier, making it more comfortable for long travel days. 

A calming pheromone diffuser to decrease stress

Feliway Classic Diffuser, available at Amazon, $20.66

To help decrease stress and unwanted behaviors like urine spraying that go with it, both Moore and Gross recommend using a calming pheromone like Feliway during your cat's first weeks in their furever home. Feliway, which mimics the F3 facial pheromones cats deposit when rubbing their cheeks against surfaces in order to mark them as safe, can help a cat transition to a new house, according to Moore.

Earthquake putty to keep knickknacks, vases, and picture frames from becoming playthings

Quakehold! Museum Putty, available at Amazon, $3.97

"When you actually get a cat into your home, you find that they love to explore and get on top of things," explained Franušić. Adhering your knickknacks to shelves and tables using earthquake putty assures that your favorite picture frame or vase won't end up in pieces on the floor. "It was a lifesaver for me," she said.

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