Rule Of Three

Help them get settled into their new home

Bringing a new cat into your home is a beautiful act of compassion, but it’s important to remember that this transition can be overwhelming for them at first. Everything they’ve known has changed, and it will take time for your cat to feel safe, secure, and truly at home.

We encourage you to keep the “Rule of Three” in mind:

3 Days to decompress
3 Weeks to start to feel comfortable
3 Months to fully settle in and begin to show their true personality

Every cat is different. Some may settle in quickly, while others, especially those who are shy or have faced trauma, may need more time and patience. Rescued cats, in particular, may carry emotional baggage from their past - ensure you have read the cat’s description from the foster/rescue.

Your kindness, consistency, and patience will help your new companion blossom into a confident, loving member of your family. Watching a cat learn to trust, love, and thrive is one of the most rewarding experiences, and you are giving them a second chance at life - a brighter, hope-filled future.

Use a Starter Room

A starter room helps your new cat feel safe by giving them a smaller, quiet space to adjust. It reduces stress, lets you keep an eye on eating, drinking, and litter habits, and encourages good manners with litter boxes and scratching posts. Most importantly, it gives you both the chance to bond at your own pace.

3 Days:

Please Be Patient

Your new cat may be too unsettled by all the changes to eat, drink or use the litter box; this is common

S/he may look ‘shut down’ and just stay in their cat cave/bed or under the climbing post

Sit in the room with them to let them watch you, get to know you, realize you’re safe; let them come to you for touch/interaction

Slow blinks DO help

3 Weeks:

Getting there

Your cat is probably getting used to the sounds, smells and schedule of their home and family

S/he may already be running around your whole home, or just starting to venture out of their safe room

3 Months:

Likely Settled In

Most cats will know they are “home” and that you are their people

They will continue to grow in confidence so please keep working with them

Rule Of Three

Help them get settled into their new home

Use a Starter Room

We acknowledge with gratitude that we live, work, and rescue on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Indigenous Peoples of Vancouver Island. We are honored to work with many communities across the Island and remain committed to building respectful relationships.