Your New Cat Is Coming Home: The Checklist You Actually Need

• A hiding box can speed up stress recovery by 7 days.

• The litter box must be 1.5 times the length of your cat.

• Plastic bowls harbor bacteria that cause painful feline acne.

• Follow the 3-3-3 rule: 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to learn routines.

You’ve seen the videos. Someone brings a new cat home, opens the carrier, and the cat immediately starts purring on the sofa. Honestly? That’s rarely how it goes. For most of us, it involves a cat vanishing under the bed for 48 hours and a human wondering if they’ve made a huge mistake.

Bringing a cat into your life is a big deal, especially in our busy Malaysian homes. Whether you’re living in a high-rise condo or a terrace house, your new friend needs more than just a bag of kibble and a cute name. It’s about creating a 'safe fortress' where they don't feel like they're being hunted by the ceiling fan.

The Decompression Zone: Start Small

Imagine being kidnapped by giants and taken to a house with weird smells and loud noises. You’d hide too. The biggest mistake is giving a new cat access to the whole house immediately. They get overwhelmed.

Instead, prep a 'safe room'—a bathroom or a small bedroom is perfect. Most importantly, give them a box. It sounds too simple, but The effect of a hiding box on stress levels in shelter cats shows that cats with a place to hide recover to normal stress levels 7 days faster. Seriously, 7 days! That’s a week of less hiding and more bonding.

Pick the Right Gear

Before they arrive, check our New Cat Owner Checklist to make sure you aren't missing the basics. You'll need food, water, and a scratching post immediately.

The Litter Box: Size and Scent Matter

Don’t buy those tiny, cute litter boxes. Adult cats need space to turn around without stepping in their own mess. According to the Litter Box Setup for Cats guide, the tray should be 1.5 times the length of your cat. For most adult cats, that’s at least 60cm.

Also, think about the litter. Ping'An is our resident quality controller at Liger; she has a super sensitive nose and sneezes if the litter is too dusty. That’s why we made our tofu litter low-dust with a mild milk scent—not those overpowering artificial perfumes that give cats (and humans) a headache. Especially if you’re living in a condo, you want something that clumps fast and flushes away without making the whole living room smell like a wet market.

The Time I Lost My Cat (In My Own Room)

I’ll be honest—I used to think 'safe rooms' were for paranoid people. When I got my first cat, I just let him out in the living room. I thought, 'He'll love the space!'

He vanished. For two days, I couldn't find him. I didn't sleep. I thought he’d escaped through a tiny window gap. On the third night, I heard a tiny scratch. He was wedged behind the kitchen cabinet, terrified and covered in dust. He hadn't eaten or used the bathroom once. I felt like the worst cat parent ever. I realized then that freedom is terrifying for a new cat. They don't want a palace; they want a predictable, tiny corner where nothing can sneak up on them. If you're still looking for that perfect 'tiny corner' name, try our Cat Name Generator for some inspiration.

Ditch the Plastic: The Invisible Acne Trap

Many new owners grab cheap plastic bowls from the neighborhood ECO-shop. Don't. Plastic is porous. Even if it looks clean, it develops microscopic scratches that trap bacteria and saliva. This leads to a black, crusty chin—Feline Acne.

As noted in Are Plastic Bowls a Problem for Cats?, these biofilms are hard to scrub away. Stainless steel or ceramic is much better. It stays cooler, cleans easier, and won't give your cat a painful skin infection on their first week home.

Setting up for a new cat isn't about buying the most expensive toys. It's about respecting their need for quiet and safety. Remember the 3-3-3 rule: 3 days to chill out, 3 weeks to realize you aren't a monster, and 3 months to feel like they own the place.

Your Monday Morning Action: Go to your designated 'safe room' and sit on the floor for 5 minutes. Look at the room from a cat's height. Is there a scary loose wire? A gap under the wardrobe they could get stuck in? Fix one 'cat-height' hazard before they arrive.