• Before coming to collect the cat, give some thought as to where you would like the cat to sleep. To begin with, choose a quiet room, make sure windows are securely fastened and, if there is a fireplace, block the chimney. Prepare a box or basket with a warm blanket and provide a litter tray. It is a good idea to use whatever the cat is used to in his litter tray, whether peat moss or cat litter.

•  Buy or borrow a cat carrying basket or prepare a secure box for transporting your cat home. It is quite unsafe to travel with a cat loose in your car.

•  When you arrive home in your car, take him to the prepared room, close the door behind you and open the basket. Even a self-assured cat is upset by car journeys and will need some time to calm down and adjust to new surroundings.  A timid cat will probably disappear under a chair and will ignore the prepared bed until he feels a little more secure. Leave the cat a bowl of water, a little food, and leave him in peace to examine his new surroundings.

•  Even if the cat is outgoing and friendly it is important to give him time to get used to a small area of the house at first, as you want him to be quite sure about where his litter tray is. Don't be tempted to give him the run of the house until he is well settled.

•  If you have other cats or dogs, you must accept that they will need time to adjust to the newcomer. As territorial animals, cats normally regard any new cat as an interloper and they are unlikely to take to him overnight. It will take much more than 24 hours for the animals to accept each other. It is likely to take days or weeks.

•  When you first bring the cat or kitten home, keep other pets away from the room you are settling him in. Once he seems happy it is a good idea to make each animal aware that there is another in the house without allowing direct contact.

Keep an eye on the initial encounter. If there is trouble, separate them again. Eventually social adjustments will be made between the cats and the new arrival will be accepted. 

•  It is absolutely crucial that the new cat be kept indoors for at least three weeks and preferably four weeks before he is allowed out at all.

•  Do not let him out into the garden until you are quite sure that he is happy and secure in his new home and will respond to your voice or to your banging a spoon on the dinner plate or tin. 

For his first venture out, let him out just before a mealtime and keep him under supervision. Make sure that the other pets or children are not able to chase him. go out with him on his initial foray and keep your eye on what he gets up to. If he leaves the garden, continue to talk to him so that he knows where his home is located. 

 Call him back after 5 minutes or so. Bring him indoors and feed him. 

Do this for a number of days. 

•  Never leave a washing machine door or any similar appliance open as cats love dark places. Accidents of this nature have happened.

•  Finally for kitten owners: 

 Have your kitten vaccinated at 9 weeks followed by a booster at 2 weeks and annual vaccinations throughout your cat's life. Have your female kitten spayed (from 16 weeks) and your male kitten neutered (from 36 weeks). Don't forget to worm your kitten. Introduce milk slowly and in small amounts to the diet. If diarrhoea starts, stop the milk.