To ease your cat's entry into your new home, set up a special "isolation" room for him to inhabit for the first few days. This room is especially important for a kitten or a timid or frightened adult; they only have to get used to one small area at first. Set up the isolation room with food and water bowls, a cozy bed, litter box, scratching post and a few toys. Place the litter box away from the food bowl. Understandably, cats do not like to eat right next to their toilet. If you have a kitten, put the box about 6 feet from the bowl, closer if he's less than 14 weeks old. Kittens sometimes forget where the box is or may not be able to reach it in time if it's too far away.

If you can't create an isolation room, at least block off any areas with potentially dangerous hiding places, such as the basement. And make sure your house is fully cat-proofed. If possible, isolate the cat in the room where the litter box will be kept permanently so the kitten or cat won't be thrown off when the box is moved.

Before long the cat will begin to show an interest in what's on the other side of the door from the "isolation" room. Once he is eating well, using the litter box and no longer hiding, let him out of the room to investigate the rest of the house. To make this step as stress-free as possible for the cat, the house must be tranquil. If you have children too young to understand that they must be quiet and not interfere with the cat while he prowls around, arrange for them to be out of the house or in bed for the evening.

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