Cat licensed — what next? Your practical settling-in guide

1. Put the paperwork where you can find it

• Save your licence confirmation and note any renewal dates.
• Check that your microchip details — your name, address, phone — are correct in the registry, and update them whenever you move. An outdated microchip record makes it much harder for a lost cat to come home.
• If you live in an HDB flat, check the current rules on the number of cats allowed and any conditions that apply, on the official pages.

2. Set up the home before you relax the rules

• One safe base room for the first days: food, water, litter box, hiding spot, and a place up high. Let your cat expand their territory at their own pace.
• Windows and ledges secured. Mesh window screens matter in high-rise Singapore — falls ("high-rise syndrome") are a real and preventable danger for indoor cats.
• Resources, spread out: litter box away from food; a sturdy scratching post before the sofa gets chosen; water in more than one spot.
• A carrier as furniture from day one — see our carrier training guide. Starting now, before there's a problem, is dramatically easier.

3. Book the first vet visit

Register with a clinic near you and book a general health check within the first weeks — vaccinations, parasite prevention, and sterilization advice if relevant. Bring any records from the shelter, cattery, or previous owner. A baseline exam also gives you something invaluable later: a vet who knows what "normal" looks like for your cat.

4. The first two weeks: a calm settling-in plan

1. Days 1–3 — the base room. Keep the world small. Sit quietly in the room, let the cat approach you. No visitors, no grabbing, no photos-at-all-costs.
2. Days 4–7 — routine begins. Feed at fixed times, play gently once or twice a day, keep noise predictable. Routine is the language cats read best.
3. Week 2 — expand and observe. Open the rest of the home gradually. Watch appetite, litter habits, and hiding: all three should trend toward normal. Play, feed, lights-down in the evening builds good nights from the start.

Common early questions

My new cat is hiding all day. Is that normal?

In the first days — completely normal, and the healthiest way for a cat to cope with a new territory. Hiding plus eating (at night is fine) is a settling-in pattern. Hiding plus not eating is a vet call.

When can I introduce my resident cat?

Slowly, and later than you'd like: scent first (swap bedding), then sight at a distance, then short supervised time together. Days to weeks, at the pace of the more nervous cat.

Should I let my cat onto the corridor or outside?

Indoor life — with enough climbing, scratching, and play — is the safe default in Singapore's high-rise environment, and keeps you clearly within housing rules. Check the official pages for the current requirements where you live.