# Is a Safe Room a Necessity?



## eevuljeeneuss (Dec 4, 2010)

While I won't be getting my cat for another month or two, I am already preparing. The big thing I've come across so far is a safe room for one's new cat to acclimate. I have a small apartment with no extra room to set aside for this adjustment period. 

Since I don't have any other pets, would I be okay to just have all the essentials (litter box, food and water dishes, cozy bed, etc.) readily accessible and give my future cat full range of my apartment to begin with? Or is a separated safe room really necessary?

Thanks for any advice you can give!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

A lot depends on the age and size of the cat you're going to get. If he's a kitten, I would keep him in the bathroom, just for a day or two, until he gets used to you and his surroundings. Then he can always go back to that safe room if things get too overwhelming for him. If he's a little older (and bigger), you may want to make your bedroom the safe room for a little while. 

Where will he be coming from? A foster home? A shelter?


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

I agree with Marie, if your space allows such separation. That said, a bit depends on the size and configuration of your apartment. For example, when my daughter adopted her cat, Neko, she lived in a very small bachelor apartment (no separate bedroom), and her bathroom was too small for her to actually sit on the floor and play with Neko. So, she didn't bother with a safe room for Neko. That said, her apartment wasn't much bigger than the average safe room, so it didn't much matter. On top of which, she had no other animals, so it was just her and Neko. 

She also figured it was better for her to be able to play and cuddle with Neko from the get-go, rather than locking him in a bathroom with limited human interaction. For about the first 6 hours, he "invented" his own safe room, since he hid underneath her bed! But, after a few hours, he ventured out and began to play and cuddle...and he was fine thereafter.


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## eevuljeeneuss (Dec 4, 2010)

Thanks for the advice so far! 

Some added info: The cat I'm looking at is roughly 2 years old and is coming from a local shelter. I don't have a spare bedroom and have only one bathroom which isn't big.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

You needn't use a spare bedroom. It would be entirely acceptable to use your bedroom, assuming you have one (i.e., assuming you don't live in a bachelor apt). The purpose of the safe room is not to isolate the cat from you. Rather, the purpose is not to overwhelm the cat with too many new smells/etc. all at once. So, you first put him or her in a separate room, such as your bedroom, and allow him/her to get accustomed to that room, following which you gradually let him/her explore the rest of the apartment.


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