Adopting a rescued animal is exciting, but for the animal, moving into a new home is a big change. Many adopters find the “3-3-3” guideline useful: it describes roughly how an adopted pet settles over the first 3 days, 3 weeks and 3 months. Every animal is different, so treat these as a rough guide rather than a timetable.
The first 3 days: decompression
Your new pet may feel overwhelmed. You might see:
- Hiding, sleeping a lot, or seeming shut down
- Not eating much
- Accidents in the house, even if it was house-trained before
- Nervousness around new sounds and people
How to help: keep things quiet and predictable. Give it a small, safe area with a bed, water, food and a hiding spot. Limit visitors, avoid baths, busy outings or dog parks, and let the animal approach you rather than pushing for cuddles.
The first 3 weeks: learning the routine
Your pet starts to understand the rhythm of your home. It may become more confident and begin to show more of its real personality, including behaviors you need to work on, such as testing boundaries.
How to help: keep a steady routine for meals, walks, play and rest. Begin gentle, reward-based training. Introduce new people, places and other pets gradually. Schedule a veterinary check-up if the adoption group has not already done so.
The first 3 months: feeling at home
By now many pets feel secure, trust their family and have settled into the household routine. Their bond with you grows, and they feel confident enough to relax fully.
How to help: continue training and enrichment, and build new experiences at a pace your pet enjoys.
Tips for cats
- Start in a single quiet room with a litter tray, food, water, scratching post and hiding places, and expand gradually.
- Many cats settle faster when they can hide and observe; do not pull them out of hiding.
- Introduce resident cats slowly, beginning with scent swapping (exchanging bedding) before any face-to-face meeting.
Tips for dogs
- Keep your new dog on a leash outdoors until you know how it responds to recall; newly adopted dogs are more likely to bolt when scared.
- Make sure it wears an ID tag from day one.
- Introduce other dogs on neutral ground, on loose leashes, with short and positive meetings.
When to ask for help
It is normal for an adopted pet to take time. Contact your veterinarian if it stops eating for more than a day or two (sooner for cats, which can become seriously ill if they do not eat), or if you see signs of illness. For fear or aggression that does not improve, ask the adoption group or a qualified, reward-based trainer or behaviorist for help.