Any tips for successfully rehoming a cat?

A neighbour's daughter moved away and, because she couldn't take her cat, left him with her mother. That was about a week ago.



A family member of mine was discussing our neighbour's newly acquired cat after we saw him in the garden and said, %26quot;We were kind of hoping he was a stray; we've been looking for a cat and it would have been nice to home a stray one%26quot; ... and the neighbour, with full permission from her daughter, has allowed us to have the cat.



We've had him for the evening. He tried to get out after he was first brought in, but then settled down to exploring the house, walking around us and asking for attention. He also played with his scratching post and ate some food, before going back out a couple of hours ago. I can't hear him trying to get into the neighbour's house, so I can only assume he's exploring and hunting.



Has anyone got any tips for how to help him adjust to another new home as stress-free for him as possible? I know people are going to say keep him in, but it's not really an option: he's an outdoor cat, he gets distressed when he can't get out, he doesn't use a litter tray, he can clearly see our cat flaps and would keep trying to get through them.Any tips for successfully rehoming a cat?If you take a cat in that used to live in the neighbourhood and you allow it to roam it may come back it may not come back. The best way to settle a cat in is to keep it in for a good week to ten days. Of course this means keeping a litter tray clean everyday.



The other option is to make sure a tom cat is neutered and a Queen cat is spayed as this reduces the desire to wander and find partners.



If the cat is playful and friendly it may be that you should develop a habit of going to your front or dack door holding a plate of food every time you feel he /she should come in, this way he / she would get used to at least eating in your home.at least once a day and with a bit of luck will start to let you know when he / she wants to be in.



Best of luck.Any tips for successfully rehoming a cat?I once read a letter that said your cat will get used to it's new home if you coat its paws with lard before the first time it goes out. Apparently a cat leaves some of it's own smell in the lard with every step and can smell it's way home.