Exciting! I'm gunna write so much now because I also got cats for the first time as an adult and it changed my life, so here's my infodumping weeee
Firstly a preface that all cats have different personalities, so you might end up with one that is vocal/quiet, shy/friendly, energetic/lazy, timid/fearless etc - what you want to do is familiarise yourself with cat body language so you know how your particular weirdo is doing
Basic Body Language Stuff:
Tail straight up = good, happy, at ease
Tail straight up with a kink in the end of question mark shape = very good!! happy to see you
Tail down between legs = uncomfortable or unhappy about something (or maybe just very cold)
Tail straight out behind = danger mode
Slow blinking at you = "I love you" I feel safe around you and trust you to watch out for me so I don't have to
Sitting near human, facing away = I'm not ignoring you, I like spending time with you each doing our own thing
"Airplane ears" (ears flat back or out to side) = I am very displeased or about to snack someone
Showing their belly = A trap, do not pet unless you have established cat enjoys that. They're saying "Hey I trust you to expose my sensitive underside, please don't break my trust and attack it"
Give food trays with low sides (even a plate) so that they don't overstimulate their whiskers when eating
Always have water available, many cats prefer water that is moving like a bubbler fountain because they can't always see the edge of still water very well
Wet food is generally better for hydration, but a high quality dry food will be better nutritionally than a cheap wet food. Find what works for your cat, because some will eat anything and some are picky as hellll
I recommend looking up info about how to introduce a cat to a new home, you want to start in a small space like bathroom or laundry and let them build up their confidence slowly. Have a safe space for them to return to during this, go on their timeline etc
If you're adopting young cats/kittens, getting 2 is often counterintuitively less work than adopting 1 on its own! It means they have a playmate they can bond with, and learn fighting boundaries from etc. (other kittens will bite back if they get nipped too hard - this is much harder for you to teach them) Older cats will usually be way more settled and the shelter/rescue will know if they want to be around other cats or not!
Lilies are toxic to cats, as are grapes and a bunch of other plants. Have a Google and familiarise yourself with the big ones and keep them away from your babies
Provide toys that are good for scratching, even old bits of carpet or cardboard usually work. If you have plenty of scratchy toys, they'll generally leave your furniture alone. (Although canvas fabrics are tempting for them pretty much always)
Indoor cats are healthier, live longer, and can have complete and happy lives. It's just up to you to make sure they're home is interesting for them - toys, places to climb/hide, and occasional novelty will keep them happy and content. (Seriously, just put a random chair in the middle of a different room one day, they'll be ENTHRALLED)
They really do love boxes
They will go bonkers after pooping, it's never not funny
As for carriers, it helps having them out and available most of the time if you have the space, because then the cats are used to it and don't freak out if it gets touched. We give our kitties treats in there sometimes on random days, so they have good associations with them as well. We also used to give treats during the fire alarm tests in our old apartment building, so they learned that if they heard the alarm go off they should come to us for snacks (& we could then scoop them and get them out)
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