young boy and girl playing with new siamese kitten

Helpful List of New Kitten Must Haves

ByHolly Anne Dustin

Last Updated on May 6, 2021 by Holly Anne Dustin

Getting a new kitten is a special time for your family. You’ve done your research, chosen the perfect new kitten, and now you’re ready to get your new kitten set up to come home. But what are the new kitten must haves?  This helpful checklist will make sure you have all the new kitten essentials ready for your baby when you bring her home.  Young kittens are curious and open to new experiences. You want to set her up for success, helping her grow and develop physically, mentally and socially. It is easier to prevent bad behaviors from developing than to try and break them later.

New Kitten Essentials

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Food and Water Must Haves

Feeding and watering obviously tops the list of things you need for a new kitten. There are a lot of cute little bowls available for cats.  By all means get them if you want them. But a saucer will work just fine. You want a ceramic, glass, or stainless steel bowl. Plastic is not good. It harbors bacteria and can cause feline acne. Don’t get huge bowls for tiny kittens.

A water bowl needs to meet the same standards. Consider more than one bowl around the house. Definitely separate if from the food bowl. Cats don’t like to eat and drink in the same place.

A fountain is a good investment but isn’t essential as long you have a lot of water available.
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Keep feeding your kitten whatever your breeder or rescue is feeding when you first get your kitten. She’ll be already stressed from the change in home, don’t set her up for more digestive distress. Once she’s settled a bit, transition her to good quality, canned kitten food.

Litter and Clean Up Essentials

Another new kitten must have is a proper litter box set up. Litter boxes need to be 1.5 times the length of the cat with a low enough entry. You can get away with a pretty small litter box for a kitten but you’ll have to get a bigger box as he grows. An uncovered box is recommended. Choose an unscented litter. Scented litter offends a feline’s sensitive nose.

Scratching Behaviors

Scratching is a natural cat behavior that they need to exercise. You can’t stop them from scratching. It’s on us to provide them with the proper tools and training so we can live happily together.  A good scratching post should definitely be on your new kitten essentials checklist.

A scratching post should be big enough for Kitty to stretch all the way out and sturdy enough for him to do some vigorous scratching without it falling over or wiggling around. Offer both vertical and horizontal scratchers in a variety of surfaces.

 


Cats like to get up high and view their environment. Giving them shelves, towers, and trees will let your new kitten explore their environment, work out that crazy kitten energy, and be less stressed. Meeting those needs will make Kitty less likely to scratch inappropriately.

Comfort Items

Cats need places to hide and snuggle up too. A hiding place like a cat cube, a bed with sides, or a tunnel. You can honestly just get a cardboard box. This is one item on your new kitten checklist that won’t cost you much money unless you want it too.

  • Cozy bed
  • Hiding places

cream kitten playing with a pink toy on a pink and white background graphic

Grooming

Little kittens have sharp, fast-growing nails. Teach her young to get used to getting her nails trimmed. A good set of nail trimmers is a vital component of your new kitten set up. Cats do need to be groomed. The tools vary depending on what type of coat your cat has. Don’t just get a bristle “cat brush” and call it good. That’s almost always the wrong answer.

  • Nail trimmers
  • Appropriate grooming tools for your baby’s coat type.
    • Longhaired cats need a comb.
    • A shorthaired cats can do better with the right kind of brush.
  • Dental care products

Read our grooming guides for your kitten’s fur type to choose the right grooming set up for your new kitten.

Enrichment

This part of the new kitten essentials checklist is where you can go hog-wild. But I would suggest picking a variety of toys and seeing what your new baby likes best before spending your whole paycheck on toys. Choose a variety of textures and styles.

The Not-So-Essential But Definitely Recommended New Kitten Must Haves

Training

You will be training your kitten from day one now matter whether you plan it or not. You will train her to her litter box and her scratching post and not to bite your feet. Formally clicker training her stimulates her mind, prevents boredom and behavior problems,  gives her exercise and is fun for both of you.

Travel

Even if you don’t plan to take your new kitten on the road as an adventure cat, a good carrier is still a must have for a new kitten. Get it before you even bring him home. Have him microchipped and keep your information current for his safety. Teaching him leash and harness skills enriches his life, improves the bond between the cat and their humans, and gives them necessary exercise. Try a ferret harness if you can’t find a kitten harness to fit your baby

  • Carrier
  • Identification (microchip, ID tag, breakaway collar)
  • Harness and leash

New Kitten Set Up

Some people get kittens as pets because they think that cats are low maintenance pets that don’t need much. As you can see from this list of new kitten must haves, this is not true. They are less expensive than dogs, but mostly because they are smaller. They still need the same things: good food, enrichment, training, and our love and time. Start your new furbaby out on the right path by providing the new kitten essentials for his proper development.
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