What supplies do I need for a new kitten?
When getting a new kitten, the first thing that you need to think about is the supplies that are needed for a new kitten.
The last thing that you want to happen is to be all excited and coming home with your new kitten only to realize you have NOTHING.
You then start to panic, have to run to the store and quickly get everything while your cat is alone.
Or sometimes, a cat just falls onto your lap and you have to get everything right at the moment. Here we will go through a list of all the supplies that you need for a new cat.
If you are more of a printable (or just don’t want to read the entire post), you can get your free new kitten checklist printable here.
Essential New Kitten Supplies
I have broken out the different cat supplies that you need into essential, and non-essential cat supplies. The essential cat supplies are the ones that you NEED the first night!
These will set you up to have everything you need to not only keep your cat alive, but truly keep them healthy. So the eight most essential items that you need are:
Cat Food
Let’s start with something easy. The very basic thing that you need in order to keep you cat alive is food.
The safest thing to get is dry food, although you can get both dry cat food and wet cat food.
Depending on their age will depend on the kind of dry food that you will get them. If they are a kitten, you want to get a kitten food like Purina Kitten food.
If your cat is an adult, then you want to get a brand of cat food that will benefit your cat. If they are a healthy weight, I like Purina Indoor Cat Food because it protects them against hairballs and keeps them at a healthy weight.
I also like to recommend Blue Buffalo for indoor cats. It promotes a healthy lifestyle for cats and contains a lot of natural ingredients.
But to be completely honest, when it comes to getting dry cat food, you want to get food that your cats not only like, but will keep them healthy.
There will also be people who have an opinion to share as to why I choose to feed my cats the food that I do, and I am sure someone will have an opinion as to what you feed your cats.
But don’t listen to them! If your vet, and your cats are happy…ignore everyone else.
Food Dishes
The next thing that you need to think about is the actual bowls to put the cat food in.
One of my personal favorite cat bowls can be found on Amazon. But I will be a hypocrite and give a warning with these.
The elevated cat bowls are great because they help with cat’s digestions and prevent cats from choking while they are eating.
My warning with these bowls are that they are plastic. And some cats can have allergic reactions to plastic and it can cause cats to have acne on their chin.
If you are worried about your cats having an allergic reaction, you can still get cute clay pet bowls, or even metal bowls.
These are more of a personal preference…chances are your cat will not care if they are eating out of a plain metal bowl or a personalize cat bowl.
Water Bowl
Going along with the one above, cats need water to survive. So when you are getting your food bowls, you want to make sure you pick up a second one that you can use for water.
If you want to spoil your cat a little, you can also get them a water fountain. Cats love these water fountains because it reminds them of running water.
By nature, running water reminds cats of drinking out of natural waters like springs or streams.
Litter Box
The next most important thing that you absolutely need is a litter box and a litter scooper.
What goes in must go out. That means your cat will have to go to the bathroom, and you need to provide them with a place to do such a thing.
With litter boxes, you don’t need to start out fancy. You can just get a very basic litter box. You can choose if you want to add a lid onto the box, or leave it open.
(I like the lids because I think they help contain the mess better).
When it comes to scoopers, again you really can’t go wrong with a scooper. I personally like ones that have bags in their scooper because you have a place where you can put the clumped litter.
Cat Litter
Of course, if you get a litter box, you need to have something to fill it with. So of course you need cat litter.
It will be a personal preference if you go with clumping of non-clumping.
The only time I would advise against clumping is if your kitten is less than 8-10 weeks old. The main reason for that is that kittens will put things in their mouths they aren’t supposed to.
Clumping litter does just was it says it does, clumps. So if your cat accidentally eats it, it could clump in their stomachs and cause an obstruction.
However, if your cat is older and has not shown any interest in clumping litter, you can definitely use it.
I also have more information about my favorite clumping and non-clumping cat litter in this post!
Cat Crates/Cat Carriers
The next essential item is that you need to have a cat crate or a cat carrier to transport your cat in.
I like the softer carriers because I can add fabrics or blankets and give my cats some additional comfort. (And with four cats, soft carriers fit WAY easier in the car).
The reason you want a cat crate or cat carrier is you need a way to transport your cat. Whether you are going to the vet, or taking your cat on a road trip to your parents.
You need to be able to transport your cat from your home, to your car and to your location.
The absolute last thing that you want is to be trying to carry your cat into the vet, have them freak out, jump out of your arms and run away from you.
Trust me, that is something that you just do not want to risk it. It’s not worth potentially losing your cat forever.
Cat Beds
You want your cat to feel safe the first night they are there. The best way that you can do that is to give them something of their own.
My personal favorite item that I like to give them is a bed. There are these “calming” cat beds that claim to help cats with anxiety.
If we are being honest, I really don’t know if beds reduce anxiety in cats. What I will say is my favorite beds are very fluffy and all of my cats LOVE them.
It’s just a warm little cocoon for them to sleep in that they know is theirs.
Scratching Posts
The last essential of the new kitten supplies that you need is a scratching post for your cat.
The reason that I moved this to an essential item that you need for your cat is because cats scratch. That is just a basic cats 101 thing to remember.
Having a scratching posts and designated places for them to scratch will prevent them from starting the bad habit of scratching your furniture.
You can either get a very simple scratching post to start out, or you can get a scratching post that doubles as a perch, which I will mention in the non-essential section.
Regardless of what scratching post you get, as long as your cat has a place to scratch, your basics are set!
Non-essential new kitten supplies
Let’s move onto the non-essentials items to get for a cat.
These are supplies that are beneficial when owning a cat, however these are items that you can get within the first month/year of owning a cat.
Your cat will not be in any harm if you slowly get these items, which is why they are considered non-essential.
OR, if you are just like me…you can get all four items within the first week of getting a cat like I did. No shame if you do!
Cat Toys
This is one that I was debating putting in the essential new kitten supplies. Mainly because it is essential that your cat has toys to play with so they don’t go after your furniture.
However, cats can literally play with ANYTHING. If you are tight on cash, you can literally give your cats a box (or in our cats case, they are obsessed with ear plugs).
With that being said, you can also get cat toys that don’t break the bank.
I have two favorite cat toys…that are of course, super cheap. The first one is a cat banana. This banana is infused with cat nip and my cats are obsessed with it.
The even carry it around whenever they want! (Or are super cute and cuddle with it). You can get these on Amazon which makes them a nice addition whenever you need to make an Amazon purchase.
The other toy is a cat dancer. And let me tell you, this toy is deceiving. It looks like…literally nothing. But Oh my goodness! My cats are obsessed.
We currently have four cat dancers because they each carry them around and play with them on their own.
Cat Perches
Next, is a cat perch. Cat’s like to have a place where they can sleep, and since they are constantly only able to see a few feet off the ground, perches let them see different parts of the world.
Perches are also great because they can have scratching posts, on their legs and serve two purposes in one.
You can also get perches for a decent price on Amazon, and even choose which perch you think your kitten would like best!
Cat Trees
Continuing with the cat perches, the next step is to get a cat tree. A cat tree is really just a cat perch with multiple layers.
Cat trees are great to let your cats play, sleep, and watch the world from a comfy angle. They also have scratching posts, and some even have built in toys for your cats to play with.
We actually have two cat trees (four cats) and ours love to watch us work from their cat tree. The tree has actually been extremely helpful with occupying them while we work from home!
Laser Pointer
Finally, the last thing you need to really make sure you are ready for a new kitten is a laser pointer.
Cats. Love. Laser Pointers!
What an amazing way to bond with your cat than by playing with them with a laser pointer.
Or, if you find out your cat loves laser pointers but you don’t have time to play with them all the time, you can get an automatic laser pointer.
The biggest thing to think about when getting an automatic laser pointer is you want one that you can plug into the wall.
Otherwise, laser pointers suck the life out of batteries and you will be frustrated constantly replacing them.
How To Bring a New Kitten Home
Bringing a new kitten home does not have to be scary! It is an exciting time, and once you have all the supplies you need, you are one step closer to being completely ready for your new kitten!
If you have all your supplies, hope over to my next post, 7 helpful tips for bringing home a new kitten and find out the next steps you need!