Everything you need for a new kitten, according to a cat owner
Follow this new kitten checklist to make sure you have all the essentials before bringing your pet home.
Away’s Pet Carrier is an NBC Select Pet Awards winner and the best cat carrier I’ve ever used. My vet also compliments it whenever I bring my cats to see her.
There are three mesh panels, and one has a retractable privacy screen. The carrier has multiple zippered pockets to store my keys, phone and pet supplies, as well as a trolley sleeve, removable Sherpa bed, removable shoulder strap and two openings that zipper shut. I particularly love the carrier’s built-in latches that fasten it to a car seat belt and make for a safer ride. The carrier is designed for pets up to 18 pounds.
The bigger the litter box, the better, says Van de Kieft. But make sure its sides aren’t too high or small kittens may struggle to get in and out. You’ll also need litter box accessories like a litter scooper and something to put dirty litter in before throwing it in the trash.
I’ve tried about a dozen litter boxes with my cats, and this one from Modkat is my all-time favorite, partly because it comes with a litter scoop that attaches to the outside. Its spacious interior gives my cats plenty of room to do their business, and its tall walls ensure that litter stays inside the box when they dig or kick. The litter box has a front opening that’s low enough for cats of all ages to use — my kittens jumped inside without hesitating, and my family’s 13-year-old cat didn’t find it restrictive either. There’s also a lid on top of the litter box that you can flip into three positions (closed, half open and fully open) depending on how much privacy your cat prefers.
Modkat’s litter box is easy to clean, too. It comes with a reusable liner that you secure to hooks inside the box, preventing it from moving around. The liner prevents the box itself from getting dirty — when you need to do a deep clean, you simply unhook the liner, dump the litter out, wipe the liner down and put it back inside the box with new litter.
The Litter Genie is a pail specifically designed for disposing of cat litter. And as far as NBC Select SEO editor Nikki Brown is concerned, it’s a non-negotiable product all cat parents need. The Litter Genie holds up to 14 days of cat litter for one cat and prevents you from making daily trips to the trash. Add a bag insert to the pail, scoop litter directly into it, pull its lever so the litter falls to the bottom and push the lever back in to seal odors inside. When the pail is full, you take the bag out and throw it in the trash.
“The multi-layered refill bags combined with the pail mask that dirty litter smell I couldn’t escape when emptying litter into my normal trash can,” says Brown, who has two cats. “Plus, it doesn’t take up a ton of space, so mine sits just behind the litter box, making cleanup even more efficient.” The Litter Genie Plus comes with one bag insert, a litter scooper and a scooper holder attached to the pail.
The best type of litter for your kitten depends on its age. According to Castle, kittens under four months old should use non-clumping litter so it won’t cause an internal blockage if interested. Older kittens, however, can use clumping litter. Regardless of their age, she recommends buying litter that’s unscented and soft on cats’ paws.
After bringing my kittens home, I used these non-clumping, dust-free cat litter pellets for the first few weeks. It’s made from recycled newspaper, has low tracking and feels soft against cats’ paws, according to the brand. I was surprised by how well the litter absorbs urine, plus it makes poop easy to scoop. It controlled odors well, too, in my experience.
Fresh Step’s unscented clumping cat litter is free from fragrances and dyes. Thanks to the activated charcoal in its formula, it helps eliminate odors for up to 10 days. The dust-free litter is made from small, smooth clay particles that are soft against cats’ paws, according to the brand. It has a 4.5-star rating from 15,412 reviews on Amazon.
It’s best to avoid plastic bowls for your kitten’s food — plastic holds onto grease and oil, which can give your cat chin acne, says Castle. Instead, buy ceramic or stainless steel bowls that sit on a raised stand. Raised bowls ensure that a cat’s mouth stays higher than their stomach while eating, which can decrease the chance of vomiting, experts told us.
As for water, consider opting for a water fountain instead of filling up a bowl. “Cats prefer running water over stagnant water because their instincts tell them it could hold bacteria and make them sick,” says Castle.
These bowls are an NBC Select Pet Award winner and I own two sets of them. The ceramic, dishwasher-safe bowls are shallow and wide, which prevents them from irritating your kitty’s whiskers. They rest inside a sturdy bamboo stand that raises them 5 inches off the ground — the stand might make the bowls a bit too high for very small kittens to reach, but both of my cats could easily get to them by about three months old. The stand also tilts the bowls 15 degrees to help reduce strain and pressure on your pet’s neck, according to the brand.
This stainless steel fountain has a built-in purification system that removes contaminants like chlorine from water, making it safer for cats to drink, according to the brand. It’s designed with a 3.2-liter water tank and a water-level window on the front telling me when to refill it.
The fountain plugs into a standard outlet and is quiet — I don’t hear it in my apartment. You can add a faucet-shaped fixture to the fountain, which is great for cats like mine who enjoy drinking from the sink. I appreciate that I can completely disassemble the fountain to clean it deep as needed. Note that you have to replace the filter every two to four weeks and can purchase replacements separately.
Treats aren’t just a tasty snack — they can help you bond with your kitten. When kittens take treats from your hand, they associate your scent with something that makes them happy. Over time, they’ll understand that you’re not a threat and worthy of their trust, experts told us. Castle says that treats are also a great tool for positively reinforcing good behavior, such as using scratching posts instead of scratching furniture.
Temptations makes some of our favorite cat treats, and I prefer the brand’s soft options for kittens. I made the mistake of buying crunchy treats for my kitten when I first brought her home, and at eight weeks old, she couldn’t bite down on them. However, the soft, chewy texture of these treats makes them easy for kittens to eat, plus I can break them in half as needed. You can buy Temptations’ soft and savory treats in flavors like salmon, chicken and tuna.
Castle highly recommends microchipping your pet, but you can also use a collar with a name tag as a form of identification. Ensure you only buy a breakaway collar, made with a clasp that snaps open when it’s forcefully tugged. For example, if a breakaway collar gets stuck on something, it snaps open so your pet can escape and not choke as they try to run.
This nylon collar has a breakaway clasp and comes with a removable bell. It’s adjustable from 8 inches to 12 inches in length, so it grows with your kitten — you can extend its size as they get bigger. The collar comes in colors like black, pink and blue and it’s customizable. The brand stitches your cat’s name and phone number into the collar itself, eliminating the need for an additional name tag. The breakaway collar has a 4.4-star average rating from 5,705 reviews on Amazon.
Pheromones are chemicals cats naturally release through various parts of their bodies. They act as messages, helping felines communicate with each other and the world around them. Experts told us that the pheromones cats release through their faces are calming and comforting. Some brands make a liquid that mimics cats’ facial pheromones, which you can diffuse throughout your home. These calming pheromones can help ease kittens’ transition into new spaces, says Dr. Abel Gonzalez, a veterinarian and the clinical director at Dutch, a pet telehealth company.
I bought Feliway’s pheromone diffuser when I brought my first kitten home and I’ve been using it ever since. You plug the diffuser into an outlet and add one vial of the pheromone liquid, which you’ll need to replace with a refill once a month. Once I started diffusing the pheromone in my apartment, I noticed that my kitten seemed less anxious, especially when I wasn’t in the same room as her.
Castle says that kittens sleep about 20 hours per day, so make sure they have a comfortable bed to rest in. Prioritize buying a bed your kitten can hide in, like a covered bed, igloo or cat cave. Kittens instinctually like to hide, so giving them a cozy, safe place to do so will prevent them from hiding under furniture, she says.
If I look around my apartment and don’t see my cats, it’s almost always because they’re snuggled up in their wool cave bed. It provides a warm, cocoon-like environment for them to sleep in, and they like being able to peek their head out the entrance to keep an eye on what’s going on around them. In addition to sleeping inside the cave, my cats sit on top of it, flattening the sphere and using it as a padded mat to stretch out on. They play with the bed, too. I throw toys inside it for them to chase and retrieve, and one cat hides outside the cave while the other is inside it for a sneak attack.
Once your kitten arrives, your home will be filled with cat toys in a matter of days. In my experience, it’s hard to resist buying them. But you should have a few toys available right off the bat, like a wand toy, plushies, or springs. Then, as you learn about your kitten’s likes and dislikes, you can add to their collection.
All the experts we spoke to said having a wand toy at home is essential. Van de Kieft specifically recommends looking for one with a prey attachment at the end, like a little ball, mouse, bird or feathers. Swatting at the “prey” makes your kitten feel like they’re hunting, and it helps them learn that biting and attacking are meant for their toys, not their parents.
According to the brand, this SmartyCat wand toy has a fuzzy feather at the end that mimics the feel of a live bird. It also comes with a detachable ball infused with catnip. My cats love whacking at the feathers until they knock the ball off. Then, they chase the ball around my apartment or bring it to me to throw to them.
Grabbing, holding and kicking their prey is an instinct for cats, and kicker toys like this one are designed to engage this behavior.
It’s 20 inches long and thick enough for my cats to hug with their front paws while they bunny-kick it with their back legs. The plush toy has a pocket where you can add catnip, and despite my older cat kicking it for over two years with her sharp nails, it hasn’t ripped.
Springs are an ideal cat toy, says Van de Kieft. All you have to do is walk by or brush a spring, and it bounces and rolls, which is exciting for kittens and holds their attention. I always keep a supply of springs at home because if my kitten can’t find hers, she walks around my apartment meowing. That’s why I love this pack of 12 multi-colored plastic springs — I give my cat one or two springs at a time and save the rest for later.
“Tunnels create fun places for playtime, as well as places for cats to hide, rest and decompress,” says Van de Kieft. She believes every cat needs at least one at home regardless of age. Tunnels are available in different sizes and shapes, so you can buy one that best fits your space.
I have three tunnels for my cats, but this one is their favorite. You can configure it in an S-shape, circle or semicircle with two entrance points. The tunnel is covered in a soft, fluffy fabric, plus two toy balls are hanging from the interior for cats to whack at. A cushion is also included, which you can attach to the circle’s center or semicircle for cats to sleep on.
Cats of all ages need to scratch surfaces. It’s how they express emotions, mark objects with their scent, care for their nails and stretch, experts told us. Providing kittens with various scratching posts encourages good habits they’ll carry into adulthood, so make sure you have a few options available in your home. Some scratching posts are vertical and designed with sisal rope, while others are horizontal and made from cardboard. Generally, any scratching post will do, so long as you place it in an area your kitten frequently walks by or spends time in, says Castle.
SmartCat’s vertical scratching post is 32 inches tall, giving your cat plenty of space to dig their nails into. It’s covered in durable sisal fiber and has a heavy base, preventing cats from knocking it over. Rebecca Rodriguez, NBC Select editorial projects manager and mom to two cats, owns this scratcher and appreciates that it’s not an eyesore in her apartment.
Van de Kieft says that cats are natural climbers and feel safe up high, so it’s essential to offer them vertical space to scale when they have the urge. A cat tree is the easiest way to create vertical space for your kitten. The tall structure often has multiple levels for cats to jump between and platforms to nap on. A cat perch is another type of vertical space many kitties enjoy. It’s essentially a bed that attaches directly to a window or window sill, allowing your furry friend to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the outdoors from inside their home, says Castle.
If you’re buying a cat tree for a kitten, you can start with something shorter, like the one I got for my kitten. It has three levels: two levels are perches cats can sleep on, and one is a platform with a ball inside it for cats to play with. There are also sisal rope scratching posts built into the tree and a mouse toy dangling off the highest platform. The cat tree is covered in soft carpet and has a stable base that prevents cats from knocking it over.
My cats consider Tuft+Paw’s arched window hammock the top sunbathing and bird-watching spot in my apartment. They use it for hours daily and love it so much that I recently ordered a second one so they don’t fight over it. You attach the hammock to your window using its three suction cups. It’s very sturdy and supports up to 30 pounds.
I’ve owned the hammock, an NBC Select Pet Award winner, for a year, and it’s still adhered to my window in the exact spot where I originally hung it. The base is made from soft, textured felt that my cats like scratching at and rubbing against.
“While cats groom themselves, brushing helps reduce hairballs and keeps their coat healthy,” says Gonzalez. As soon as your kitten is settled in at home, start brushing it regularly to help it get used to being brushed and having its nails trimmed.
Harry Rabinowitz, an NBC Select reporter, has been using this slicker brush with his cat since he adopted her. It has stainless steel pins that remove tangles and mats from your cat’s coat, and it cleans itself, which is Rabinowitz’s favorite part. The brush head collects loose hair as you groom your cat, and when you’re done, you press a button on the back, which pushes the hair forward so you can easily throw it out.
“Though I’ve tried a few other options, this nail trimmer has been my go-to since my cats were kittens,” says Rodriguez. “I love that it’s small, which makes it a little less frightening to my cats and easier for me to see where to clip.” The nail clippers, NBC Select Pet Award winner, have a scissor-like design and semi-circular steel blades that remain sharp after each use.
At NBC Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Zoe Malin is an associate updates editor at NBC Select who writes about pets, including articles on cat carriers, vacuums for pet hair and dog beds. For this article, she interviewed three experts to create a new kitten checklist for pet parents. Malin also has two cats and has raised six cats throughout her lifetime. She’s volunteered at animal shelters for over a decade as well.
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