New kitten - what do I need?

[madbutnotbad]

We have just got a kitten who is around 4 months old and I am hoping for some pointers on things which are worth getting for him. He has come with some food and a litter tray but that is all so we are off to the pet shop tomorrow.
. I have had cats before but I was wondering if there was anything that has proved to be very popular with your kittens/cats? He isn't at all shy and has spent most of the evening charging around the front room and sleeping on a huge cushion in the middle of the room!
Thank you in advance

[lookatmybutt]

Kong toys are pretty good, and catnip stuff by Yeowww!

Also: my socks. Would you like me to send you one? LOL.

[sashh]

A scratching post.

A lot is up to individual cats, I fostered a pair who absolutely loved small plastic cat nip mice, my current cat doesn't bother.

Cardboard boxes are usually a hit.

[madbutnotbad]

Thank you will have a look for kong and yeowwww although I'm not sure he needs the added excitement catnip and a scratching post. He has discovered those jute bags are great fun and also my dd's princess dress!

Thank you for the ideas last time I had a kitten rather than a cat they just had to entertain themselves with stuff around the house.

Is it worth getting a cat bed? Last night he slept on a pile of clean washing and a cushion!

[GerundTheBehemoth]

A big cardboard box with a couple of cat-sized holes cut in the sides is usually a winner. A screwed-up ball of paper makes as good a 'chase-and-pounce' toy as anything, and a lot of kittens will catch on that the game lasts longer if they bring it back to you. My two like playing with little drawstring bags - I untie and retie the string so it's one long length rather than a loop, and put some balls of paper inside. Or a valerian teabag (some cats go a bit nuts for valerian). Laser pointers are great fun too.

I've never bothered with cat beds, as in my experience they don't get used, or only get used for a short time before the cat gets bored and finds another place to sleep. Having said that, someone I knew had hammock-style ones that hung on the radiator like this and they were unfailingly popular with her cats.

From what I've read, kittens don't usually react to catnip til they are about six months old, so that's an idea for the future!

[Fluffycloudland77]

Ours has a dog bed, my theory is cat beds are rubbish compared to dog beds and that's why they don't seem to like them.

Ping pong balls make good toys until you tread on them.

[madbutnotbad]

Thanks for all the ideas, I will have a try with different things and see what he likes the most.