We are getting a kitten in three weeks time... is there anything I have forgotten?

[blackbirdsinginginthenight]

We are bringing a kitten home, our first family pet, in three weeks time.

I've got food bowls, kitten food, little comb, a few toys, blankets for the sofas, litter tray- is there anything I'm forgetting?

Very excited but also quite nervous!

Any second dkitten will be gratefully received!

Two cats of mine completely ignored it the circular ball toy! Little weirdos!

Mine love cardboard boxes. I even have a cardboard cat bed. Scratching post and cat tree.

Don't forget to register with a vet, and check their out of hours provision. So many of ours locally outsource their out of hours to a vet miles away.
Insurance, get microchip done, or registered with your name if already done.

Also, you can try collars on them but none of my 4 cats I’ve had in past (1 is current) have ever kept them on much past kitten stage. As soon as they went outside they either tried to get them off on the patio/door step to garden or lost them.

Definitely another kitten 😸

Another thing, be careful with vets to make sure they’re clean etc. When both of mine (this is a few years ago) went in to be spayed/neutered they caught some infection and both had to stay in, luckily the vets took responsibility for them catching it there and didn’t charge me! I had car insurance anyway.

DD went back to school in September explaining to everyone that she wasn’t self harming- just had two kittens in the house.

Not car insurance cat!

Neither of mine have collars and are microchipped and use a microchip catflap

Ours all love the ball in a track toys. And the kittens love flat cardboard scratch mats- the older ones only use vertical posts. Kittens love the cat pepperami treat sticks, older ones prefer lickelix!

White vinegar. The solution to pet urine slips etc. Avoid zoflora as it is awful and vets hate it. Burned my cats paws once, and I won't have it in the house now. Convinced the newly diagnosed sarcoma on my hand is due to overzealous use of scented disinfectant when they first became a thing to have.

We don’t have a collar either. Ours doesn’t really roam beyond the immediate neighbours’ gardens, and any time she has sneaked out the front towards the street - like if someone is taking the bins out, DP trimming the hedge - she races inside when a car goes by. She’s chipped, and I would worry about the collar getting caught in something.

My cats were rehomed from bluegrass who said I needed pair
They hate each other
Had alway had single happy cats before and now I live in a cat war zone

Ask the charity if they could introduce the kittens to each other.
Block up any small space kittens can escape through.
Insurance.
Book for neutering and microchipping.
Prepare one room to allow them to settle in peace.

He needs his own bed, preferably an igloo type with a roof, and ask the rescue to give you a bit of used blanket with his familiar smell to put in it.

Or blue cross even!

I got an expensive multi-level scratch post with a bed on top. Needless to say the little sod ignores it - he scratches the carpet, climbs the clothes horse and sleeps on the landing.

I’m thirding the DONT GET TWO comments

ive had 2 cats at the same time, large age gaps and it’s fine. 2 kittens once and whilst they were great fun to watch, they were never as into humans and no way was the bond like that with a singleton and an older cat

mum ignored my feedback and got 2 kittens (had always had 2 of different ages before like me) and same
one of hers got run over and the remaining one is still not really into her. They’ve just been distant

Marking my spot as I'm relenting on the kitten front.....

A fishing rod cat toy with various attachments. It is the one thing our cat has consistently loved for two years since she was a kitten. Our cat is a bit lazy and quite chunky as she has little legs. It's good for her to get some exercise everyday with the fishing rod.

A few igloo houses at various levels / rooms in the house as they love to be able to hide away.

I agree with the flat cardboard thing, ours starts scratching it as soon as she sees us as we reward her verbally. So far she has never deliberately scratched the furniture.

Be prepared to keep her in one room for the first few days until she gets used to you all. Cat proof your house by blocking little gaps where she could get stuck if she tries to hide.

When we got our two kittens, they hid under the settee for the first couple of days.
If I was in a similar situation again, I’d get cardboard boxes and soft blankets to make them feel a bit more secure as they get used to the new environment.
My two still love a cardboard box!

Cat tree
Scratching posts
Nail clippers
Cat beds
Blankets
A 2nd kitten 😸
Flea stuff
Worming stuff
Pet insurance
Vet appt for health check and to start jabs.

Don’t be pressured to get 2! Needs a lot of thought as all costs immediately double. Insure them from the get go. Free pre vaccine check at your chosen vets should offer 6wks free pet plan then don’t leave a gap between that and a permanent policy. Never have Lilies in the house. Have a safe place for a night, we used the cat carrier under the kitchen table as they’re so teeny and easy to lose in a big house at first. Enjoy!

It will need a bed! Flea treatment. Appointment for microchipping & neutering. Some of those squeeze sticks of treat-food they can lick.