Must-buys for a new kitten?

[TheFloofyOne]

I’m picking my new best friend kitten up in a few weeks and am starting to buy a few bits. I’ve had cats before, but this is my first time in years having one so don’t have any equipment at all.

I’m looking at bedding, litter tray, toys etc.

For all you kitten owners, what were your best buys , and what wasn’t worth purchasing?

We've bought so many cat beds over the years, they like a little box with a nice blanket/donated cashmere jumper (moths!) /towel in them just as much.

We did buy lots of toys but ask the breeders/rescuers what they like ie one loved feathers, the other not so fussed. A figure of 8 toy with a ball in it went down well, we were lent it by a friend.

A litter tray and obviously food and water bowl. They may kick off if the litter tray is too near their food.

Lots of warmth and hugs and fuss 24/7 is all they really need though

Any paper bags go down well but please please cut through the handle. They can strangle themselves so easily

Take lots of photos and videos. They grow so quickly!

I bought a covered litter tray for my older cats and my new kitten much prefers it. It's also so much easier to keep it clean

Water fountain - my kitten drinks out of it and plays with it!!

Laser pen - to tire her out before bed time

Lots of fleece blankets

Lots of food bowls

Ping pong balls

Most recent purchase - a microchip catflap that I can lock from my phone!! And see when she is in or out! Great fun

I bought a covered litter tray for my older cats and my new kitten much prefers it. It's also so much easier to keep it clean

Are the robotic/automatic litter trays a big no-no? I’ve been looking online and they look great, but they’re very expensive so I’m wondering if it’s just hype?

Another vote for a hooded tray. Although we took the flap off as they didn't like it

Cardboard box and a walnut and our kitten was happy as Larry.

Tall scratching post with a perch on top or a wooden kitchen table and coir doormat

Litter tray.

Everything else is optional.

Your new Supreme Leader will be happy sleeping on your bed/expensive jumper/settee/clean washing/full linen bin/cushion/chest/head.

You can use any saucer or tea plate to serve their meals --as they'll quite happily nick stuff your plate anyhow, what with it technically belonging to them as Supreme Leader.

Every home should have a weird fork that you don't like the feel of, so you've already got a cat food fork.

Your dressing gown belt, preferably still attached to you, is a brilliant cat toy, as are your shoelaces as you're trying to do them up in the morning.

The entire world is a playpen for a kitten - and so are you.

Ah, yes. Trousers. You'll need trousers. Especially when they reach the pretend-you're-a-tree stage.

And sticky lint removers. Or a tumble drier. Static electricity is brilliant for getting cat fluff off clothes.

Wouldn't bother with the self-cleaning litter trays, most of them have a kind of wire mesh to sieve out solids... but this becomes a bit of a nightmare when they have "looser motions" 🤢

Also don't go mad with toys until you've got an idea of what they actually like to play with... some cats are quite particular

For the first time ever I have bought one of those climbing tree things too, I've only had it a day or so but she really loves it so far and it's saving my poor sofa and curtains.
I don't know if it's essential but I'd recommend if you have space.

Persephone thanks you all

We've just adopted a little kitten. He has a couple of beds and won't sleep in any, he prefers my daughter's bed. His favourite things are his pop out tunnel (my kitten and my little dog spend hours chasing and playing in it), any toy on a stick, a laser toy that rotates around and his cat tree with a nice plush top section for him to snooze on.