Just been accepted for 2 rescue kittens - what are your 'must buys' please?

[Hamsham]

Yesterday we were accepted by the RSPCA to give a loving home to 2 rescue kittens (10 weeks old).

Adoption papers complete and we'll be picking them up in a week.

Obviously we're doing lots of research, but what are your essential buys for kittens/cats please?

Thanks in advance :-)

Congratulations!! My adult dd has recently got 2 dkittens at 11 weeks!!
Essentials have turned out to be :
Dcat bed with added super soft blankets as they suck mercilessly on it..
Dcat post.
Dcat tray and wood litter.
Assortment of toys.
Automated feeder for if she is going to be out longer than the hourly howls for food!!
She just needs to get a' Keep Off The Bloody Curtains 'sign..

Really tall scratch post.

Yep, TALL scratch post. The ones they sell for "kittens" are even less use than ornament. You want them to be able to stretch to full length, so I would say go for a good 4/5 foot from the off. Or a tree!

Couple of trays + a variety of small bags of litter. Work out what they like.

Non-track pads for each tray...

A couple of toys - small ones (balls, little mice etc) and a wand. And a Kong kickeroo for future.

Good luck! So exciting!!!

A cat carrier to get them home in.
Litter trays plus litter
Food bowls plus food
Something to sleep on
Scratch post
Toys - a feathery wand was the most popular here

Packet of ping pong balls
Heat mat- amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UPEMJ00/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1jpvFb0H425VZ]]

Can you find out what food and litter they are currently using?

Feliway plug-in things.

Thank you, everyone! Some excellent suggestions - I've written a list of everything mentioned.

Very excited to meet them :))

Most important thing - a means of taking photos to post on here.

Mine loves the laser light toy. And a little cat tunnel. Plus scrunched up tin foil balls.

Covered litter tray(s). Clumping litter (cat’s best really is the best!).

Tall scratching post (google something like cat scratching barrels - they’re tall and sturdy, with hidey holes in the barrel and a bed on the top - definitely the best thing I’ve purchased in my 10 years of cat slavedom).

Good insurance, and I’d go for a “lifetime” plan - means if they develop a long-term condition then you’re not limited to how much you can claim. Pet Plan have been brilliant for me, never had a problem claiming and quick with refunds.

Don’t waste money on loads of toys. Maybe a couple of wand-type toys so you can interact with them, but equally straws, scrunched up paper, ping pong balls and cardboard boxes are just as exciting for them.

A good carpet cleaner - I get one by Dr Beckman from Amazon. Really handy for when they vomit up a hair ball on the carpet, cleans up any stains a treat.

A good cat carrier. Ideally with top and front loading doors, gives you more options depending on how wriggly your cat is to get in and out on vet visits!

Most importantly - spayed/neutered and microchipped (and update the chipping company if you move house).

Actually - the most important thing is to prepare yourself for how much they are going to totally steal your heart. I’d always been a dog person and thought of cats as being a bit “meh”. Totally blindsided by my love for them.

And, there is only one rule on here - PHOTOS PLEASE 😂💕😂

Oh, and ask your vets if they offer a health plan. You sign up and pay a monthly fee, which then covers your annual routine stuff (yearly boosters, worming, flea treatment etc). Doing it this way costs less than paying for these things at individual points during the year, plus makes it easier for budgeting monthly outgoings.

And ask about flea treatment injections. My boys both had thick fur, hated spit-on treatments and I was never sure if all of it had got directly onto the skin. So I went with injections, once every six months - saved a lot of stress for all of us!

*spot-on treatments! I would never spit on them!

@Furries Thanks for the advice on the flea injections - I didn't know such a thing existed. I'll certainly be looking into that.

Same with the 'lifetime insurance'. I think I get 4 months free with Petplan as part of the adoption procedure, so I'll look into it properly afterwards.

Very helpful and positive responses from each and everyone of you - all noted. Thank you.

And I'll definitely be providing pics 😍

*(4 weeks with Petplan, not 4 months)

I second the Dr Beckmann cleaner the brush is very useful!
Tesco are great for insurance.

Get different types of litter, some don't like the wood or crystals as they hurt their feet. They will then start going elsewhere. A couple of litter trays. Second (or third ) how useless the kitten scratch posts are. I bought a tall ( around 85 ish cms) from pet planet for £30. Buy lots of beds and then watch them sleep anywhere but their beds! Don't buy the tiny bowls they try and sell as water bowls, I use a dog bowl so there is always plenty. I don't know whether these are your first cats but one thing to bare in mind is that cats don't like their whiskers to touch the side of the bowls. Wider and shallower bowls are better than the small, deeper ones.

Agree with Satsuma about litter trays. I would get at least two and also get some sandy, soft litter because some cats prefer that. I would also recommend a rogz cat basket to give them a place that is 'theirs' where they can feel safe and hide away if they want. Scratching post with platform if possible where they can climb up and sit. Good luck with them.

Buy everything from Amazon.

Build them a fort with the boxes.

😁

Great - thank you, all. Added to the list.

@Satsuma2 I've just ordered the same scratch post, thank you

Pictures of the little darlings! Top priority.

This was us a year ago!! Echo all of the above (and be prepared for a few 'accidents' when they first come home - ours were great with the litter tray but there was some definite territory making that went on all round the house. We also covered beds with blankets that they could scratch at for a while as they were scratching the duvet covers!

Take lots of pictures of them because they grow so fast and you don't notice and then suddenly they are proper cats!

We also got a babygate to train them not to run to the front door - possibly paranoid but it has worked well for us and they tend to stay away from the front door and always go out to the back garden, which avoids them bolting towards the road. Enjoy meeting them!! :-)