Essentials for a new cat

[Isonthecase]

Evening everybody.

I am currently in the process of adopting a cat and have the horrible feeling I've forgotten something. What were your essentials and reccondations? Cat is an adult.

My list so far:
Food (wet and dry), bowls for food. Are water fountains worth it?
Cat bed.
Heated cat pad.
A tower (do you have one of these and a cat bed or is the bed in this ok?
Cat carrier.
Some toys (recommendations of your favourites would be amazing)
Litter tray and litter.

It seems a really short list! It has been a while since I've had a cat so all suggestions very welcome.

Brush for grooming

Cats really don't need much. I would recommend a scratching post or pad if you don't want your sofas attacked.

Cardboard box 😂

A playmate...

I recommend those little coil/spring toys for cats. I have 3 cats and they all love them. Buy a large pack as they'll end up under your sofa and sideboards.

2 x Scratching posts....a must, 1 upstairs, one down. Mine uses his 2-3 times a day usually after a slerp when he stretches

Always big bowl of water fresh everyday
Put bed, food area well away from litter tray

Congratulations!!!

I think water fountains are worth it, my cat loves hers.

Her favourite toys are wand toys, a ball track & a tunnel. And the more cardboard boxes the better.

We have a water fountain and our damn cat still demand taps are turned on for him
Bed 😆 my cat forcefully sleeps in my bed.
Your cat will probably be more civil than mine
Enjoy!

And don’t worry too much - cats are excellent at telling you what they want! Mine mostly has her daytime naps in a bed on my desk but alternates that with chairs. I honestly wouldn’t spend too much on expensive cat beds at the start.

My cat never sleeps in his bed. Anywhere but his nice comfy bed.

I would add a brush, advantage flea drops if the cat is going outside, and a washable mat for under the food bowl. My cat is a really messy eater.

Would recommend this BAM cat nip banana toy! Our cat is obsessed with hers and usually isn't into toys 😂 Have tried to attach a picture from google so hopefully it works

I’d suggest no-brush toothpaste (like Logic Gel) & a plaque-removing powder to go on their wet food (Bugalugs is cheaper than the Big Name “Plaque Off” but works just as well). 50-90% of domestic cats older than 4 years have some kind of dental disease; so helping them maintain good oral hygiene is important.

Cats Protection’s information about preparing to get a cat includes a Cat Essentials Checklist that pretty much matches your list. Battersea don’t do a list just a link to their online shop - they do mention it may be worth getting a pheromone diffuser though eg Feliway.

When it comes to toys, it’s worth bearing in mind not all cats respond to catnip: mine fall into the c20-30% of cats who don’t, but they go wild for valerian. Valerian mousies are very popular here (as are larger/heavier valerian creatures, from their alpaca to their unicorn) but so are wee mousies for chasing/batting/biffing & foil balls ditto (excellent for playing fetch with).

Don't bother with a cat bed.. they never use them.
Myself and both daughters have cats and have water fountains.. saves them climbing up to the sink to lick that or dropping taps.
Cat litter tray .. get a sifting peewee. Uses wood pellets and when the cat pees and scratches the wee goes into the bottom tray.. saves on smells.. you just have to scoop out the poo.
And you use very little pellets.
Also mine only has dry food.. I steam cheap fish n chicken twice a week.
Good luck.

Insurance.

A cardboard box. My cat uses it as a bed.

I wouldn’t bother with any kind of cat bed or pad.

A cat tower is good because it means they will scratch and climb that instead of your curtains, gives plenty of places to perch and nap.

Your favourite jumper. Preferably in the exact opposite colour to his fur, but some thoughtful cats will carefully cultivate an undercoat of white/grey/palest beige to ensure that any owners thinking 'Ha! I wear black/dark colours, so a black/brown tabby cat's fur won't show' soon find out that the fur's visible on all clothing.

A second and third selection of bowls, some angled/raised, some flat and wide in case the whiskers or chin are offended at some point.

Flea comb.
Deshedding brush.
Gentle hairbrush.
Bristle brush and toothbrush for cheeks and under chin/something to murder whilst flea combing is going ahead.
Claw clippers if an indoor cat. Doesn't harm them to nip the very sharpest needletips off, saves some of your legs/tights/wooden furniture/new carpet for a couple of days.
Have you got another expensive and favourite top or two?
Insurance or a healthy bank balance. Or both.
Washable sofa cover. Don't ask me why.
Waterproof mattress protector. Believe me, you don't want to know.
Gluten/grain free cat food from the outset. Finding out why is traumatic.
Pet safe floor cleaner. Just because - no point getting an animal and then poisoning them because you didn't realise Zoflora's deadly.

Fake fur throws for bed, sofa, armchair, your legs.

Spider plants. Makes up for the lilies, arums and other plants you can't have anymore. And small bonus for the cat, they're mildly hallucinogenic, so you have enrichment in getting to the spiders - and drugs.

For toys, other than hands, feet, dressing gown belts, laces when you're in a hurry, hairbands around your wrist (PING! Wake Up!), a strong thing on a rod and a kickaroo have been the most popular.

All of my cats sleep in their beds. As well as on everyone else's as well but they do use them.

At least one scratching post is the main omission- assuming you like your furniture

Re toys, I'd get at least one with catnip and one with silvervine so you can see which of those he/she likes and, inevitably, buy many more...

You may want to go through your house and google all your plants to ensure they are cat safe.

Also worth creating or identifying a safe haven for your cat for when it first arrives. Somewhere they can hide safely out of view while they built up their confidence.

Have a fabulous time with your new cat!

I’d suggest no-brush toothpaste (like Logic Gel).

Logic Gel is great - the instructions go from ‘Brush their teeth if you can’ to ‘Get them to lick it off your finger’ to ‘If you have to, wipe it on them so they have to lick it off themselves.’ Mine happily licks it off my finger every night.

Simple Solution is good for cleaning up accidents, it breaks the enzymes down so that the smell goes completely & the cat’s not tempted to pee in the same place again.

Also, especially for indoor cats, cat grass. I’ve got a https://catit.co.uk/products/catit-senses-grass-planter & just buy refills every so often, it’s incredibly easy to grow.

Acknowledgment that your soft furnishings will never be the same.

Knowing that you'll be at the beck and call come feeding time.

Understanding that you'll never have an unmithered lie in again. Ever.

I’d hold off on the water fountain till the cat has arrived and you see if you need it. My new cats are very good at drinking ordinary water from a bowl so for me it would have been a waste of money. If your cat doesn’t drink you can easily pick one up.

You can get mixed packs of toys, so you can
see what your cat likes (one of mine loves balls, the other loves toy mice).

Amazing! Thank you all.

I have young kids so all furniture thoroughly trashed already...

I got my cat about a month and a half ago and we have used bowls and a brush and a litter tray (with scoop and mat).

I bought him a tower with scratching posts but he hasn't used it - he scratches at fleece blankets that I put out for him to lie on, which is fine by me. He doesn't really like the toys we got - he prefers games where we drag a length of wool for him.

I didn't get him a bed but I did make a cosy box for him with blankets - he's never been in it. He sleeps on the sofa or our beds.