A Basic New Kitten Guide

Who doesn't love a kitten? They are mischievous, charming, little balls of fluff. If you've made the decision to bring a kitten into your family you will definitely need to be prepared!

Kittens have a propensity for getting into trouble, and they will continue getting into trouble as they become cats; unless you set them on the right track. Before you bring kitty home make a trip to the store. Here is your kitten shopping list: bowls, good quality kitten food, 2 uncovered litter boxes, clumping litter, litter scoop, 2 scratching posts, a tall cat tree, a few engaging cat toys, a collar and an ID tag.

You should know the litter box formula: 1 for each cat in your house plus 1. So for your new kitten you should have 2 litter boxes. Place one on the main floor of your home in a private area and place the other on another floor where your kitten will spend a lot of time. Show your kitten the location of the boxes and nature should take over.

Cat trees and scratching posts are very important for your cat. You won't want your kitty scratching the furniture or curtains, and declawing is very painful and traumatizing for your cat, so proper redirection of scratching instinct is paramount. Put a post in your living room and in any other rooms where there are items that may be fun for a cat to scratch on. Sprinkling cat nip on the posts will draw your cat's attention to items that you want them to use and encourage interaction.

Cats like to be high up to survey their surroundings and for safety. Make sure that your cat tree is tall enough to fulfill that need. Don't skimp on the height, 5 feet is often the minimum for a cat to feel safe. Shorter than that and they may not use it, and take to sitting on something that's off limits. If need be, use an end table with a larger surface area than the base of the tree to prop it up higher. Place the tree in front of a window for extra kitty fun!

Cats are very self sufficient, which can make them easy and ideal pets for a busy family. But, they are also intelligent, athletic hunters and will use your home as a playground to exercise their natural behaviors. This makes enrichment very important. You must be prepared to give your kitty an outlet for his energy and accept that there may be scratches on your furniture and litter tracked through your carpet.

Cats are amazing animals, they can be just as loyal as a dog and twice as funny. Enjoy your new friend, and most importantly, let your cat be a cat!

For info on choosing a veterinarian see the “Basic New Puppy Guide!”