Bringing a kitten home: first week checklist

The first week sets the tone for your kitten's life with you. A kitten that has just left its mother and littermates is coping with a lot of change at once, so the goal is to keep things calm, consistent and safe. Here is what to prepare, what to do on day one and what to watch for.

Before the kitten arrives

• A sturdy carrier for the trip home and vet visits.
• The same food the breeder uses, enough for at least the first couple of weeks.
• Litter boxes (one more than the number of cats is a common rule of thumb) and the same type of litter the kitten is used to.
• Food and water bowls; many cats prefer wide, shallow bowls.
• Scratching posts, both upright and flat, and a cat tree.
• A soft bed or blanket, and ideally something that smells of the breeder's home.
• Interactive toys such as wand toys, and safe solo toys.
• A brush or comb suited to the coat, and nail clippers.
• A vet appointment booked for the first few days.

Kitten-proof your home

• Put away string, thread, hair ties, rubber bands and tinsel. Swallowed string can cause serious intestinal injury.
• Secure or cover electrical cords, especially phone chargers.
• Remove toxic plants. All parts of true lilies and daylilies are extremely toxic to cats, even in small amounts.
• Store medications, cleaning products and essential oils out of reach.
• Keep toilet lids down and check the washer and dryer before every use.
• Check window screens are secure, and block gaps behind appliances.

Set up a safe room

Start your kitten in one quiet room, such as a spare bedroom or office, with its litter box, food, water, bed and toys. Keep the litter box well away from the food. A small space is less overwhelming, makes it easy for the kitten to find the litter box, and gives it a safe base to retreat to. Once it is eating, using the litter box and confidently exploring the room, usually within a few days, open up more of the home gradually.

Day one

1. Bring the kitten straight home and into the safe room. Open the carrier and let it come out on its own.
2. Show it the litter box, then give it space. Sit quietly on the floor and let it come to you.
3. Offer the same food the breeder used. Hiding and eating little on the first day is common.
4. Keep visitors to a minimum, and let children meet the kitten calmly, sitting on the floor.

The first vet visit

Book a vet visit within the first few days. Many health guarantees require one within a set window, so check your contract. Bring the breeder's records: vaccine dates, deworming, microchip number and any test results. Your vet will examine the kitten, plan the rest of its vaccines and parasite prevention, and talk about spay/neuter timing if it hasn't been done. This is also a good time to ask about pet insurance, which is usually easiest to arrange before any health issues are on record.

Introducing other pets

Go slowly. Keep the kitten in its safe room at first and let resident pets get used to its smell: swap bedding, or let them sniff under the door. Then try short, supervised meetings, ideally around food or play, and separate them before anyone gets stressed. Hissing in the first days is normal. With dogs, keep the dog on a leash for early meetings and make sure the kitten always has a high place to escape to. Some introductions take days, others weeks.

Food, litter and routine

• Keep the breeder's food for at least the first week or two. If you want to switch, mix in the new food gradually over about a week.
• Kittens need several small meals a day; follow the breeder's schedule and your vet's advice.
• Scoop the litter box at least daily, and keep it in the same place.
• Play with your kitten several times a day with wand toys, never your hands, so it learns that hands are not toys.
• Start gentle handling early: touching paws, looking in ears, brushing and tooth brushing, a little at a time with treats.

When to call the vet

Kittens can go downhill quickly. Call your vet promptly if your kitten stops eating, vomits repeatedly, has diarrhea that lasts more than a day, seems very lethargic, has trouble breathing, or strains in the litter box without producing anything. If in doubt, call; that is what your vet is there for. Tell the breeder too, since some guarantees require prompt notice.

Paperwork

• Register the microchip in your name, or update the details with the chip company.
• File the contract, vaccine records and health-test results somewhere you can find them.
• Note the spay/neuter deadline and how to send proof to the breeder.
• Keep the breeder's contact details handy for questions.