The First Days at Home

• Designate a smaller space for your kitten, such as a bedroom or spare room, during their first few days at home.
• Have your kitten’s essentials (food, water, and litter box) easily accessible to them. Put your kitten in their litter box so they know exactly where to find it.
• Create a little nest space for them to relax with a bed or blankets.
• Cats are territorial animals and do best if they are introduced to one small part of a new home at a time. Pick a quiet room where your new kitten can stay until they have adjusted. It could take a few days for your kitten to become comfortable in their new home but once they do, they will run the house!

Kitten-proofing Your Home

Kittens are very curious animals and can fit into extremely small places. Look around your home to ensure it is safe for a kitten.

• Kittens are like little ninjas and will climb on anything and everything, so make sure there’s nothing on high shelves that can be damaged or knocked off.
• Look for any holes or unprotected areas that a kitten can fit in and potentially get stuck; these are often hidden under baseboards. Make sure to cover those spaces to protect your kitten.
• Secure loose cords and pick up any small items your kitten may be able to swallow.

Feeding Your Kitten the Right Pet Food

Need to find the right food to fit your kitten’s needs? Purina has made it easy to find the food that best suits your pet. Simply start with their pet food finder tool. And, of course, be sure your little one always has access to a water bowl so they can quench their thirst.

But how much should I feed? Just look at the back of your Purina ONE bag. The amount of food depends on the size of your cat so as your kitten grows into an adult cat, the food amounts will change. Be sure to revisit the chart on the back of your cat or kitten food often because your kitten’s food needs will change as they grow.

Supplies for Your Kitten

Bathroom Supplies

• Litter box: Kittens need a litter box big enough for them to fit inside and turn around in. Think of this as a luxurious and spacious toilet for your kitten.
• Litter: There are so many litters out there. You can choose what is best for your kitten. A good rule of thumb is if your cat uses the bathroom in the litter box and not around your house, you’ve picked a good litter and box for them!
• Scooper: The litter box is your kitten’s toilet and, unfortunately, it doesn’t flush like ours does! Having a scooper handy will help you keep your kitten’s toilet clean. Solids should be removed daily, and litter should be changed at least once a week.
• Pro tip: There are lots of great additional tools out there like Litter Genies that make this part of kitten care much easier.

Playtime

This is the best time with your new kitten. Not only is it good for your kitten to stay entertained but it can also help you form a lasting bond with one another. Kittens are little balls of fluff ready to pounce and romp around.

• Cat towers: Let your kitten be the queen (or king) of the tower! They will watch over their new subjects – you and your family.
• Toys: Buy a lot of fun and interactive toys for your kitten and make sure to keep all the cardboard boxes they come in. No matter how many toys you buy them, they will likely spend most of their time in the box.
• Scratching Post: Kittens have claws and it’s their natural instinct to scratch. To prevent your kitten from scratching walls or furniture, you need to provide them with plenty of scratching posts and other similar outlets.
  • We never recommend declawing as a way to manage your kitten’s natural scratching behavior. Declawing is extremely painful and is a permanent physical amputation that often leads to other behavior issues, like peeing outside of the litter box. If your kitty develops inappropriate scratching behaviors, give us a call! We can guide you on next steps.

Purchasing your pet supplies online?

Head to Chewy using this link and for every new customer who makes their first purchase from Chewy, $15 will be donated to the Atlanta Humane Society!

If you’re an Amazon shopper, check out our suggestions on kitten supplies!

Don’t forget to sign up for AmazonSmile to benefit the Atlanta Humane Society. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to us if you choose the Atlanta Humane Society as your charitable organization of choice!