Bringing home a new kitten is exciting, and a little nerve-racking. Those first few days set the tone for how your kitten settles in, so a bit of preparation goes a long way. This guide covers what to buy before your kitten arrives, how to kitten-proof your home, how to help them settle, and the health care they'll need in the first weeks.
Your kitten shopping list
- Kitten food. Start with whatever your kitten has been eating, then change gradually if you want to switch.
- Food and water bowls. Wide, shallow dishes suit kittens and keep whiskers clear.
- A litter tray and litter, with a low side so small kittens can climb in easily.
- A cat carrier for the trip home and vet visits.
- A cosy bed, or a soft blanket in a box with high sides.
- A scratcher, so claws go on that instead of your couch.
- Toys for chasing, batting and pouncing.
- Flea and worm treatment sized for kittens.
- A brush, especially for long-haired kittens.
Kitten-proof your home
Kittens squeeze into tiny gaps, chew everything and climb anything. Before your kitten arrives:
- tuck away electrical cords, blind cords and phone chargers
- put away string, hair ties, rubber bands and sewing thread, which can cause serious blockages if swallowed
- remove lilies from the house. Every part of the lily is toxic to cats, even the pollen and the vase water.
- keep toilet lids down, and check washing machines, dryers and recliner chairs before using them
- block gaps behind appliances and under cupboards
- store cleaning products, medicines and slug and rat bait out of reach
The first few days
- Start in one quiet room. Set up a base camp with their bed, food, water, a scratcher, toys and the litter tray. Keep the litter tray away from the food and water.
- Let your kitten explore at their own pace. Open the carrier and let them come out when they're ready. Don't pull them out.
- Keep it calm. Limit visitors for the first few days, and let children meet the kitten gently while sitting on the floor.
- Expand their space slowly. Once your kitten is eating, using the litter tray and confident in their room, give them access to more of the house, a room at a time.
- Keep them inside. Kittens should stay indoors until they're fully vaccinated, desexed and microchipped, and settled enough to know where home is.
- Introduce other pets slowly. Let them smell each other under the door first, then swap bedding, before short, supervised meetings.
Feeding your kitten
Kittens grow fast and have small tummies, so they need small meals often. Feed three to four meals a day until about six months old, then two to three meals a day. Feed a kitten food until around 12 months of age, as it has the extra energy, protein and nutrients like DHA that growing kittens need. Our guide to puppy food vs adult food explains why growth foods are different.
Don't give your kitten cow's milk. Most cats can't digest it properly, and it often causes diarrhoea. Fresh water is all they need.
Black Hawk Kitten Chicken. Made with real chicken and essential nutrients to support healthy bones, teeth, muscles and brain development during your kitten's fastest-growing months. We also stock Hill's Kitten and Royal Canin Kitten, plus breed kitten foods for British Shorthairs, Maine Coons and Persians.
Durabolz Stainless Steel Cat Dish. A shallow, easy-to-reach stainless steel dish with a rubber ring to stop it sliding. Durable and dishwasher safe. For a wide, whisker-friendly option, try the Beco Steady Cat Bowl, made from recycled plastic.
Health care in the first weeks
- Book a vet check in the first week. Your vet will check your kitten over and plan their vaccinations, usually a course of injections a few weeks apart.
- Worming: every 2 weeks until 12 weeks old, then monthly until 6 months. Our guide to treating worms in NZ has more.
- Fleas and ear mites: kittens often arrive with both. Use a treatment sized for kittens, and check the pack for the minimum age and weight.
- Microchipping: required in some council areas and strongly recommended everywhere.
- Desexing: talk to your vet early. Kittens can get pregnant surprisingly young, and many NZ vets recommend desexing at around 4 months or earlier.
PetScience Easi-Spot for Cats. A monthly spot-on that treats fleas, ear mites, roundworm and lungworm, with a Kitten/Puppy size suitable from 8 weeks old. Moxiclear for Cats also comes in a kitten and small cat size.
Play, scratching and settling in
Kittens need lots of play to burn energy, learn and bond with you. A few short sessions a day, finishing with a meal, helps them settle. Use toys, never your hands, so they don't learn to bite and scratch people.
Petstages Straw-Babies. Berry-sized catnip toys with feathers and crinkle, just right for small paws to bat and carry. For scratching and chasing, the Petstages Spin & Scratch combines corrugated scratch discs with jingling balls. Note that some young kittens don't react to catnip until they're a few months old.
Feliway Classic Diffuser. Plug it into your kitten's base camp room. It releases a copy of the facial pheromone cats leave on things they feel safe with, helping your kitten feel at home sooner.
Start grooming early. Get your kitten used to being brushed and having their paws touched while they're young. For long-haired kittens, see our guide to cat fur types and grooming.
Several of these products are ordered in especially for you, so order a week or so before your kitten comes home. Not sure what you need? Call or pop into our Oxford store and we'll help you put together a kitten starter kit.
Your first-week checklist
- kitten food (the same as they've been eating)
- shallow food and water bowls
- litter tray and litter
- carrier, bed and scratcher
- toys
- flea and worm treatment sized for kittens
- kitten-proofed home and a quiet base camp room
- vet check booked for the first week
- plans for vaccinations, microchipping and desexing
Get ready for your new kitten
Browse our range of cat food, cat treats and flea and worm treatments, with delivery across New Zealand and click and collect from Oxford, North Canterbury. Or get in touch and tell us about your new kitten. We're happy to help.
This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If your kitten is unwell, see your vet.