Congratulations on bringing home your newest fur family member, your new kitten. It’s a fun and exciting time for both of you but it’s also a very important learning phase. This is the time to bond with your kitten and make them feel safe and secure. It’s also a time to get them trained early.
One of the biggest mistakes new owners make is training kittens like dogs. Cats show affection and communicate very differently from dogs. From training techniques to products and vaccinations, cats and dogs needs are not the same. Below are the basic essentials for your new fur baby. You can find these items at Olsen’s pet supplies section.
New Kitten Checklist
- Good quality kitten food
- Freshwater
- A “sanctuary” room where he can be initially confined
- Uncovered litter box (low sides for easy entry)
- Scoopable, unscented litter
- Litter scoop
- Food bowl (a size that’s easy for a kitten)
- Water bowl (separate from the food bowl)
- Scratching post (sisal covered)
- Soft grooming brush
- Nail trimmers
- Safe toys for solo play
- Interactive play toys (fishing pole design)
- Cozy bed
- Hiding places (box on its side, cat tunnel, etc)
- Cat carrier
- Cat tree (for climbing)
- Identification (microchip, ID tag, breakaway collar)
- Treats for training (or you can use the kitten’s food)
- Clicker (optional training tool)
Coming home to a new place can be overwhelming for a tiny kitten which is why it’s important to have a sanctuary room. This is where your kitten will be confined while they are being trained. Keep everything close by especially their litter box. Be sure the litter box and food and water are not together. These should be far from each other. Keep dangerous toys and supplies up and away. Start to introduce them to the rest of your home once they are old enough and are comfortable exploring. If you have other pets, it’s important to introduce them slowly to each other.
A few last tips are one make sure you keep their crate available for them. Get them used to the crate by placing a comfy blanket and toys in there. This way when it’s time to take them to the vet they won’t be afraid of being placed in a carrier. Keep yarns and strings away when you are not supervising because they can easily choke on these items. Remember to put away medicines and household cleaning products and check and secure places where kittens can hide such as behind washer and dryers. The last important tip is to bond with your new kitty. Be sure to have daily play sessions together to begin the bonding process.
Checklist by Cat Behavior Associates.