If you’re planning on getting a new kitten, the first few days and weeks after their arrival can make a lot of difference to how well they settle into the home and family. There are lots of things to plan and prepare before they arrive at their forever home too, so be sure to tick off everything on our new kitten checklist! And if you’re wondering how to settle a new kitten in the early days, as well as how to introduce a new kitten to a cat, our top tips should help your little one feel part of the family in no time.

New Kitten Checklist

Before bringing home a new kitten, you’ll need to buy some basics to make sure you have everything you need to help your new furry friend settle in. Tick the following items off as you go!

• Food bowl
• Water bowl
• Kitten food (ideally the one they currently eat, and the one you’re transitioning them onto if necessary)
• Bed and blankets
• Cat carrier
• Cat igloo or cardboard box
• Scratching post
• Litter tray (with the litter they currently use)
• Toys
• Grooming brush

Bringing Home Your New Kitten

Familiar smells can be calming for your kitten. If possible, bringing home a blanket that they have been sleeping on in the days before they come with you can help with this. Having it in the cat carrier on the journey home and keeping it in their sleeping place can help to reduce their stress.

Introducing Them to Their New Home

Initially, it’s a good idea to keep your new kitten in one particular room. Sleeping places should ideally be in a quiet and fairly secluded part of the home, preferably an area that doesn’t receive a lot of foot traffic.

Once they are more ready to get used to the rest of the home, introduce them to one room at a time. You can take a cat carrier into each room (or something else they can take refuge in) in case they feel overwhelmed or scared. Plug in diffusers, like Feliway Optimum, as these can help to make the environment less stressful as your new kitten adapts to their new home.

Litter Training

As with your kitten’s sleeping place, the litter tray should also be located somewhere quiet and private so there is little chance of them being disturbed while using it and being put off.

It may take a little while for your new kitten to get the hang of litter training. When you practise, you can encourage your kitten to dig in the tray with their front paws, especially if they don’t instinctively do this by themselves. They should start to do this without prompting after a while and most cats will appreciate the chance to bury their waste after using the tray.

Introducing Your New Kitten to Other Pets

If you have another cat in the household, introducing them to your new kitten in short bursts often works best. If things get hostile, take your kitten out of the room as soon as possible and try again a few days later.

Not all pets will necessarily get on well, especially in the beginning. It’s therefore important not to force interaction between them. Let them engage with each other at their own pace. This could take weeks or even months in some cases, depending on how receptive they are to one another.

Cat Hissing at New Kitten

It’s natural for cats to be territorial, and so if your older cat is hissing at your new kitten, they are likely concerned about the new kitten encroaching on their space.

Ensure that your kitten has their own separate water bowl, food bowl, bedding and toilet area so that the two cats do not have to share with one another, as this will make the older cat even more territorial.

You can also try scent swapping. Gently wipe a cloth around one cat’s cheeks and forehead and then give it to the other cat by placing it nearby. This helps get the two cats used to each other’s smell.

Introducing Your New Kitten to Other People

As with other pets, it’s best to do introductions with members of the family on a slow basis too, especially with small children. Let them get to know the new arrival, but make sure that they also know to be gentle and calm around them.

Lots of kittens will enjoy interacting with people, but some may quickly become over-stimulated during petting and may have a tendency to bite or scratch. Just a few gentle chin tickles and strokes should be fine until you get to know what your new kitten prefers.

Feeding Your New Kitten

Your vet can advise on high-quality kitten food that will help them to get the right nutrients to support healthy growth and development. If they haven’t started on this already when you bring them home, you can begin to transition them onto it and away from their previous food.

Always check with your vet first before changing your kitten’s food. You can also follow our food transition guide for help.

Health and Safety Considerations

Kittens can be incredibly curious so it’s a good idea to “kitten proof” your home and make sure any potential hazards are out of their reach. Some of the things that could cause them harm include electrical cords and blind cords.

 If at any time you’re unsure about your kitten’s health, do not hesitate to seek advice from your vet as soon as possible.

Animeddirect.co.uk has a range of kitten products and food as well as low-cost wormers and flea treatments.