Bringing a New Kitten Home + FREE Printable New Kitten Checklist

It can seem overwhelming when you’re bringing a new kitten home – what all do you need? This FREE printable new kitten checklist will help you gather everything and have it ready before you bring home a new friend!

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A kitten can be such a wonderful addition to your home, but you do need to do some planning before you bringing a new kitten home. But don’t let all the work hold you back, it’s simple when you have your new kitten checklist!

Whether you’re getting a kitten for your child, or for yourself, it’s easy to prepare when you have this handy Bringing Home a Kitten Checklist to keep you on track.

When we adopted our kittens over 3 months ago, we actually went with all intentions of just adopting one.

A friend from high school had posted that her cat was having kittens and she was in desperate need for good homes for them. Since my cat, Roxy, had just passed away at the age of 14, I decided it would be a great chance for the girls to grow up with the opportunity and responsibility of having a kitten.

When we went to pick her up, my friend informed me that someone backed out and she had an extra kitten that needed a home. After a quick discussion with the hubby, we ending up not just bringing a new kitten home, but bringing two new kittens home!

Luckily, we had all our kitten supplies ready and waiting at home, which made the adoption process much easier on all of us!

You’ll need quite a few supplies and it may seem intimidating at first. That’s why it pays to start shopping a few weeks before you adopt the pet.

Kitten Supply List:

• Cat Food
• Cat Treats
• Food and Water Bowls
• Cat Toys
• Cat Bed or Blanket
• Cat Litter Box
• Cat Litter

One of the most important thing is food, but you should purchase this after you bring home your pet.

You’ll want to choose the food that the shelter, or previous owner, had the pet on to prevent digestive problems. You can slowly switch the food to your preferred brand, if needed.

BLUE Kitten Healthy Growth Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Cat Food 7-lbKONG Active Feather Teaser Catnip Toy, AssortedsWheat Scoop Fast-Clumping All-Natural Cat Litter, 25lb BagIRIS Open Top Cat Litter Box Kit with Shield and Scoop, Blue

You also need a food and water bowl, food mat to help prevent messes, a pet bed or blanket, toys, and consider purchasing or making your own scratching post.

Toys and a scratching post are more important than you might think. Kittens can get bored and when that happens, your furniture can suffer. Give her something to keep her busy.

Even better – make your own cat toys! My cats go wild over these Kitty Kick Sticks and they are inexpensive to make yourself.

If your kitten is going to be staying inside, perhaps another one of the most important purchases is a litter box and cat litter. I have a love/hate relationship with the litter box, as do probably almost all cat parents.

I love that my cats use the litter box [instead of the floor or other inappropriate place], but I hate cleaning it.

Click the image for a printable PDF version of this Bringing Home a Kitten Checklist.

Lastly, you might want to consider purchasing a crate to keep the kitten confined when you’re away until he or she is old enough to be left out alone. This isn’t a necessity, but the crate can also come in handy for future vet visits.

Where to Get Your Kitten

While you may be tempted to adopt that cute little kitten at the local flea market, it’s best to choose a kitten from an animal shelter for a number of reasons. Not only are you helping to save animals that don’t have a home, but you’re also more likely to get a healthy cat.

Many shelter pets are up to date on shots and come with a certificate to get them spayed or neutered, if they haven’t already been fixed. Another great reason is shelters often have a large selection of kittens to choose from and often run specials where the adoption fee is greatly discounted or even free.

The First Few Weeks

During the first few weeks, you might want to keep the kitten contained to one room to prevent messes and destruction.

This is where you’ll keep everything – the litter box, food and water dishes, etc. A good room would be one that has less hiding spots and more room for you to play with your new kitten.

Once the kitten has mastered the litter box, you can allow him to venture into other rooms. Another thing you must do is make an appointment for your new pet to be seen by your vet as soon as possible.

A kitten can be a great addition to your home, but you need to make sure you’re choosing a healthy kitten and that you have the right supplies on hand.

You’ll want to make your first appointment to see your vet soon after your furry feline is in your home and work your way through the Bringing Home a Kitten Checklist to be sure you don’t forget anything!

It may seem like a lot of work, but you’ll be so thankful in the end when you have everything on hand when bringing a new kitten home.