Congratulations on your new Kitten!
Here’s a guideline of basic information and recommendations for and about your new kitten’s arrival in your home.
Remember, we offer Lifetime Support!
Kittens may stress with the change of location, diet, etc. This could consist of sneezing, runny eyes/nose or possible diarrhea. This is not serious and should go away in a few days on its own. During the initial adjustment period kittens do best when confined to a quiet room with carrier, food/ water, & litter box easily accessible.
When you bring home your new kitten it is not advisable to allow them to interact with other animals immediately. They should be quarantined for a about 2 weeks to 30 days until they are used to your home and a slow introduction is always recommended. Animals stress when going to their new home. It is a period of huge change for them.
I hope you can understand what a massive upheaval it is in the kitten’s life to be moving to a new home. This is a period where any kitten is going to be experiencing a huge amount of stress as they adjust to their new normal. They are going to still be the loving, affectionate kitten you are hoping for, but they are going to need some help to minimize the stress. Managing their stress is important because of the impact it has on the immune system. Stress will have an impact on any living creature, and this includes your kitten. For this reason, among others, you will want to minimize your kitten’s stress.
By quarantine, I mean they should be kept in a single room and apart from other animals. This can be done by keeping them in something like a bedroom. It can be yours, or a family member for example. Obviously, there will need to be food, water, and a litter box in this room. Your kitten should have a lot of contact with people during this period. A smaller room (as compared to the entire house) will allow the kitten to adjust to its new surroundings more easily and will also help to minimize the amount of stress on its immune system. A stressed animal is more likely to become sick, so keeping your kitten away from other animals during this time is very important. I understand the desire to want to involve the kitten in your regular daily life as soon as possible. I get it, I really do. Try to focus on the bigger picture though. We all want your kitten to have many long, healthy years with your family. This short period of adjustment will help your kitten achieve that. Another benefit of having the kitten quarantine with you in your bedroom is that it will help the kitten to bond with you.
There is tons of information on the web, just Search for “New Kitten Checklist”.
Here are a couple articles that are useful to help you along.
What We Use & Recommend
- Cat Food: I have been using Purina Pro Plan Dry Kitten Food for the kittens. I recommend keeping the kittens on the same food. Suddenly switching to another food can throw their digestive system out of whack and cause diarrhea. If you have older cats in the house and they eat something else, it should be okay to mix the two foods together. Also, I recommend having food always available for your kitten (plus, this is what they are used to).
- Cat Litter- Really, it’s your choice. I have used many different kinds of cat litter, and the cats have never had any problems adjusting to the new litter. Now I’ve been using Fresh Step Total Control. The cats all seem to do well no matter what litter I use, even if I make a sudden change. I think the important thing is to remember you can change the litter, or change the location of the cat box, but never both at the same time.
- Litter Pan – any pan will work, just remember that your kitty is going to grow, and you will need a large pan for your adult cat. I am a huge fan of the “Litter Robot” and the kittens have been using it since they were 6 weeks old. It’s pricey at about $400, but is an excellent automatic litter box. If you use this link, you get an automatic $25 discount: Best LitterBox
- Schedule their first Vet appointment for within 72 hours of scheduled pickup date
Your kitten will need lifelong veterinary care and the time to start is right now. They will need to continue their kitten vaccinations and deworming.
An initial visit to the veterinarian for a checkup is important and part of our Contract.
- Your Kitten DOES NOT come microchipped.
- Your veterinarian can also give you guidance on nutrition, show you how to do things such as nail trimming and can provide answers to your questions about being a first-time cat parent.
- It’s also important to establish a client/veterinarian relationship now, while your new family member is just starting out.
- Activate your free 30 Day Trupanion Pet Insurance the day before, day of, or day after your kitten leaves. PIN CODE is: BR1SC3122
- Good quality kitten food
- Fresh water
- 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 condo, 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 too