New Kitten 101: Guide To Getting A New Kitten

Is there anything more exciting than bringing a new kitten home?

Kittens make great pets and can be the perfect addition to your family. Cute, cuddly, and full of energy, kittens also bring plenty of life to your home.

We believe in giving cats and kittens the best life possible, so this guide explores everything you need to know about getting a new kitten. 

What To Do Before You Bring Home Your Kitten

Maybe you’ve already found your future or maybe you’re still looking at kitten rescue pages. Regardless of where you are in your journey, there are plenty of steps to take before you bring a kitten home.

If you already have a cat, then you can probably skip a lot of these tips. Getting a second cat mostly means getting a little more of everything (toys, food, water fountains, litter boxes, etc). We at Lux Cat Living recommend getting two kittens thanks to the many benefits, particularly for socializing kittens.

For first-time cat owners or those who are getting their first cat in a long time, preparing your home for your new kitten will help them settle in while minimizing last-minute trips to the pet store. 

Preparing Your Home for Your Kitten

When you first bring home a kitten, you shouldn’t let it out in your house with free roam of the place. Kittens are being brought into an entirely unfamiliar place by complete strangers — this can be a little scary!

Set up a spot in your home where you’ll keep your new kitten for the first few days. The best option is a bedroom or bathroom that is easily accessible. Once your kitten is more comfortable around you and feels comfortable in its new home, you can slowly start introducing it to other rooms.

To prepare, get everything a kitten needs and set it up in the dedicated room. When you bring your new kitten home, you’ll be all set to start to bond with your kitten!

What Does a Kitten Need?

Most kitten needs are pretty obvious, but it’s easy to overlook some items. Here’s what you need to pick up before you get a kitten:

• Coming home. Everything you need to bring your kitten home, including a comfortable carrier and a collar with personalized tags.
• Bedding. This includes blankets, comfort toys, and a cat bed.
• Food and water. The best way to feed kittens is with a mix of wet food and dry food. For water, you should get one or two deep, wide water bowls. We recommend getting a cat water fountain as it’s a great way to get your cat to drink more water. Don’t forget to pick up some treats!
• Litter box. Get at least one litter box, a scooper, healthy cat litter, and a litter mat. For ideas, check out what we think is the best cat litter for kittens. Households with more than one cat should have at least one litter box per cat. Also, pick up some cleaning supplies in case an accident happens. Keep in mind that you may need to litter train your kitten.
• Grooming supplies. Brushes, nail trimmers, and even shampoo should all be on your checklist. There are ways to groom aggressive cats, so don’t overlook the right supplies.
• Toys. The fun part! Spoil your new kitten with a variety of cat toys for kittens so they can find their favorite toy. Also consider getting a cat tree, cat perch, or other items that your kitten might enjoy using. 
• Vet. Kittens should be taken to the vet soon after you get them, so determine which vet you’ll be visiting. No need to worry about treatments, vaccines, or any of that for now — your vet will know everything your kitten needs.

You can prepare everything you need for your kitten with our New Kitten Checklist — with a downloadable option for you to print out and keep track!

What Do I Do if I Have Other Pets?

Other pets at home could make acclimating your kitten easier or harder, depending on your pet.

If you have another cat: There’s a good chance that the two could become good buddies! Of course, this isn’t always the case. Cats can be territorial, so bringing a kitten into your house could disrupt your cat’s lifestyle. Be sure to introduce the two slowly, giving the kitten space to get comfortable without your cat smothering it.

If you have a dog: Some dogs are great with kittens, and others aren’t. If you have a dog that might make your kitten’s life stressful, then strongly reconsider getting a kitten. Instead, an older cat may be a better option as they bring years of experience. 

If you have mice, a rabbit, or a similar pet: Keep in mind that cats are natural hunters, and these pets are a cat’s natural prey! While not all cats will submit to their primal urges of hunting for their next meal, don’t expect your kitten to play nice. 

What Should I Know About Kittens?

Kittens are baby animals, and like human babies they need attention, plenty of food, water, and love, and visits to the doctor (or vet).

There’s a good chance that you’ll need to visit a vet several times in the first year of owning a kitten to make sure that it’s healthy, completely vaccinated, and spayed/neutered (if they aren’t already). Also, your kitten will go through normal activities that a human baby might, such as teething or strange sleep schedules. This is all perfectly normal, so not everything requires a visit to the vet.

Outside of health, kittens and cats are crepuscular, meaning they’re most active during low-light hours like dusk and dawn. Expect to be awoken super early in the morning with playful nibbles, or prepare for playtime right before bed! Don’t worry about the early morning nibbles though as many cats grow out of this habit as they get older.

Bringing Home Your Kitten

The day is finally here and it’s time to bring home your new kitten! You’ve done the hard part already by getting everything a kitten needs and setting up your home. You should also have a plan on where your kitten will be staying its first night or two.

While many kitten adoption agencies will have carriers available for your kitten, you should bring one yourself. You’ll need to use the cat carrier more than once, so invest in a sturdy option.

Introducing Your Kitten to its New Home

You’ve picked up your kitten, driven home, and now you’re in the kitten’s safe spot. Time to let them out and let them explore!

It can be tempting to hover over your new kitten, and maybe grab them and cuddle them every few moments. But remember, they’re in a strange place with complete strangers! Let them explore at their own pace, and make their food, water, and litter box easily accessible. 

New kittens may be quick to hide under a bed or in a dark spot. Who can blame them? They’re in a scary new situation and don’t know how good of a parent you’ll make. You can mitigate this by blocking off areas from the kitten, such as lowering a bed onto the ground or removing the legs from a couch.

Kittens might also seek a dark, quiet place for a nap. If you adopt your kitten, they’ll probably get spayed or neutered right before you pick them up, meaning they’re still getting over the anesthesia. Don’t be surprised if they fall asleep during the middle of playtime!

Observe your kitten while they explore. Try to tempt them with kitten treats and toys. Take this time to learn more about your kitten’s personality and do some bonding!

What and When Do Kittens Eat?

Pet stores have tons of good food options for kittens, and we recommend getting a mix of both dry and wet foods. Also, remember that your kitten is a baby and is forming habits. If you’re diligent and mix up the types of foods they eat — for example, switching from cuts and gravy to a pate, or from salmon to rabbit — they’re less likely to be picky eaters when they’re older.

Kittens should have food available at all times, though they’ll probably eat 3-4 times per day at first. Just make sure that their food bowl always has food, and that any wet food you gave them hasn’t gone bad.

Where Should Your Kitten Sleep Its First Night?

You can set up as many beds for your kitten as you want, but your kitten will decide where it sleeps at night. Definitely keep the kitten in your room with you and close the door so it can’t terrorize your home throughout the night during bursts of energy.

Many new kitten owners will wake up surprised that their kitten is sleeping on their head. Your head is a great source of warmth, and your kitten could be looking to you for protection. If your kitten sleeps on your head, this is a great sign that you’re bonding!

Should I Crate My Kitten?

Some cat owners wonder whether they should cage their cat at night, but we don’t recommend doing this. While dogs may like crates, cats could feel confined or trapped. Putting a kitten in a crate at night could make it scared of you, and that won’t help anyone. 

If you’re tempted to use a crate because your kitten zooms at night and keeps waking you up, just remind yourself that they’re a baby and this stage won’t last forever. As your kitten gets older you can also choose to leave them out of your room at night…but then you’ll miss out on the night time cuddles!

First 30 Days With Your Kitten

The first 30 days with your new kitten will fly by, but you need to remember that they need to visit the vet, begin socializing, and continue adjusting to their new home. Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time for playing, cuddling, and showing off your new kitten.

Take Your Kitten to the Vet

You should already have a vet picked out, so now you just need to make an appointment to take your kitten in. The vet will probably want to test your kitten’s blood and/or stool to check for any diseases or parasites. If your kitten has worms (which is fairly common kitten health issue), then expect to get prescribed some dewormers. 

Every vet will recommend vaccines, and you should choose to give them to your kitten. Kittens can suffer from diseases unique to cats, and preventing diseases without vaccines can be nearly impossible. If you want to give your kitten a happy, healthy life, say yes to everything your vet recommends.

Start Socializing Your Kitten

Socializing a kitten could mean having them spend time with your kids, your other pets, with guests that come over, or with you! Regardless of your situation, try to expose your kitten to as much socializing as possible. This can help them feel safe, secure, and outgoing.

The best ways to socialize a kitten early on are with playtime and food. Playing is a very social activity, and your kitten will quickly connect that you and playtime can go together. Food can also be social — particularly treats. Give your kitten a few treats to eat, and then hide them in spots around your home for your kitten to find and enjoy. This simulates the reward of hunting prey while helping your kitten get more confident and comfortable in its new home.

While socializing, you’ll start to learn more about your kitten, such as kitten language and your kitten’s unique personality. Remember, socializing is all about forming a relationship, so do what works best with your kitten!

How Long Does it Take for a Kitten to Adjust to a New Home?

One of the wonderful things about kittens and cats is that they all have different personalities. Of course, that means that there’s no set-in-stone rule about how long it takes for a kitten to adjust to a new home.

In most cases, your kitten will fully adjust to its new home in 1-2 months, though particularly outgoing kittens could adjust even faster. You can speed this along by making your kitten comfortable in its new home. Set up a dedicated space for your kitten, and try to keep loud noises to a minimum.

Bonding With Your Kitten

Kittens are impressionable, and how you act around your new kitten could impact how it views you for years to come. The good news is that it’s incredibly easy to bond with kittens — it just takes a little work and a lot of love. 

Bonding with your kitten will happen naturally, but there are ways you can speed the bonding process along while introducing your kitten to new ideas. For example, harness training can be a great way to bond with a kitten while also getting them comfortable with a harness, preparing them for future cat walks. But perhaps the best way to bond with your kitten is through playtime.

Playtime With Kittens

Playing with kittens is an absolute joy! Kittens are full of energy and will be eager to play at most times of the day. To bond with your kitten, try to block off multiple times per day for dedicated playtime. Not only does this guarantee that you play with your kitten consistently, but it also helps your kitten develop a routine. Routines can help a kitten get comfortable in their new home faster.

There are plenty of toys to choose from, but for bonding we recommend using a teaser toy. Your kitten will quickly figure out that you’re controlling the toy, so they will start associating you with fun. Some new kitten owners may wonder if laser pointers are safe for cats, and the answer is yes — as long as you use the laser toy correctly. 

Other toys can amplify the playtime experience. We recommend checking out cat tunnels as they can be a ton of fun for people and cats.

Learn how to play with your kitten the best way to make playtime a good experience for you and your kitten. 

Caring For Your Kitten

Having a kitten isn’t all fun and games. Kittens are babies and need to be cared for, sometimes in ways that you wouldn’t expect. Outside of seeing the vet, you’ll need to:

• Trim your kitten’s claws when they get too long.
• Brush your kitten to avoid matted hair. 
• Brush your kitten’s teeth.
• Monitor your kitten to make sure they’re not hurt and drinking enough water.

Adding kitten care to your schedule — for example, emptying their litter box twice a week — helps keep your kitten healthy while establishing a routine for your kitten. This helps them settle in faster, a win-win! 

Should I Bathe My Kitten?

Cats bathe themselves, but kittens might need a little extra help — especially if they have an accident and make a little mess. Learning how to bathe a kitten the proper way will help keep your kitten clean and happy while avoiding common pitfalls of bath time, such as using the wrong shampoo or traumatizing your poor little kitten. 

Can I Bring My Kitten Outside?

Kittens may want to go outside right away, but resist the temptation to let them out. Instead, follow these guidelines before bringing your kitten outside.

• Make sure they can’t run off if they get scared or lost. An enclosed outdoor area, like a catio, would be perfect for a kitten. 
• Is your kitten still tiny? Kittens aren’t big enough to defend themselves in case something goes wrong. Consider waiting until they’ve grown a little larger.
• Talk to your vet before bringing your kitten outside as your kitten could contract a disease outside.

New Kitten FAQs