Before bringing your kitten home

What do I need to prepare?

Make sure you have these basic things before your kitten arrives. This is the shopping list:

1. Pet Carrier.

Try to look for a good and sturdy cat carrier or pet-carrying box which lined with a small cat cushion or towel for comfort to take your cat home. Remember, a normal cardboard box is not safe or strong enough. We need to use it for trips to the vets and other travel later on.However, some breeders might give you a brand new pet carrier when you adopt kitten from them.

2. Food and water bowls.

Small kittens will find it difficult to eat from bowls with high sides, and most cats won’t enjoy eating if their sensitive whiskers bump on the sides of a deep food bowl, so a shallow saucer or dish may be better. Stainless steel or plastic bowls are not advisable. Automatic water “fountains” are a good option for any kitten or cat since felines love moving water. It’s also fresher than water sitting in a bowl.

3. Litter tray, litter scoop, and a bag of cat litter.

You will need a litter tray and cat litter ready for your kitten. A proper litter scoop is to help you remove kitten’s “business” easily each day. Your kitten may need a smaller litter tray initially, as they can struggle to enter and use some of the high-sided adult litter trays. So, make sure that the tray has at least one low side that they can easily climb over. It’s also a good idea to put down some newspaper that is easy to clean and to catch any stray litter granules. There are many types of litter to choose from but something with good absorption and that eliminates odors is a good start.

4. Kitten food for at least one week.

Kittens grow very quickly, and need more fat and protein in their diet than adult cats to help them develop properly; they also have tiny stomachs, so they will need to be fed little and often throughout the day. You can add some warm water to dry food to entice them.

5. Kitten toys.  

Toys are a must for your new kitten. Not only will they help keep her, but you too entertained. Furthermore, they are also important for exercise and development. Anything that resembles prey for hunting or moves unpredictably will go down well, and a scratching post is also a good idea to keep your kittens claws away from your furniture.

6. A cosy kitten bed.

You can buy a bed for your cat from pet shop, or you could make one yourself. If you make a cardboard box for your kitten, remember to put some newspapers under the bed to lift it away from cold floor. Make sure your kitten bed is in a place it can get easily when it needs to. Attention: cats like to have their food dishes, litter tray and bed in separate places.

If you wish to DIY your economy kitten bed, I have a link for you! It is really easy and simply.

7. Training Aids

You might need this things like “No Scratch” and “Bitter Apple” which can help keep your kitten off the furniture. An inexpensive, effective tool is a water squirt bottle.

Additional:
8. Kitten brush for grooming and shampoo for cleaning.

9. Address and telephone number of a local vets.

Adopting a kitten

Choosing a kitten

If you are considering of getting your first cat, it is always a good idea to get a kitten rather than a mature cat. A kitten needs more care to start with but will find it easier to fit into a new home. However, you might consider a mature cat if you have young children at home. Kitten might not be suitable to play with kids younger than 2 years old as they don’t know how to care for the kitten. This is just my personal advice for your consideration.

Where to start

You may ask friends if they know anyone whose cats has had kittens. Local vets and animal shelters such as www.PetFinder.my are also good places to start with.  If you are looking for certain pure bred kitten such as Bengal, British Shorthair, Persian and etcetera, you may also ask your friends which breeder they got their beautiful cats from.

Which one to choose

1. You may find out about the kitten’s parents if you can. If they seems healthy and well cared for, the kitten probably will be healthy too.They might either look like their parents or grandparents.

2. Try to watch the kittens while they are playing with each other to find out what their personality are like. Some kittens are more active and others are quite.

3. Choose a kitten which is lively but not aggressive. You may also ask the owners if they have noticed how the kitten behaves. Remember to play with the kittens before you choose one.

4. However, some catteries might not allow people for visitation. Indeed, it is true. When you choose a kitten, you may ask the breeder to send you more pictures about their daily life (Not the pictures shot by professional photographer). Do pay attention to their eyes, nose, mouth, and ear, even the environment they live in will probably give you some idea about your kitten.

Choosing the one you like most will be priceless to you. I wish you would find yourself a wonderful loving kitten!