Kitten Supplies Checklist: Everything You Need

It is easy to overspend before a kitten arrives. This checklist separates what you genuinely need on day one from what can wait.

Essentials — buy before collection day

• A secure carrier — the most important item on the list
• Litter tray and litter — one per cat, plus one spare; low entry for a kitten
• Food and water bowls — wide, shallow and stable
• The food they are already eating — do not change it in week one
• A scratching post — tall, sturdy, sisal-covered (see our scratching guide)
• A bed and a hiding place — a cardboard box works perfectly
• Toys — at least one wand toy and some small balls or springs
• A soft brush — see our grooming guide
• Nail clippers made for cats
• An enzymatic cleaner for accidents

Safety — kit out before they explore

• Cable protectors or cord tidies
• Blind cord management
• Pet-rated window screens or restrictors
• Secure storage for cleaning products and medications
• Removal of toxic plants — particularly lilies

Our indoor safety guide and room-by-room checklist go through this in detail.

Useful, but not urgent

• A cat tree or climbing shelves — worth adding in the first month
• A water fountain, which encourages drinking
• Puzzle feeders for mental stimulation
• A second scratching surface in a horizontal style
• A window perch or hammock
• A cat toothbrush and cat toothpaste
• A pet first-aid kit
• A travel litter tray if you plan to travel

Things you can skip

• Expensive beds. Most cats sleep wherever they like.
• Collars for kittens unless they are the breakaway safety type
• Cat clothing. Cats generally do not need it and most dislike it.
• Huge multi-level towers before you know their style. Observe what they climb first.
• Dozens of toys at once. Buy a few and rotate them — novelty beats volume.

Recurring costs to budget for

Food, litter, parasite prevention, vet care and, if you choose it, pet insurance. Our guide to the cost of a Russian Blue kitten sets out the full picture honestly.

Our kittens go home vet-checked, F3 vaccinated, microchipped and wormed with a written health record — see our adoption process for what is included.