Kittens are small, fast and endlessly curious. An hour or two of preparation before your kitten arrives will save you a great deal of stress — and keep them safe. Here is a practical checklist.
Quick answer: Preparing your home for a kitten — here’s the short version. Preparation makes the first week easy — reserve your kitten and use this guide to get ready.
Essentials to buy before collection day
- A secure carrier for the journey home
- Litter tray and litter — one tray per cat, plus one spare
- Food and water bowls — shallow, wide and stable
- The same food they are used to — sudden changes cause upset stomachs
- A scratching post — tall and sturdy enough for a full stretch
- Toys — wand toys and balls, nothing with small detachable parts
- A bed in a quiet corner, and a hiding spot such as a cardboard box
Kitten-proofing, room by room
Kitchen and laundry
Keep appliances closed, store cleaning products in latched cupboards, and never leave a dishwasher or washing machine open unattended.
Living areas
Secure trailing blind cords, tie back curtains, and check behind and under furniture for gaps. Move fragile items until the kitten settles.
Bathroom
Keep the toilet lid down and the door closed. Store medicines and toiletries out of reach.
Bedrooms and study
Tidy cables and chargers, which are irresistible to chew, and keep small objects off the floor.
Plants and foods that are dangerous to cats
Remove or make inaccessible: lilies (extremely toxic — even the pollen), tulips, azaleas, oleander, sago palm and dieffenbachia. In the kitchen, keep chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions, garlic, alcohol and anything containing xylitol well out of reach.
Setting up a safe room
Before your kitten explores the whole house, give them one quiet room with their tray, bed, food and water. A day or two in a small space helps them settle far faster than being released into a whole house at once. Then open up one room at a time.
The first 48 hours
- Show them the litter tray first, and after every meal and sleep
- Keep noise low and let them hide if they want to
- Avoid baths unless they are genuinely dirty
- Book a vet check within the first few days so your vet has a baseline
- Keep them indoors until they are settled and, ideally, desexed
Our kitten care guide covers feeding, grooming and settling in more fully, and our FAQ answers the questions families ask most. If your question is not there, please get in touch.
View Available Kittens Read the Care Guide
Related Articles
Russian Blue Grooming and Shedding: A Simple Routine
How often to brush a Russian Blue, how to manage seasonal shedding, and the routine that works.
Russian Blue Kitten Feeding Guide: Birth to Adulthood
What to feed a Russian Blue kitten at each life stage, how often, how much, and the mistakes that cause the most problems.
How Much to Feed a Kitten: Portions and Schedule
A practical feeding schedule by age, how to read a pet food label, and how to tell whether you are feeding the right amount.
Preparing Your Home for a Kitten: FAQs
How much does it cost to act on this?
When readers ask about preparing your home for a kitten, the budget question comes first: our Russian Blue kittens are $2,500 with a $250 deposit, vet-checked and fully documented — see current Russian Blue kittens for sale.
What does the first week look like?
With preparing your home for a kitten, expect hiding, cautious exploring, then bonding — our first-week plan walks you through it day by day.
What should I do next about preparing your home for a kitten?
Read our 99 kitten-buying FAQs, then enquire — we reply within 24 hours and will happily talk through preparing your home for a kitten for your situation.
Independent guidance: New owners can read the RSPCA’s new kitten checklist before collection day.
Ready to Meet Your Kitten?
Every kitten from our cattery is vet-checked, F3 vaccinated, microchipped and wormed before leaving us, and comes with a complete health record and lifetime aftercare support.
View Available Kittens Our Adoption Process Ask Us a Question Read the FAQ