New Kitten Checklist: Everything You Actually Need in Your Cat's First Week Home

Bringing a kitten home is one of the most joyful — and quietly overwhelming — things a cat lover can do. Between the late-night zoomies, the curious nibbles at your shoelaces, and the very real question of what does this small creature actually need right now?it's easy to feel underprepared. This checklist walks you through the five essentials that will genuinely make your first week smoother — for you and your new kitten.

1. Feeding and Water: Consistency From Day One

Kittens have small stomachs and high energy, so consistent access to the right food matters. Most vets recommend a combination of wet and dry kitten food — wet food adds moisture to the diet, and dry food helps as adult teeth come in. Serve wet food fresh two or three times a day; dry food can be left out in between. If you notice your kitten drinking very little water, it's worth mentioning to your vet at the first check-up.

Keeping both food and fresh water reliably topped up is easier than it sounds with a gravity-fed setup. The Always Full & Fresh Gravity 2-in-1 Feeder & Water Dispenserauto-refills from a large reservoir so your kitten is never stuck waiting — and the side-by-side design keeps food and water separated, which cats instinctively prefer.

Always Full & Fresh Gravity 2-in-1 Cat Feeder & Water Dispenser
Always Full & Fresh Gravity 2-in-1 Feeder — food and water stay topped up automatically.

2. The Litter Box: Location and Setup

The standard rule is one litter box per cat, plus one extra — so for a single kitten, aim for two boxes placed in different quiet spots where your kitten won't feel cornered or startled. Keep them away from the food bowls; cats instinctively want these areas separate. For kittens, an unscented, low-dust clumping litter is a safe starting point — strongly scented varieties can put young cats off using the box entirely. Scoop at least once a day and do a full clean weekly. A reliably clean box is the single biggest factor in good litter habits.

Quick tip:If your kitten misses the box in the first few days, don't scold — quietly place them inside it after meals and naps. Kittens usually make the connection within a week once they know exactly where to find it.

3. Scratching: Give Them Something Better Than Your Sofa

Scratching is not misbehavior — it's how cats maintain their claws, stretch their full body, and mark their space. The goal is to make the dedicated scratcher more appealing than your furniture, and to offer both surfaces: a tall vertical post (kittens love to stretch upright) and a flat horizontal pad. The 3-in-1 Interactive Scratcher Towercombines a natural sisal post with a roller track and hanging ball, so it functions as a full play station — kittens tend to discover it on their own without much coaxing.

3-in-1 Interactive Scratcher Tower with Sisal Post, Roller Track and Hanging Ball
3-in-1 Interactive Scratcher Tower — sisal post, roller track, and hanging ball in one compact unit.

For vulnerable sofa corners in the meantime, a Sofa Saver Scratch Protector Matpeels and sticks over any upholstery surface — it's trim-to-fit and takes about thirty seconds to install. Most kittens redirect quickly once they have a proper outlet.

4. Grooming: Start Before They Mind

The earlier you introduce grooming, the more your kitten accepts it as a normal part of life. Keep sessions short — two or three minutes — a few times a week. It helps with shedding, and it's a good chance to spot anything worth mentioning to your vet during a routine check. The Pet Steam Brushpairs gentle steam with de-shedding bristles, and most cats find the warmth genuinely soothing — grooming becomes something closer to a massage rather than a chore they tolerate.

5. Safe Spaces and Calm

New kittens need somewhere quiet to decompress — a small crate, a cardboard box lined with a fleece blanket, or a covered cat bed tucked into a low-traffic corner. Don't push interaction in the first 48 hours; let your kitten come to you. Keep noise low, visitors minimal, and feeding times consistent. Predictability is comfort for a kitten in a brand-new world, and most of them settle in faster than you'd expect once the environment feels stable.

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