kittens

21 Things Before Day One: Your Bringing Home a New Kitten Checklist

Bringing a kitten home is one of the happiest days a cat lover gets, and it goes a whole lot smoother with a plan. This bringing home a new kitten checklist walks you through 21 concrete tasks, from stocking supplies a week ahead of time to settling your kitten through its first seven days. Work through the items in order and nothing important slips through the cracks.

This article is for awareness only and isn't a substitute for professional veterinary advice. If your cat shows any worrying symptoms, contact your veterinarian promptly.

One Week Before Pickup Day

The calmest first days start with boring, practical prep. Get these seven things handled before your kitten ever walks through the door.

1. Confirm your pickup date and time. Call the shelter or breeder to lock in the exact day and time. Still deciding on timing? Our guide on whether to adopt a kitten for Christmas lays out the pros and cons. Ask what your kitten has been eating so far — keeping the same food for the first few days avoids an upsetting change on top of an already big transition. Ask for any paperwork too: adoption records, vaccination dates on file, and the name of the vet the shelter uses.
2. Stock kitten food. Buy the food your kitten is already eating plus the food you plan to switch to, if you're switching at all. Pick a kitten-formulated food rather than an adult one, and have at least a two-week supply on hand so a store run isn't your first errand. Keep the human-food rules straight too with our guide to Thanksgiving foods cats can eat.
3. Buy a litter box and litter. One box per cat, plus one extra, is the rule of thumb most owners follow, so a first kitten means starting with one good-sized box. Choose unscented litter to begin with — kittens can be picky about strong smells. The litter box setup guide covers box styles, litter types, and placement.
4. Get a sturdy carrier. Your kitten's first car ride happens on day one, so the carrier is genuinely urgent. Pick a hard-sided carrier with a top opening — it's far easier to lift a nervous kitten out through the top than to coax one out of a front door. You'll use it for vet trips and holidays alike — see our holiday travel with cats guide. Toss a soft blanket inside so it smells familiar.
5. Buy food and water bowls. Two sets: one for food, one for water. Shallow, heavy-bottomed bowls work best — whiskers bumping against deep bowl walls annoys a surprising number of cats. Skip plastic if you can; stainless steel or ceramic bowls are easier to keep clean.
6. Add a scratch post and a few toys. A small vertical scratch post gives your kitten somewhere legal to scratch from the very first day. Pick three or four toys: a wand toy, a couple of small mice, and a crinkle ball. Rotate them so nothing goes stale.
7. Choose a vet and book the first visit. Line up a clinic now rather than scrambling later. Many vets like to see a new kitten within the first week or two, so call ahead and book the appointment. Our first vet visit guide explains what to bring and what to expect at the clinic. Jot down any questions you want to ask while you're there.

Kitten-Proof Your Home

A kitten's curiosity is wonderful and completely unstrategic. Spend an afternoon getting the house ready, and you'll spend far less time chasing a small creature out of places it shouldn't be.

8. Set up a "safe room." Your kitten needs one small room to start with — a spare bedroom or bathroom works well. Set the litter box, food, water, and a hiding spot (a cardboard box with a door cut out is perfect) in this room. A small territory feels safe; the whole house will come later.
9. Tuck away cords and small objects. Phone chargers, blind cords, rubber bands, hair ties — kittens chew all of it. Coil loose cords, tape them to the wall, or lift them out of reach entirely. Scan the floor for anything smaller than a golf ball and put it away. The full rundown is in our kitten-proofing guide.
10. Check windows, screens, and doors. Push on every window screen — a loose screen and an eight-week-old kitten is a combination you never want. Keep the washing machine and dryer closed, and make sure toilet lids stay down in the safe room's bathroom.
11. Move houseplants out of reach. Plenty of common houseplants are unpleasant or worse if chewed, and kittens chew everything. Move plants into rooms the kitten won't visit for now, or up high where small paws can't reach. Before you decorate for the holidays, check which Christmas plants are toxic to cats.

Your Bringing Home a New Kitten Checklist for Arrival Day

Pickup day is exciting, and a little hectic. Keep the plan simple: carrier in the car, carrier into the safe room, and then give your kitten time.

12. Bring the carrier to pickup — already assembled. Set it up before you leave home, with the soft blanket inside. A kitten handed to you at the shelter goes straight into the carrier; holding a loose kitten on your lap in the car is not a plan.
13. Set the carrier down in the safe room and open the door. Then walk away for a bit. Some kittens pop out in minutes; others need an hour or two. Both are normal. Let curiosity do the work instead of pulling the kitten out yourself.
14. Show where the essentials are. Gently place your kitten in the litter box once, then near the food and water. You've shown them the map — now let them explore at their own pace. A small treat or a wand-toy wave can make the new room feel friendlier.
15. Keep day one quiet. Resist the urge to host a welcome party. One or two people meeting the kitten is plenty. Loud music, lots of visitors, and excited children all at once is overwhelming for a kitten that's already had the biggest day of its life. Our guide to cats and holiday guests has more low-stress visit tips.
16. Hold off on pet introductions. If you already have a dog or another cat, day one is not the day to introduce them. Keep the newcomer in the safe room for the first few days at minimum, then follow a slow introduction plan. Start with our guide to introducing cats to dogs if a dog is part of the household.

The First Week

The first week is about settling in: routines, observation, and patience. You're not teaching lessons yet — you're building trust.

17. Keep a simple, predictable routine. Feed at the same times each day, play a little in the evening, and let the kitten sleep whenever it wants. Predictability is comforting when everything is new.
18. Scoop the litter box daily. A clean box gets used; a dirty one gets avoided. Scooping once or twice a day is a small habit that keeps things working. While you're at it, top up water and wash the bowls every couple of days.
19. Start short play sessions. Two or three five-minute sessions with a wand toy each day burn off kitten energy and build your bond. Always end a session with the kitten "catching" the toy — quitting on a successful pounce keeps the game fun.
20. Notice eating, drinking, and litter habits. You're not diagnosing anything — you're just becoming the person who knows this kitten. Noticing what's normal on week one makes it easy to answer the vet's questions at that first appointment.
21. Re-check your full supply list. By the end of week one you'll know what you ran low on and what your kitten ignored. Compare against your full supply list — our Black Friday cat deals roundup is a good place to restock. Store the carrier somewhere easy to grab — you'll need it again for that vet visit.

After the Checklist: What Comes Next

Once all 21 items are done, your kitten has a safe room, a stocked setup, a vet appointment on the calendar, and a routine it can rely on. From here, the real work begins: opening up the rest of the house a room at a time, starting the slow process of pet introductions, and getting to know the small personality that just moved in. Take it at your kitten's pace, keep the routine steady — our New Year pet resolutions for cat owners has ideas for building lasting habits — and if you haven't picked a name yet, our 200+ funny cat names list can help. When you're unsure about anything health-related, talk to your veterinarian. Welcome home.