New kitten checklist: what to buy and how to prepare your home
Get ready for a kitten with a shopping checklist, a calm starter room, home-safety checks and a plan for vet care and insurance.
By Vet Reviews · Updated 24 September 2026 · 3 min read
A kitten needs somewhere safe to settle and a few well-chosen essentials. Prepare a quiet room first, then arrange the rest of the home around how your kitten grows in confidence. This checklist is for a weaned kitten coming to a new home, not a newborn needing hand-rearing.
What do you need to buy for a kitten?
- Food and bowls: the complete kitten food they already eat, fresh water and separate bowls.
- Toileting: easy-access litter trays, the familiar litter and a scoop. Plan more than one convenient toileting place.
- Sleep and hiding: washable bedding and a simple safe hiding place, such as a sturdy cardboard box.
- Scratching and play: a stable scratching surface and a few suitable toys. Choose items without parts your kitten can swallow.
- Travel and grooming: a secure, ventilated carrier and a brush appropriate to their coat.
PDSA's kitten checklist is a useful reference. Keep a note of what the rescue or breeder supplies so you do not buy the same things twice.
Set up a starter room
Keep food, water and the litter tray in separate places, with the tray away from eating areas. Provide a ground-level bed and a hiding spot you can access in an emergency. Check furniture is stable and that any climbing opportunities suit a small kitten.
Let this be a place your kitten can retreat to as they explore more rooms. A quiet setup with predictable visits is more useful than introducing the whole house and all its people at once. The Cats Protection settling-in guide explains how to make that space work.
Kitten-proof beyond floor level
Check windows, gaps behind appliances, trailing blind cords and loose cables. Keep cleaning products, medicines and small objects secured away. Check washing machines, dryers and reclining furniture before using them. Put string and fishing-rod toys away after supervised play.
Keep lilies out of a cat's home. Cats Protection warns that lily poisoning can involve the plant, pollen and vase water. Suspected exposure needs immediate veterinary advice. Never use a dog's flea product on a kitten, and do not give human medicines. Ask your vet which parasite treatments suit your kitten's age and weight.
Arrange records, a vet and microchipping
Ask for the date of birth, feeding instructions and all available health, vaccination and parasite-treatment records. Register with a practice and arrange an early check. Agree a vaccination plan, discuss neutering and confirm whether a microchip is already fitted.
In England, cats must generally be microchipped and registered by 20 weeks, including indoor cats. GOV.UK currently describes microchipping as optional in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Wherever you live, ask about it and keep the database contact details current.
Budget before filling the basket
Start with the kitten cost guide, then price the items you actually need. Check what an adoption fee already includes. For insurance, compare the cover terms as well as the premium, and distinguish insurance from a routine-care subscription.
Still choosing? Read our kitten buying checks. Once everything is ready, use the first-week kitten guide.
Sources and further reading
Sources checked 24 September 2026. Written by Vet Reviews; veterinary advice should be tailored by your practice. Cost examples are planning illustrations, not personal insurance recommendations.