Everything You Need For Your New Kitten

Kittens are pretty awesome. Cats are too. Bringing a new one home is an exciting time. But, you need to make sure you have the right accessories to keep them content, happy, and well cared for.

Update, 9/8/22: Checked content for accuracy, dead links, and product availability.

Here’s a bunch of great bits and pieces for your new kitten to enjoy. Remember though—cats are frequently a little pickier than dogs. So, don’t be surprised if it takes time to convince the little devil that you bought them the right thing.

Bowls: Lorde Cat Bowls

Sure, you can buy some cat bowls that are dirt cheap but the Lorde Cat Bowls will look way better in your kitchen. Plus, they’re designed to make things easier for your cat. That’s because they’re angled in a specific way so that your cat can get to the food or water easily without the risk of whisker fatigue or a dirty face.

The dirty face thing isn’t just a superficial consideration either. Many cats are sensitive to cheap plastics and metals. They can have reactions to the material and get a sort of kitty acne (that they then furiously scratch at). This bowl is made of non-porous melamine and should help avoid that whole mess (and resulting expensive vet visit). On top of being non-allergenic, the non-slip legs mean they won’t be chasing the bowl around the floor either.

Remember to keep the food and water bowl separate and a short distance away from each other. Cats prefer things to be laid out like this as they prefer their “prey” and water source separated.

Scratching Post: SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post

Cats love to scratch and you, obviously. Would you rather they didn’t scratch up your furniture, your rugs or your legs? Buy the SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post and you won’t have to worry about replacing it for a number of years. We checked it out earlier in the year and it really is a pretty amazing feat of construction.

Made from durable fibrous sisal, it feels perfect on your cat’s claws while also being tough and long lasting—even in a multi-cat household you should expect to get years out it. It’s super easy to assemble too, plus there’s no risk of it toppling over thanks to a wide and heavy base.

Alternate Scratching Tree: AmazonBasics Cat Activity Tree with Scratching Posts

Kittens love to climb so it’s sensible to buy an extra scratching post of sorts, if you can stretch your budget to a second one. The AmazonBasics Cat Activity Tree with Scratching Posts is a good place to start out. Don’t expect its scratching potential to be anywhere near as good as the SmartCat Post, but do have fun watching your kittens climb up it and rest in the crow’s nest up top. Further, if you pair the two together, then they’ll most likely go to town scratching the SmartCat Post and using this one mostly as a jungle gym.

It’s easy to assemble with a stable base so it won’t rock and fall over. Anything that keeps your kittens happy during their “zoomie” moments is worth the price.

Bed: K&H Pet Products Thermo-Kitty Heated Cat Bed

In my experience, I’ve yet to find a cat bed that my awkward cat will sleep in. It’s like he senses it’s specifically for him and chooses mostly any other surface over it. However, if you have a normal cat then the K&H Pet Products Thermo-Kitty Heated Cat Bed is an ideal and cozy solution for them.

The cat bed isn’t just cozy because of its soft foam walls but because it also has a built-in heating element. The heater only uses four watts but it’s just right so that it warms up to your pet’s body temperature when in use. Your cat isn’t daft. It’ll soon appreciate that this is the warmest place to snuggle up. Unless, of course, your cat is my cat—and he really is daft.

Mouse: SmartyKat Value Pack Cat Toys

Cats love to play. But honestly, you don’t need to spend a ton of money on stuff that will keep them happy. This SmartyKat Value Pack Cat Toys 10 pack of toy mice will delight them. Each mouse contains catnip and cats LOVE catnip.

They’re small enough to bat and carry around, as well as inevitably lose under furniture. Again, if your cat is like mine. The combination of fun toy and catnip means you’ll get a few minutes of excitement followed by a mellow chilled out cat. Perfect for everyone.

Laser Toy: PetSafe Zoom Rotating Laser Cat Toy

If you’re keen to spend more on a cat toy then the PetSafe Zoom Rotating Laser Cat Toy is a good option. It uses two lasers that rotate 360 degrees to entertain multiple cats at any one time. Essentially, it gives your cat something new and exciting to hunt and ultimately, that’s what cats love to do most.

It’s quiet and operates with minimal electronic sounds so you won’t be sent insane and nor will your cat. You can simply switch it on and leave your cats to it for up to 15 minutes too, so it’s great if you need to distract your kitten while you get on with some work.

Drinking Fountain: isYoung Cat Fountain

Many cats refuse to drink water from a bowl because it’s stagnant and therefore unsafe (in their minds). Excusing the fact my cat is nuts and heads outside to drink water from buckets and puddles, most cats prefer a drinking fountain. The isYoung Cat Fountain 1.6L Automatic Pet Water Fountain Pet Water Dispenser is a well-priced option.

It looks pretty stylish and cute, but more importantly, it has a decent capacity of 56 ounces. Easy to assemble, it’s also simple to clean. Best of all — it’s pretty quiet so you and your pet won’t be disturbed by the noise it generates.

Litter Box: AmazonBasics Hooded Cat Litter Box

Litter box technology is far more advanced than it has any right to be. In reality, though, an inexpensive and simple solution like the AmazonBasics Hooded Cat Litter Box will do just fine. Because it’s hooded, it gives your cat some privacy, and it also helps contain the litter inside the box.

It also has carbon filter traps inside so that litter box odor is reduced meaning no nasty stenches for you. It’s simple yet effective.

Collar: Bemix Pets Reflective Cat Collar with Bell, Set of 3 ($9)

Your cat needs a collar, even if you have them microchipped (which you should definitely do). The Bemix Pets Reflective Cat Collar with Bell, Set of 6 is the perfect place to start. A reflective collar means that cars and people are more likely to see them in the dark, while the bell keeps prey like birds or rodents aware that your hunter machine is coming for them.

And a set of six? Well, odds are your cat is going to lose a collar or two over time. Whether that’s through getting into scraps or getting it caught in a tree, it’s going to happen (don’t worry, these are breakaway collars). An inexpensive bundle pack is a good way of ensuring you’re ready for this eventuality.

Brushing Glove: DELOMO Pet Hair Remover Glove

Like any furry creature, cats shed hair very easily. To save your carpet and upholstery suffering, buy the DELOMO Pet Hair Remover Glove and enjoy giving them a reassuring brush based stroke.

A lot of cats don’t like the sight of a conventional hair brush, so this glove circumvents any such issues. It simply feels like they’re being stroked like usual, but with you scooping up their hair via the descending tool. Everyone’s happy this way.

Cat Door: Cat Mate Microchip Cat Flap

You want your cat to be able to freely leave and enter the house, but you also don’t want anything else having that option. The Cat Mate Microchip Cat Flap is a good solution for this issue. It only allows your cat to use the door because it recognizes it via its microchip. And you got your cat microchipped, right?

Easy to install in your home, it won’t take much to train your cat to use it correctly. Your cat will certainly appreciate having that level of independence, and you’ll be pleased to not have the neighbor’s cat saunter in any time.