New Kitten Checklist (2026): What to Buy Before Day One, and What Can Wait

A new kitten needs five things on its first day: a low-sided litter box with unscented litter, a scratching post, a carrier, separate food and water dishes, and the food it already eats. For most kittens, that means Petmate's small open litter pan, Dr. Elsey's Ultra unscented litter, a sisal post such as the SmartCat Ultimate, and a top-loading carrier like the Petmate Kennel Cab. A fountain, a grown-cat litter box, a harness and a collar can wait a few weeks.

How we chose: we did not test these products; we worked from the Cornell Feline Health Center, the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the ASPCA, and picked items sold by Amazon.com or the brand's own store and in stock on September 28, 2026.

The day-one list at a glance

Cornell's guide to a new cat says to have "the basic provisions it will need, including a litter box, food, and ideally, a scratching post" before the cat comes home. The table adds what the ASPCA puts on its cat supply checklist.

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The ASPCA's list reads: premium-brand cat food, a food dish, a water bowl, interactive toys, a brush, a comb, a "safety cat collar with ID tag," a scratching post or pad, a litter box and litter, a cat carrier, and a cat bed or box with a warm blanket or towel.

A litter box with low sides

Cornell's Feline Health Center is specific about the box. In its page on house soiling, it says "young kittens, elderly cats, and cats with mobility problems need boxes with low sides," and that "most cats prefer an uncovered box that lets odors escape and allows a 360-degree view of their surroundings."

That is why the first box here is the Petmate small open pan: 3.5 in tall and open on top. Once the kitten hops in easily, move to a full-size box such as the Arm & Hammer, which is 18.7 in long with high sides to hold liners and cut spills.

Three more rules from Cornell:

• Litter: "Most cats prefer unscented, finer-textured litter about one to two inches deep." Dr. Elsey's Ultra is an unscented clumping clay. If you change litter later, Cornell says to do it gradually, mixing the new into the old.
• Number: keep as many litter boxes as there are cats in the house, plus one.
• Cleaning: with clumping litter, "remove feces and clumps daily and add clean litter as needed."

The ASPCA adds that the box belongs "in a quiet, accessible location," one per floor in a multi-level home, and warns against cleaning it with "ammonia, deodorants or scents, especially lemon." For accidents outside the box, an enzyme cleaner is the right tool; our enzyme cleaner guide explains why.

A scratching post it will actually use

Scratching is normal, and a post saves the furniture. Cornell's page on destructive behavior says a post "should be sturdy enough that it does not topple over during use, and should be at least as tall as your cat standing on her hind legs with front legs outstretched." The ASPCA asks for "a sturdy scratching post, at least three feet high," covered with "rough material such as sisal, burlap or tree bark."

Both posts here are tall enough for a kitten, and close to the ASPCA's three feet for a grown cat. The SmartCat Ultimate is 32 in of woven sisal on a 16 x 16 in base; the Amazon Basics is 35.4 in of jute on a wood base. For a kitten that scratches rugs or likes to stretch out flat, Cornell says a horizontal surface such as cardboard works better, which is what the Catify Slope pads are.

To teach the habit, Cornell suggests putting the post next to where your kitten already scratches, rewarding it with treats and praise when it uses the post, and moving the post gradually to where you want it. Don't throw out a worn post: ragged means it is working.

A carrier, left out at home

You will need a carrier on the first day, for the trip home and the first vet visit. The AAFP's cat-owner site, Cat Friendly Homes, gives three things to look for:

• Two ways in: "both a top and front opening or a very large round opening," so you can lift a kitten in and out without a struggle.
• Easy to clean: a leak-proof bottom with room for an absorbent towel.
• Privacy and air: some visual shield, with good ventilation.

The AAFP also says to leave the carrier out at home, in a room where the cat spends time, with familiar bedding inside, so it becomes "part of her space" rather than a sign of the vet. For the car, it passes on the Center for Pet Safety's advice: belt a carrier into the back seat only if it has been crash tested, and put others on the floor of the back seat.

The Petmate Kennel Cab has a top-loading zippered door and is rated for pets up to 10 lb. If you will fly with your cat, compare each airline's limits in our airline pet carrier guide, and for the car, see the Center for Pet Safety certified carriers in our car restraint guide.

Food, water and the first vet visit

Keep the kitten on its current food at first. The ASPCA says the food should be "balanced for the life stage of your cat or kitten," that cats need taurine, and that treats should be no more than 5 to 10 percent of the diet. Cornell says a new cat "will need separate food and water dishes, kept far away from the litter box."

A fountain can wait. Once your kitten is settled, our cat water fountain guide compares plastic, ceramic and stainless models, including the Catit Flower.

Cornell says "any new cat should be checked by a veterinarian as soon as possible after coming home," and to ask about vaccines, parasite control and diet it has already had. If you have other cats and the kitten's history is unknown, keep it separate until your vet has seen it. The AVMA's vaccination page says the series usually starts at 6 to 8 weeks and that "for most puppies and kittens, the final vaccination in the series is given at 16 weeks of age or older." Your vet sets the schedule. This page is general information, not veterinary advice (more on that).

Pro tip: never give a kitten medicine a vet has not prescribed, the ASPCA says, and check baby food labels for onion or garlic powder before you offer it to a kitten that is off its food.

Collar, ID and what can wait

The ASPCA says an ID tag or a microchip "can help ensure that your cat is returned if he or she becomes lost," for indoor and outdoor cats alike, and that a cat allowed outdoors "must wear a safety collar and an ID tag," one with a panel that lets the cat "break loose if the collar gets caught on something." The Taglory collar has a quick-release buckle, but it adjusts from 7.5 in and is sized for adult cats, so a small kitten may need to grow into it. Ask your vet about a microchip at the first visit.

Things that can come later:

• A harness, if you want to walk your cat. Start once the kitten is used to the house; our escape-proof cat harness guide covers fit.
• A full-size litter box, such as the Arm & Hammer, when the kitten outgrows the small pan.
• A water fountain, once you know where the kitten likes to drink.
• Grooming tools. The ASPCA lists a brush and a comb; our deshedding brush guide includes sizes for small and large cats.

Bottom line: buy the low-sided box, unscented litter, a sturdy post and a two-door carrier before day one, book the vet, and add the fountain, collar and harness as the kitten grows.

Recalls

None of these products appears on our pet product recall page, which tracks FDA and CPSC pet recalls, as of September 28, 2026. One brand note: in August 2025 the CPSC announced a Petmate recall of Pet Zone laser pointer and LED ball toys over an ingestion hazard; it does not cover the Petmate litter pan or carrier here. You can search the CPSC recall database for any brand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of litter box is best for a kitten?

An open box with low sides. Cornell says young kittens need low-sided boxes and most cats prefer an uncovered box; the Petmate small pan is 3.5 in tall.

What litter should I use for a new kitten?

An unscented, fine-textured litter one to two inches deep, which Cornell says most cats prefer. Keep the litter the kitten used before if you know it, and switch gradually.

How tall should a scratching post be?

At least as tall as your cat stretched out on its hind legs, per Cornell; the ASPCA suggests at least three feet for a grown cat, on a base that will not wobble.

When should a kitten see the vet?

As soon as possible after it comes home, Cornell says. The AVMA says the vaccine series starts at 6 to 8 weeks and usually ends at 16 weeks or older; your vet sets the schedule.

Does an indoor kitten need a collar?

An ID tag or a microchip helps any lost cat get home, per the ASPCA. If it wears a collar, choose a breakaway one that releases if it catches.

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PetProofLab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We did not test these products; sizes and features are the makers' own, from their listings. This guide is for general information and is not veterinary advice.