New Kitten Checklist (2026): What to Buy First

The days before a kitten comes home split into three lists: what has to be in place on day one, what to buy small now and replace later, and what can wait until you see how the kitten settles. The litter box is the one thing a kitten outgrows; the post, carrier and ID tag last into adulthood.

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 if you can, a scratching post, before the cat comes home. The table adds what the ASPCA puts on its cat supply checklist.

Prices are Amazon's, as of the time shown, and subject to change. Details

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.

Our litter box guide sizes boxes against the AAFP's 1.5-times-body-length rule, and a litter mat where the kitten steps out catches the litter it tracks.

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; our cat litter guide compares clay, silica, pine, wheat and tofu. 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.

Check houseplants before the kitten arrives too; our pet-safe plants and cleaners guide explains why the FDA says lilies can kill a cat.

Related: a self-cleaning box has to wait; our self-cleaning litter box guide lists each maker's minimum weight and age.

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. Our cat tree and scratching post guide compares posts, trees and cardboard scratchers by height, base and surface.

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. Our cat carrier guide for vet visits compares five carriers by their doors and covers how to get a reluctant cat inside.

Related: if you will fly with your cat, compare each airline's limits in our airline pet carrier guide; 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. Our kitten food guide lists foods with the AAFCO growth statement read off each maker's page.

Cornell says a new cat "will need separate food and water dishes, kept far away from the litter box."

If money is tight, our guide on what not to cut counts a complete food among the four things to keep paying for, with checkups, parasite control and ID.

A fountain can wait. Once your kitten is settled, our cat water fountain guide compares plastic, ceramic and stainless models, including the Catit Flower. The same goes for an automatic feeder, which serves portions on a timer.

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.

Related: if your vet books a spay or neuter, our recovery suit vs cone guide covers what the ASPCA says about cones afterward.

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. Our collar and ID tag guide explains why a cat's collar should break away.

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, and the brush guide by coat type covers long-haired cats.
• A toothbrush and pet paste. Our dental care guide explains how to brush a cat's teeth.

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

How do I pick up a kitten?

With one hand behind the front legs and the other under the hindquarters, then lift gently, per the ASPCA. It says never to pick up a cat by the scruff of the neck or by the front legs.

When should a kitten be spayed or neutered?

The ASPCA says female cats should be spayed and male cats neutered by five months of age. Ask your vet about timing at the first visit.

Does a kitten from a shelter need tests at the first visit?

If its health history is unknown, yes. Cornell says such cats should be tested for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which can leave a cat open to infections and cancer.

Does a short-haired kitten need brushing?

It helps. The ASPCA says frequent brushing keeps a cat's coat clean, reduces shedding and cuts down on hairballs.

---

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. This guide is for general information and is not veterinary advice.