New Kitten Essentials

So, you’ve taken the leap and decided to add a member to your family. A furry member that is.  Adding a companion animal to your family can be a rewarding experience but the most important part is to make sure that you are ready for them! It’s not as simple as picking a kitten and bringing them home, there are a lot of things you and your family need to do to prepare yourselves for this exciting endeavor. Whether you are an experienced pet owner or a first-time owner, this guide will go through everything you need to be successful in welcoming a brand-new family member.

Kitten Food

No matter where you get your kitten from, they will already be weaned off mommy’s milk and on kitten food. Depending on where you got your kitten, they may be on a raw food diet, cooked food, or most likely canned, or kibble. Our suggestion is that you discuss with the rescue or breeder beforehand what food they are currently feeding the kitten, so you have a plan in place. 9 times out of 10 you will be sent with a bag of kitten food, but in the rare case that you are not given a small bag of food you may need to grab a small bag of what they are already on and then a bag of what you plan to switch them too, so you can properly wean without causing too much stomach upset. We always suggest doing your own research when it comes to choosing a food. If you are getting a kitten from a breeder or a rescue the chances are the food that they have been on isn’t great and the breeder or rescue is only recommending it because they get a kick back from, or are sponsored by the company. Not to say all rescue or breeders feed bad food but it is highly likely that they will suggest a low-quality food and the reality is that you can do a lot better for the health of the new addition to your family. Here are a few of our top suggestions in different categories.

What to Look For

When choosing kitten food, you want to pick a food that is meat first always. It’s also helpful if the food contains fish oils for omega 3’s and taurine as one of the amino acids. Cats specifically cannot produce taurine themselves so it’s imperative that their food contains it. It’s also important that a cats diets contain moisture.  You can feed a dry food diet, but you should definitely be supplementing with wet food.

What to Avoid

Avoid foods that contain fillers, or that have a high glycemic index. Especially stay away from foods that do not have meat protein listed as a first ingredient.  Foods that are vegan or insect based are also a big no-no for cats. These diets are not considered species appropriate and should be nowhere near your new kitten’s bowl.

What We Suggest

Raw

Red Dog Blue Kat
  • Canadian company
  • Rotational diet
  • Human grade meats & organic vegetables
  • 97% meat/bone/organ, 3% vegetables
Bold by Nature
  • Canadian company
  • Rotational diet
  • 100% meat/bone/organ, no vegetables
  • Easy to serve patties

Kitten eating from an orange bowlCanned

Rawz
  • Meat is the first ingredient
  • No carrageenan gum
  • No guar gum
  • No xanthan gum
  • No BPA used in can linings
  • 100% nutritionally complete
Almo
  • Made with High Quality Sourced (HQS) meat or fish that is fit for human consumption
  • Rich in high-quality protein, natural essential amino acids & micronutrients

Kibble

Farmina Prime Kitten
  • Meat is the first ingredient
  • 98% of protein is sourced from animal ingredients
  • Carnivore nutrition system
Go! Carnivore
  • Meat is the first ingredient
  • Rotational diet
  • All life stages
  • 84% of protein is sourced from animal ingredients

Freeze Dried/Dehydrated

Ziwi Peak
  • Single protein; air-dried recipes are perfect for pets with sensitive stomachs
  • Grain free
  • Raw food alternative
  • 96% of protein from animal ingredients
  • Contains omega 3’s and 6’s, glucosamine, chondroitin, taurine and more
Ziwipeak Cat FoodFeline Naturals
  • High in meat. Low in carbohydrates. Grain-free.
  • A complete and balanced diet
  • Single source protein
  • Freeze-dried to ensure nutrients remain in the food, including the taste

Kitten Supplements

What to Look For

When you are choosing a kitten supplement you would want to look for something with taurine, calcium for healthy bone development, colostrum for immune boosting properties and to decrease chances of allergy development, as well as in omega 3’s for brain and eye development. 

What to Avoid

We suggest avoiding supplements that contain fillers or sugars. Make sure you read the ingredient list of the supplement. Sometimes the packaging looks great, but it could be filled with unnecessary ingredients.

What We Suggest

Powders

Welly Tails Kitten Smart Start
  • Contains extra high amounts of DHA & EPA omega-3 for support of brain, eye and nerve development
  • Immune system support from bovine colostrum
  • Probiotic bacteria and digestive enzymes to aid in solid food digestion
Tail Spring Milk Replacer
  • Contains goat’s milk to aid in digestion
  • Added taurine for heart health, digestion, immunity, vision and more
  • Provides all necessary vitamins, minerals and nutrients for development and growth
  • Whole food
Goat Milk for PuppiesGoat’s Milk

Is a great addition to a kitten’s diet as it will assist in digestion and immune system boosting.

Raw Bones

Raw meaty bones such as chicken necks, chicken feet & wings, quail parts, cornish hen parts and small rodents whole or in parts. When you give a cat’s bones to chew on it can focus on redirecting their chewing on other things like cords in your home. The best time to introduce these chews is when your cat is a kitten. For more information on raw bones check out our Raw Bone Guide video. 

Oils

Fish oils are an extremely important addition to a kitten’s diet. Fish oils that are high in omega 3 fatty acids support kittens’ brain and body development while also maintaining a beautiful coat and building a healthy immune system. 

Litter

What to Look For

When you are choosing a cat litter you have a plethora of options. Your first choice will be choosing either clumping or non-clumping cat litter. Clumping cat litter will, once wet, clump together in a ball to be easily scooped out of the box for cleaning whereas non clumping litter does not clump, it simply absorbs the urine particles, and you only have to scoop the poop – until the litter gets too wet. Non clumping cat litter trays have to be dumped and refreshed more often than clumping since you can scoop out only the affected litter in the clumping, and all of the litter in the non-clumping is affected. After you have chosen which direction to go in for clumps you will then choose a litter type. Litter is getting exciting and is being made from practically anything now. There is pine litter, newspaper litter, grass seed litter, hemp litter and so much more.

What to Avoid

When you are looking at litter you want to avoid products that contain silica and clay.

Silica cat litter – can be extremely toxic to cats and especially to kittens who are more likely to eat their litter.

Clay cat litter – the high dust content in clay litter can cause damage to lungs, as well when the cats are grooming themselves after using the litter they are susceptible to ingesting the clay which can lead to intestinal blockages, which are even worse if the cat or kitten decides to eat the litter. Clay litter is also damaging to the environment.

What We Suggest

Sustainably Yours
  • Made with cassava
  • Clumping
  • Clear litter color to detect blood in urine
  • Little to no smell
Smart Cat
  • Made with grass
  • Clumping
  • Little to no smell
World’s Best Cat Litter
  • Made with whole kernel corn
  • Clumping
  • Little to no smell
  • Scented litter safe & available
  • Kitten treats

What to Look For

Look for treats with wholesome ingredients. Contrary to popular belief your cat is a carnivore and should be fed as such. Try to choose treats high in meat content or 100% meat.

What to Avoid

Avoid highly processed treats and treats that contain corn, sugar or fillers.

What We Suggest

Inaba
  • Puree treats
  • Great for giving medicine
  • Fish or poultry is the first ingredient
PureBites
  • Single ingredient meat
  • Freeze-dried
  • Low calorie
Emerald Feline Dental Treats
  • Crunchy
  • Helps clean teeth
  • Less than 2 calories per treat
  • Limited ingredient recipes

Kitten Accessories

Trees/Beds

You will want to get a cat tree or scratch wall for your new kitten, so they have an area where it is appropriate to scratch. Giving your kitten an accessory to scratch can help keep them away from expensive furniture. As for beds, you can get a bed for your kitten. However, cats and kittens usually sleep wherever they want to and there is a chance they will not ever use it! Beds that have high success rates for cats are bucket beds and beds that they can ‘hide’ in like these Dharma Dog Karma Cat beds.

Collars/Leashes/Harnesses

Kitten on a leashQuick release collars are the best for cats. Since they are so curious and climb easily a quick release collar will ensure your cat does not get strangled if they get caught on something. RC Pets makes great collars and harnesses for cats and kittens

Grooming

For the most part, cats are not fans of being bathed but sometimes it’s necessary. For kittens we suggest a gentle shampoo if you absolutely need to bathe, and then maybe grooming wipes when there is just a small mess. ats are generally very good at cleaning themselves.

You should purchase small cat nail clippers and get into the habit of trimming your kittens’ nails often, so they are familiar with it. There is nothing worse than a cat that doesn’t like getting its nails trimmed.

You may also want to grab a cat brush. The Bailey Brush and the Kong Zoom Groom are great options for general grooming but if you have a certain breed of kitten you may need to purchase another brush or trimmers.  Talk to a Tail Blazers Team Member about your grooming needs.

Dishes

The dishes that you choose depend on what you decide to feed them. If you are feeding kibble then glass and stainless steel are great options, you can also use plastic however we suggest the latter. Plastic dishes can be hard to clean, and bacteria can get trapped in the porous surfaces. If you are feeding raw, freeze-dried, or canned, stainless steel is best as it is the easiest to clean. Messy Cat makes great stainless steel bowl options for raw and kibble feeding and everything in between.

Kitten Toys

Kicker Toys

Kicker toys are usually long and soft. They are meant for your cat to lay with, bite, and kick. Kicking is a part of a cat’s prey drive, as well as a defensive measure when protecting themselves from attackers. Playing with kickers is a great way for them to release their energy. The Kong Kickeroo Cuddlers are a great option.

Prey Drive Toys

These are toys that are on a string, and you can make them chase, pounce and bite. Da Bird makes great toys for this type of game. It’s also a great play activity for overweight cats.

YEOWWW BananaCatnip or Silvervine

Catnip or silvervine are stimulants to kittens and cats. It can increase their play drive and make them act goofy. YEOWWW! makes amazing cat nip toys that are difficult to break because they are so tightly packed. 

Self-Play or Interactive Toys

These are toys like balls in a loop, or a puzzle toy that you can hide treats or food in for your kitten to find. Nina Ottosson makes great self-play cat toys that you can hide treats in.

Kitten Training

Litter Box

We hope that when you get your kitten that they are already litter trained and they usually are. If you are having trouble, put out multiple litter boxes in your home and in different areas to entice your kitten to use them. It’s a cats instinct to do their business in the sand or on a soft surface to easily hide their scent. Hang in there and they will get it eventually. If the kitten is persistently urinating or defecating on the floor there may be something else wrong and you should discuss it with an animal care professional.

Outside

Your kitten will likely be curious to explore the outside world, so why not let them? Take your cat on walks using a harness and leash or by using a backpack with an open screen or window. Allowing cats to explore the outside regularly with you is helpful to their mental health. Cats kept inside often suffer from anxiety and depression. If you can start training your cat to walk on leash as a kitten, it will be extremely helpful to their mental health in the long run.

Scratching

All cats scratch, it’s in their nature. There is a surgical procedure to fix this problem, but the declawing process is cruel and causes long-term pain and is very frowned upon. Most veterinarians have ceased performing the procedure because of this.

How do you stop your new kitten from scratching furniture? Firstly, you can and should get a scratch post to re-direct the scratching. You can also use a spray bottle full of water to spray at your kitten when they are scratching in a place they shouldn’t be. Lastly you can purchase certain items like scratch deterrent that can keep your cat from scratching certain places.

Other Things to Consider

Pet Insurance

Stain & Odor Remover

Socializing

If you want your kitten to be a friendly cat, we suggest socializing ASAP! Bring your friends over, bring kids over, bring dogs over all to meet and socialize with your new addition. It may also be helpful to have your guests give your cat treats, so they associate new people with snacks and therefore will be more present when guests come over rather than hiding in a room.

Cats

Cats socialize in a much different way with each other. Cats need space and recognition before they enter a successful relationship with another cat, even a kitten. Introducing cats too quickly can be a complete disaster and even after years they could end up never getting along. If you are introducing a kitten to a house that already has a cat living in it, please follow these important steps. To introduce a cat to a kitten first you should block the kitten into a separate room that has a small gap at the bottom of the door. We suggest a small space like a bathroom or an office – this should also be a place you don’t mind getting a bit stinky since your new kitten will be fully living in this space for a few days.Kitten with CatDay 1: Isolation. Place your kitten in the designated space with litter, water, food, beds and toys. Allow your other cat to sniff around the door and gain interest in the scent. Try not to force the relationship.

Day 2: Switcheroo. For a couple of hours take the kitten out of the room and place your cat in the room. Allow the kitten to explore the adult cat’s space and scent and allow the cat to explore the kitten’s space and scent. If everything seems to be going well, move onto the next step. If your adult cat seems upset or hesitant, continue this for a couple of days.

Day 3: Through The Glass. Allow the kitten and adult cat to get closer. You can achieve this by allowing them to see each other. You can place a baby gate in the doorway rather than having a door. Or place the kitten and cat between a glass door or window so they can see each other. If your adult cat seems upset or hesitant continue this for a couple of days.

Day 4: Supervised Interaction. Allow for the cats to be in the same space together. You can hold the kitten at first if you wish and then put them on the ground if the adult cat seems open to it. At night, return your kitten to its designated space.

Day 5: Wide Open Space. Allow both of your cats to roam the entire area of your home for the day. If all goes well, the kitten should be able to stay out overnight.

We hope that you enjoyed this video and that we have given you a better understanding of what you need to be prepared if you are bringing a new kitten home.

A new kitten is a lot of work but it’s so fulfilling to watch them grow into happy healthy cats. Your kitten is counting on you to help them live their best life, so, visit a Tail Blazers location near you and experience the benefits of your kitten being Tail Blazers Healthy.