A kitten moves in: Part 1 Preparations and errands

Regardless of whether you want to get a young kitten from a breeder or adopt a kitten from a litter in your circle of friends, you need to think about accommodation in advance and take care of the first errands.

The first steps with the new kitten

The very first step is to think about whether you can afford a cat without any problems. If you buy a cat from a breeder, certain breeds can quickly cost over 1,000 euros. A cheaper alternative: a furry friend from an animal shelter, where you only have to pay a nominal fee of up to 200 euros. Vet fees for neutering and vaccinations should also be factored in. You should then decide on a type of food (we naturally recommend our BIO Junior line) and calculate the ongoing food costs.

The preparations

Our checklist: The most important errands

• A transport box for the first collection and for trips to the vet.
• Food and water bowl. You shouldn't be too frugal here, the bowls should be large enough and at least have a non-slip coating on the bottom. Many cats also prefer running water, so you can buy a drinking fountain instead of a bowl.
• Cat litter tray: There are open and closed variants. The closed ones have the advantage that the cat litter cannot fly out so easily. However, not all cats feel comfortable in the closed version. If you choose a closed toilet, you should make sure that the lid is removable. The entrance should also not be too high for the kitten.
• A scoop for cleaning the toilet.
• Cat litter as desired.
• Food: You should start with the kitten's usual food from the breeder or animal shelter and only switch to your favourite food once the kitten has settled in.
• Treats for familiarisation and distraction. Pure meat snacks without additives are particularly recommended here.
• Scratching tree: You can spend a lot of money on a tree like this, so you should think about it carefully. Find a suitable place for the tree in your home. It should be rather quiet, i.e. not directly next to passageways, but allow a good view of what's going on. Preferably by windows with sunlight. Now you can roughly estimate the size of the tree. But be careful! The cat may want to choose a different favourite spot. The tree should also have space in other places if required.
• Cat basket or cosy blanket: Nobody can guarantee that the kitten will sleep in a basket, but it's worth a try.
• Toys: You can also make these yourself, a string with a piece of fur attached is often enough. You can let your imagination run wild.
• Fur brush and tick tweezers.

There are also a few items to secure the household:

• If the cat is allowed on the balcony, it must be secured with a cat net. This is quick and inexpensive and can protect a kitten from bad falls.
• If the home has tilting windows, cat safety devices should be fitted. House tigers in particular will at some point take every opportunity to escape from the home. And they can very easily get their necks caught in the gap in narrow bottom-hung windows and, in the worst case, strangle themselves.

Speaking of securing the home - there are a few things to bear in mind:

Firstly, you should be clear about where the young cat should spend its first hours or days. It must be a room with a door, there should be no fragile or dangerous objects at floor level, and there should be enough space for the litter tray and litter tray. These must not be too close to each other, as cats attach great importance to the separation of eating and doing their business. You should also make sure that the surface is easy to clean.

As the kitten is sure to liven up the rest of the home at some point, consider the following points for all rooms:

• Move valuable carpets to one side. Although cats are usually house-trained very quickly, a mishap can always happen.
• Find out about your plants. Some plants are poisonous to cats, and as they are used to eating grass in the wild, they may also nibble on houseplants. This also applies to the garden if it is to become an outdoor cat at some point.
• No exposed electrical cables near the floor.
• If possible, no small items or plastic bags on the floor.
• Do not leave the cat unattended in the kitchen if hot hobs pose a danger. This source of danger will disappear over time when the cat learns that it must not jump onto tables.
• Door stoppers are helpful if the doors in the home often close due to draughts, for example. A kitten can very easily get trapped by a slamming door and break its tail or another part of its body.

The most important preparations have now been made and the new family member can be welcomed into their new home.

You can find tips on picking up your pet and help with the first steps in the new home in the second part of this guide. Here you can find out how to make your kitten's arrival as comfortable as possible and which measures are particularly important in the first few days.

Our recommendations for your four-legged friend:

Tasting packs for cats

BIO Junior wet food for cats