A new kitten needs kitten food, separate food and water dishes, a low-sided litter box, and ideally a scratching post. Arrange a veterinary visit within a few days to one week, then provide a safe, warm indoor space and calm supervision. Keep the first week simple. Maintain the kitten's current food at first, clean the litter box daily, and separate the newcomer from resident cats until the veterinary exam if its health history is unknown.
Table of Contents
- Supplies to have ready
- Creating a safe first-week space
- What happens at the first vet visit?
- Understanding the vaccination schedule
- Litter hygiene and safer handling
Supplies to have ready
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine lists several core supplies for a new kitten: Choose a litter box the kitten can enter easily. Keep it clean, and provide one box per cat plus one additional box.
A home with two cats, for example, should have three boxes. Feed a nutritionally complete diet formulated for the kitten's life stage. If you plan to use different food from the previous caregiver, make the change gradually instead of switching immediately.
- Nutritionally complete kitten food
- Separate food and water dishes
- A low-sided litter box
- Litter-cleaning supplies
- A scratching post, if possible
Creating a safe first-week space
Keep the kitten indoors in a safe, warm area with daily food and fresh water. A smaller, manageable area can also help you keep the food, water, litter box, and scratching post consistently available. If other cats live in the home, keep the newcomer separate until the veterinary exam, especially when its health history is unknown.
The CDC advises scheduling that exam within a few days to one week after adoption. Avoid rough play, even when the kitten becomes excited. Supervise children during interactions because bites and scratches can transmit germs.
What happens at the first vet visit?
Bring any available records about vaccinations, food, parasite treatment, and grooming. The veterinarian can use that history to identify what has already been done and what the kitten still needs.
The initial visit should cover: FeLV means feline leukemia virus, while FIV means feline immunodeficiency virus. Testing is not identical for every kitten, so the veterinarian should decide what is appropriate based on the available history.
- Vaccination history and the next scheduled doses
- Nutrition and any planned food transition
- Internal and external parasite checks
- Parasite-control needs
- Grooming history and care
Understanding the vaccination schedule
FVRCP is the combined vaccine for several significant feline infections. According to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, the kitten series generally starts at 6–8 weeks and repeats every 3–4 weeks through 16–20 weeks. The repeated doses matter because maternal antibodies decline at unpredictable times.
Those antibodies can interfere with protection from an earlier vaccine dose, so one early dose does not necessarily complete the series. Rabies timing and booster requirements depend on the vaccine and local law. Ask the veterinarian to set the schedule and discuss whether lifestyle-dependent protection, including feline leukemia vaccination, is appropriate.
Litter hygiene and safer handling
Change litter daily and wash your hands afterward. The CDC notes that pregnant people and people with weakened immune systems should avoid cleaning litter boxes when possible because cat feces can spread germs.
Everyone should wash their hands after litter cleanup. Children also need supervision around the kitten, with play stopped before it becomes rough enough to cause bites or scratches.