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New Kitten Care Checklist 🐾

Bringing home a new kitten is such an exciting time—and it’s completely normal to have questions. Those first few weeks are all about helping your kitten feel safe, settled, and supported as they adjust to their new home.

✅ First Vet Visit

• Book a health check with one of our four clinics
• Discuss vaccinations and set up a vaccination schedule
• Chat about flea, worm, and parasite protection
• Ask about microchipping if it hasn’t already been done
• Talk about the best age for desexing

🍽️ Food & Nutrition

• Choose a high‑quality food specially formulated for kittens
• We recommend continuing the same food they were eating before and slowly transitioning to any new food
• Feed small meals regularly throughout the day
• Provide fresh, clean water at all times
• Avoid cow’s milk, rich human foods, and too many treats

🏠 Home Setup

• Create a warm, quiet sleeping space—small boxes can make excellent temporary hidey holes
• Set up one or more litter trays in easy‑to‑access areas (this is key to preventing accidents)
• Provide scratching posts or pads
• Remove hazards such as cords, toxic plants, and small swallowable items
• Create safe hiding spaces to help your kitten feel secure while settling in
• Consider Feliway plug‑ins to help your kitten adjust to their new environment
• Feliway Friends can help reduce stress if there are other cats already in the home

🧸 Behaviour & Socialisation

• Encourage gentle handling and calm interactions
• Provide toys for play, exercise, and enrichment
• Keep experiences positive and low stress
• Introduce children and other pets slowly and carefully

🩺 Health Monitoring

• Check eating, drinking, toileting, and energy levels daily
• Watch for signs such as sneezing, diarrhoea, vomiting, or lethargy
• Monitor weight gain and growth as your kitten develops

🐾 Long‑Term Care

• Keep vaccinations up to date
• Maintain regular parasite prevention
• Plan desexing at the recommended age
• Learn how to care for your kitten’s oral health at home through tooth brushing or appropriate dental diets

🐱 Pet Insurance – Worth Considering Early

• Consider pet insurance while your kitten is young and healthy
• Early cover can reduce exclusions for future illnesses or conditions
• Helps manage costs associated with unexpected accidents, illness, diagnostics, and emergency care
• Provides peace of mind so financial concerns don’t delay treatment

While insurance doesn’t replace routine veterinary care, it can be a helpful safety net if the unexpected happens. Our vet team is happy to offer guidance on what to look for in a policy.

Every kitten settles in at their own pace, so don’t worry if they seem shy or cautious at first. With patience, routine, and plenty of gentle care, they’ll soon start to feel right at home.

If you’re ever unsure or have questions along the way, the Vets North team is always here to help.