New Cat Parent Starter Kit: Everything You Actually Need Before They Come Home
New Cat Parent Starter Kit: Everything You Actually Need
Skip the 40-item shopping lists. Here's the short, vet-backed version of what a new cat actually needs before — and during — their first week home.
Quick answer: A new cat needs a litter box (plus a second one — more on why below), litter, food and water dishes, a scratching post, a carrier, and a veterinary visit booked for the first week home. That's it for day one. Everything else — beds, towers, a drawer full of toys — can wait until you know your cat's actual preferences.
Bringing a cat home for the first time is exciting — and it's easy to over-shop for it. Pet stores are built to make you feel like you need a cart full of gear before your cat even walks through the door. In reality, a new cat needs a handful of things done right (litter box setup, feeding, and a first vet visit) far more than it needs a pile of toys it may never touch. This guide covers what actually matters, in the order it matters, based on guidance from the Cornell Feline Health Center and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).
Give a new cat time to explore on their own terms — most will hide for the first day or two, and that's normal.
The litter box rule every new cat parent should know
Litter box problems are one of the most common reasons cats end up back at a shelter, and most of them trace back to a setup issue rather than a "bad cat." The single biggest fix: don't stop at one box. The Cornell Feline Health Center recommends providing as many litter boxes as you have cats, plus one — so even a single-cat household should start with two boxes. AAHA's new kitten checklist echoes the same "one per cat plus one" rule.
Where to put it
Box placement matters as much as box count. Cornell's guidance is specific: keep litter boxes well away from food and water dishes, since most cats won't use a box that sits too close to where they eat. Most cats also prefer a simple, open box over a hooded one — a hood traps odor inside, which can be exactly what makes a cat avoid it. If you're adopting a kitten or an older cat with joint stiffness, look for a box with a lower entry side so getting in and out doesn't become a deterrent.
Once your cat is settled and using the box reliably, an upgrade like the DOEL 65L self-cleaning litter box is worth considering — but it's a second-month purchase, not a day-one one. Learn your cat's habits with a simple box first.
Feeding your new cat: what to buy (and what to skip)
The most useful thing you can do for a new cat's stomach is resist the urge to buy an entirely new food on day one. Cornell's guidance is to continue whatever diet the cat was already eating, at least initially, and only transition to something new gradually. PetMD's vet-reviewed transition guide recommends spreading any food change over 7 to 10 days: roughly 75% old food to 25% new for the first couple of days, moving to a 50/50 mix, then 25% old to 75% new, before landing on 100% new food by day seven or so. A sudden full switch is the more common cause of a new cat's upset stomach than the new food itself.
What actually matters on the label
Cornell's practical rule of thumb: a diet that meets Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards for your cat's life stage is nutritionally complete on its own — no extra supplements needed unless a vet recommends one for a specific issue. Keep an eye on portioning, too; per Cornell, obesity is common in cats and predisposes them to real health problems down the line, so it's worth checking the feeding guide on the bag rather than free-feeding by habit.
Scratching posts: save the couch from day one
Scratching is instinctive, not optional — it's how cats maintain their claws, mark territory with scent glands in their paws, and stretch their spine. A cat without an appealing scratching surface will find one anyway, and it's usually your couch arm or a doorframe. Cornell's advice is to choose a post based on your specific cat's preferences: some cats strongly prefer a particular texture (sisal rope, cardboard, carpet) or a particular orientation (a vertical post to stretch upward on, versus a horizontal pad to scratch flat). There's no single "correct" scratcher — it's worth having one of each type available for the first few weeks to see what your cat actually uses.
The first-week vet visit
This is the step that's easiest to put off and shouldn't be. Cornell recommends a veterinary exam as soon as possible after a new cat comes home, and AAHA is more specific for kittens: schedule the first visit within the first week. If your cat's health history is unknown — a common situation with shelter or stray cats — the vet will likely test for feline leukemia (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), start or continue a vaccine series, and check for parasites.
Two more numbers worth planning around, per AAHA: spay or neuter surgery is typically scheduled before 5 months of age for kittens, and dental disease is genuinely common — an estimated 80% of cats develop some degree of dental disease by age 3. Ask your vet about a dental care routine at that first visit rather than waiting for a problem to show up.
Carrier, bed & the extras that actually matter
A sturdy carrier is worth buying before you need it — not after a stressful first vet trip proves you need one. AAHA recommends a carrier with a removable lid, which makes vet exams considerably less stressful since your cat can often be examined while still partly inside their carrier. Consider a microchip at that first vet visit as well; it's a low-effort, one-time step that matters most in exactly the situation you can't plan for.
Beds are optional, not essential
Cats are notorious for ignoring an expensive bed in favor of a cardboard box or a sunny patch of carpet, so there's no need to over-invest here on day one. A simple, washable option like a Deep Sleep Cat Bed or an enclosed hideaway like a Felt Donut Cat Bed gives a nervous new cat somewhere to retreat that isn't under your couch — but don't be surprised if the shipping box it arrived in gets more use at first.
FAQ: new cat starter kit questions
If you only do five things
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