Cat Care 101: Your Essential Checklist Before Bringing a Cat Home

Have you recently adopted or added a feline friend to your family? Congratulations! There’s nothing more exciting than being a first-time cat owner — you have now officially opened your home to a life full of soft purrs, gentle kneads, and adorable meows. 

We’re sure you’re super excited for the beginning of this new and wonderful companionship but before bringing your new kitty home, there are a few things that you must prepare to make sure that your home is purr-fect and completely cat-ready! 

Here at Maxime, we’ve put together a comprehensive checklist of the essentials you need to have to make sure that your new feline friend will feel safe and comfortable in their forever home.

1. Food & water bowl

A separate food and water bowl are essential before bringing your new cat home. Choose stainless steel, ceramic, or glass for your kitty’s feeding bowls. When choosing a water bowl, remember to go for wide ones as cats usually don’t like it when their whiskers touch the bowl while drinking. 

2. Cat food

If your new kitty had a previous owner, ask what brand of cat food they were feeding them, purchase the same brand, and stick to it for a while. Cats have sensitive stomachs, and switching to an entirely new diet could upset their digestion.

No matter their age, It’s important to feed your cat a complete and minerally-balanced meal to help them meet their daily nutritional needs. Try the new Maxime Cat Food, formulated for both kittens and adult cats. Maxime Cat Food is enriched with taurine and other minerals to help your feline buddy stay in good shape!

3. Litterbox & litter

Before bringing a cat home, a litter box should be on your priority list of must-have essentials. A litter box should be large enough for a cat to move around in because they need enough space to turn around and dig. Whether you’re choosing an uncovered or an enclosed litter box, always place this in a quiet but easily accessible location, away from their feeding area. If you have a multi-level home, we also recommend having one per floor.

There’s a wide selection of cat litter sand in the market that you can choose from. Go for a clumping one for easy scooping. 

Make it a habit to clean your cat’s litter box at least twice a day. Cats can be easily litter-trained due to their instinct to cover their body waste in dirt and sand, but even the cleanest of cats may refuse to use their litter box if they notice that it’s already full and dirty.

4. Cat Furniture

Scratching Posts

Cats have an instinctive need to scratch. They do it to express excitement or stress, to mark objects with their scents, to remove their skin from their claws, and to simply stretch. In the wild, cats use trees as their scratching posts.

To help your feline friend satisfy this need (and steer them away from your beloved furniture at home!), get them their own scratching posts. A good scratching post should be sturdy enough and at least be 3-feet high and covered in sisal fabric or burlap. Scratching boards are also highly recommended.

Cat bed

While cats tend to sleep just about anywhere they see fit, procuring a designated space where they can safely tuck themselves in also wouldn’t hurt. When choosing a cat bed, go for a hooded, cave-style bed. You can also try repurposing an old cardboard box and place a warm and washable pad inside — cats are known for loving the security and comfort of enclosed spaces!

5. Toys

Playtime is essential for cats of all ages! To keep them mentally stimulated and help them burn their energy, engage in playtime by using a variety of toys. Feather wands are a usual favorite; they help cats activate their hunter instincts because cats love having something to chase and pounce on. 

6. Grooming

Cats are excellent groomers. Most of the time, they can stay clean on their own and rarely need a bath, but as responsible fur parents, they sometimes need our help too! Brush your cat regularly to help keep their coat clean, reduce shedding, and prevent hairballs.

Now that you have all these essentials ready, we believe you’re now well on your way to becoming a great cat purrent! Congratulations once again on gaining a new best furriend and enjoy a lifetime of happiness and wonderful meow-ments with your cat!

References: 
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Be Chewy
Comfort Zone
Cats Protection