Caring for a new kitten: Helping your new kitten feel right at home

Bringing home a new kitten is one of life’s greatest joys. One minute they’re curled up asleep like a tiny angel… the next they’re scaling your curtains, batting bottle caps under the couch and somehow squeezing into places you didn’t know existed. Welcome to kitten parenthood.

The first few days in a new home are a big adjustment for your kitten. Everything is unfamiliar – new smells, new sounds, new people and a whole new territory to explore. With a little patience (and perhaps sacrificing a few uninterrupted nights’ sleep), you can help your newest family member settle in confidently and comfortably.

Here are our top tips to help your kitten feel safe, happy and right at home.

Create a cosy sleeping space

Young kittens have often just left their mum and littermates, so it’s perfectly normal if they seem a little unsettled at bedtime.

Set up a quiet, comfortable sleeping area away from busy household activity. A soft bed with cosy blankets gives your kitten somewhere safe to retreat when they need a nap—which, as it turns out, is about 16-20 hours a day.

If it’s cold, placing a warm (not hot) wrapped heat pack beneath part of the bedding can provide extra comfort and mimic the warmth they were used to with their litter.

Set up the litter tray, and leave it there

Cats are creatures of habit, especially when it comes to their bathroom.

Choose a quiet, easily accessible location for your kitten’s litter tray and try not to move it around once they’ve learnt where it is. Frequent changes can be confusing and may lead to accidents.

A few tips:

• Place the tray somewhere private and away from food and water bowls.
• Keep it clean by scooping daily.
• If you have multiple cats, provide one litter tray per cat, plus one extra.

Your kitten may have the zoomies – but even they appreciate a little privacy.

Let them explore safely

Once your kitten has had time to settle, it’s time for the fun part: supervised exploration.

Kittens learn about the world through climbing, sniffing, scratching and investigating absolutely everything. (Yes, including that shopping bag you left on the floor.)

Give them plenty of opportunities to explore while keeping a close eye on potential hazards such as electrical cords, toxic plants, open windows and anything small enough to swallow.

Providing scratching posts, climbing towers and interactive toys can also help channel their endless curiosity into more appropriate places than your furniture.

Start socialising early

The first few months of life are incredibly important for your kitten’s social development.

If you have other pets, introduce them slowly and under supervision. Short, positive interactions help build confidence and reduce stress for everyone involved.

This is also the perfect time to gently introduce your kitten to everyday experiences, including:

• Meeting different people
• Being gently handled
• Grooming and brushing
• Nail trimming
• Household sounds such as the vacuum cleaner or washing machine

Positive experiences now can help your kitten grow into a confident, relaxed adult cat.

Feed a balanced diet

Good nutrition lays the foundation for a healthy life.

Choose a quality kitten food that’s specifically formulated to support growth and development. Your veterinarian can recommend the best option based on your kitten’s age, breed and individual needs.

If you’re changing foods, make the switch gradually over 7-10 days by slowly mixing the new food with the old. A sudden diet change can upset your kitten’s sensitive tummy.

Fresh water should always be available too—even if they occasionally seem more interested in drinking from your glass instead.

Book their first vet visit

One of the first things you should do after bringing your kitten home is arrange a health check with your veterinarian.

Your vet will assess your kitten’s overall health and guide you through important preventative care, including:

• Vaccination schedules
• Worming and flea prevention
• Microchipping (if not already completed)
• Desexing advice
• Nutrition and healthy growth

In Australia, kittens typically receive a series of core vaccinations during their first few months to help protect against serious infectious diseases, including feline enteritis and feline respiratory viruses. Your veterinarian will recommend the appropriate vaccination schedule for your kitten based on their age and lifestyle.

Prepare for the unexpected

No one expects their playful little kitten to end up at the vet, but accidents and illnesses can happen, even to the most adventurous indoor explorer.

From swallowing something they shouldn’t (because apparently string is irresistible) to unexpected illnesses or injuries, veterinary treatment can sometimes be costly.

Having pet insurance in place early can help provide peace of mind by contributing towards eligible vet bills if the unexpected happens, allowing you to focus on what matters most—getting your kitten back to chasing toy mice instead of worrying about the bill.

Every great cat starts somewhere

The first few weeks are all about building trust, creating routines and helping your kitten feel secure.

Before long, they’ll have worked out exactly where the sunny spots are, claimed your favourite chair as their own and convinced you that dinner should absolutely be served an hour earlier.

And honestly… you probably won’t mind one bit.