Everything You Need to Know About Getting a Kitten

Kittens are cute aren't they? Well, as cute as they may be, you need to fully understand what taking care of one entails. I'll be providing you with all the information you have to know.

Price: The first year of owning a kitten you will probably end up spending around $1000 because of the things you will need to buy (later in the article) and medical procedures (also mentioned later). Other years, you will spend more than $500. You should be aware that vet bills can be very costly if your cat gets sick or has any kind of problems.

Items you will need:

Litter box: This is what your cat will use as their bathroom. For every cat you should have two, placed in accessible places to avoid any accidents.

Litter: A product put in the litter box which is used by the cat to "go to the bathroom".

Litter pan liners: Line the litter box with these to remove all the litter when needed.

Litter scoop: Use this to scoop up your cat's "business" at least once every day.

Waste bags: For what you scoop up.

Carrier: In the car to the vet or when you bring your kitten home, you should put him/her in a carrier to make them more comfortable and keep your car scratch-free.

Toys: To keep your cat entertained.

Food: Research the food that will work best for you and stick with it. When you pick up your kitten for the first time, use the food it has been eating and slowly incorporate the new food so as not to cause any stomach troubles. Younger kittens eat wet food so take that into consideration.

Treats: Use these to train your kitten and to make it happy.

Scratching post: Your cat has a natural scratching instinct that needs to be satisfied as well as an instinct of climbing. Buy one of these, preferably a tall one. If you're willing to spend a little more money, you can also buy a cat tree.

Nail scissors: Even if the kitten uses a scratching post, the nails will still be sharp so you should cut its nails once in a while.

Food and water bowls: To dispense the food and water. Make sure they aren't very close to each other because it goes against a cat's instincts since they may think the water is contaminated. A fountain for the water is better and more appreciated but not at all necessary.

Hair removal roller: In case the amount of cat hair is bothering.

Cat brush and comb: To try and prevent hairballs and reduce shedding.

Medical procedures and vet: A kitten needs to have vaccinations, be spayed/neutered (at appropriate age), be dewormed, have tick and flea treatments, and if it is an outdoor cat it should be microchipped (a form of tracking and identification). Before getting your kitten, meet with your vet and get to know them, also making sure they really care about your pet.

Training: To train your kitten, you can use treats. If you want to prevent it from going somewhere, you can use special tape for cats (they don't like the feeling of it) and lemon essential oil (the smell bothers it).

Finding the right kitten: It's better to visit a shelter or to adopt a pet in need than to get a purebred and expensive kitten. A purebred kitten can experience health problems because of the breeding and you should help a kitten in need find a good home if you have the opportunity.

This is all the information you need not know. I hope this article helped!