Bringing your new kitten home: a first-week checklist

The first week in a new home is a big change for a kitten. A little preparation makes it calmer for everyone. This is the checklist we share with Catacure families.

Before collection day

• Complete the AVS pet ownership course if this is your first cat, so we can transfer the cat licence on collection day. Bring your full NRIC/FIN number and address.
• Cat-proof your home. Install mesh or grilles on windows and balconies — falls from height are a common and serious injury for cats living in high-rise flats. Hide cables, close gaps behind appliances, and put away string, rubber bands and small objects.
• Set up a quiet "base room" with a litter box, water, a bed and a scratching post. A smaller space helps a kitten feel safe at first.
• Get the basics: food and water bowls, litter box and litter, a scratching post or cat tree, a carrier, a soft brush and a few toys.

Every Catacure kitten goes home with a New Home Starter Kit — food, wet food, litter box and litter, a carrier, a nail trimmer and a toy — so you have what you need for the first days.

The first few days

• Keep the same food. Feed the food your kitten is used to. If you want to change it, mix it in slowly over 7–10 days to avoid tummy upsets.
• Let your kitten explore at its own pace. Start in the base room, then open up the rest of your home over a few days.
• Introduce other pets slowly, with short supervised meetings.
• Hold off on baths. Let your kitten settle before any grooming beyond a gentle brush.
• Watch the basics: eating, drinking, using the litter box, and playing. A little shyness on day one is normal.

Within the first week

• Book a check-up with your vet and bring the health booklet we give you. Your vet will plan the remaining vaccinations and deworming.
• Consider pet insurance while your kitten is young and healthy.
• Start gentle handling — touching paws, ears and mouth — so nail trims and vet visits are easier later.

When to call the vet straight away

Contact a vet without waiting if your kitten stops eating for more than a day, has repeated vomiting or diarrhoea, is very lethargic, or has trouble breathing.

We support every Catacure family for the first three months. If anything worries you, WhatsApp us — no question is too small.