New Kitten in MD ... not home yet!

I am new to this board. I wanted to share my excitement about getting my new kitten. He was born March 3rd and so he still has some growing up to do before he can become part of my family. I haven't met the kittens in the litter yet ... but I will have my choice of a tuxedo or a gray and white male.

I wanted to know if you can help me compile a list of supplies I will need starting out. And is there a particular kitten food you recommend?

I will keep you posted on the progress my lil guy makes and will post photos as soon as I meet him.

Thanks for your help.

I do hope you will not bring him home till about 10-12 weeks minimum. They need to stay with mom and siblings for that long to be mentally and physically healthy. Also just for your info its NOT tuxedo. Its black/white bicolor (or blue/white bicolor) for your choices

Here's a basic list of supplies:

Litter, litter pan, scoop

Cat carrier (go for medium size or else you will be buying a new one by the time the cat is 8 months old)

Nail clippers, combs for grooming

Cat toys (balls, furry mice, feather toys)

Cat shampoo (keep some on hand in case you need it)

Cat bed (optional) - most will ignore it, but nice to have

Good sturdy treehouse (minimum of 4 feet high) - higher the better. Its a good investment. The smaller ones are a waste of money as most cats will not use it once they are adults cause it tips over.

As far as food - ideal is dry and canned food diet in quality foods. You can try:

Wellness, Natural Balance, Innva, Blue Buffalo, Royal Canin, Max Cat foods (in dry and canned). Be sure to start at on kitten foods. I only feed kitten food for about 4-5 months, then change to adult foods. Never had a fat cat doing this.

Also be sure your new kitten is spayed/neutered by 3-4 months old. Kittens as young as 4 months can and do breed and will get pregnant - they don't have to show signs of being in heat to breed.

Welcome to TCS.
It's great that you're doing all your prep in advance. GoldenKitty has some good suggestions. You'll also want to find out what kind of dry food the kitten is being fed so you can start out with the same thing. If it's not the quality you want to feed you need to do a gradual changeover. Mix a little of the new food in with the old, increasing the amount of the new food every day until you have him completely switched over in a week or two. I feed all of my cats and kittens Taste of the Wild, grain-free all stages food. That way I don't have to worry about who's eating what and don't have to change from kitten to adult food.

You need to kitten proof your house. Put locks or child-proof latches on all the cupboard doors where you keep cleaning supplies and any chemicals. Remove all breakable knickknacks from open shelves---yes, even from the top of those 6' tall bookcases. Kitties are well known for their climbing/jumping abilities and they just love to knock things onto the floor. And they still expect you to love them afterward.

Hey, I'd call him a tuxedo, too!

Unless he's gray, and has the same markings. Then I guess it would be a business suit...

Can I have permission to smack you....I really hate "tuxedo" for black/white cats!

Your suggestions have been very helpful. Sorry for the slip-up re: tuxedo. Didn't know I would hit a nerve with a term that the foster family used with me.

Congrats! I know how excited you must be!
Well keep us updated on the little guy!

Just one of my little pet peeves. Been showing cats for a long time. Most people who don't know breeds, colors call them a lot of things that are not correct. Black & White bicolors can have various amounts of color/white. I will agree that the color pattern resembles a tuxdeo, but its really not the proper term to use.

I'm not really mad about it, just trying to correct when I see it. Bicolors can be black/white, blue/white, cream/white, red/white, chocolate/white, etc. And the "tuxedo" pattern can be found in every color - that's why you should not refer to black/white cats as a tuxedo cat....its not a color

Still trying to get hubby to use BLUE insted of grey for colors - he's been to enough cat shows to know this........and his response is "well I've never seen a cat the color of Marge Simpson's hair".....

Welcome to the site! I can't wait to see your new kitty!!!