Cat Care 101: Essential Supplies

Congratulations on making the commitment to bring a feline companion into your home! While I’m sure you’re excited to get your new friend all sorts of fun and enriching items to welcome them home, let’s first make sure you have gotten the big essentials of cat supplies squared away. Providing the appropriate supplies to your new cat from the start will help them settle in quickly and go a long way to preventing potential behavior problems.

One thing to note: I am not including toys in this list of essentials not because they aren’t essential to your cat’s well-being- they absolutely are. Rather, because there are simply too many options to get in to, and toy preference can vary widely from cat to cat.

Food and Water Dishes

Paramount to a healthy cat is access to clean food and water resources, as well as a high-quality diet. Specific diet needs will vary depending on your new cat’s age, medical history, and personal taste preferences. However, cats of all types benefit from a few key design elements that make their dishes both appealing and accessible.

What to Look for in Food Bowls

• Wide, shallow bowls allow cats to eat/drink without their whiskers touching the edges, preventing whisker fatigue.
• Ceramic, glass, or stainless steel dishes are preferred over plastic. In addition to being more prone to harboring bacteria, plastic can also cause an allergic reaction in some cats, resulting in a painful condition known as a rodent ulcer.
• Elevated dishes help promote a posture that both reduces indigestion and is more comfortable for senior cats. You can purchase elevated dishes or simply place your preferred dishes on a stable raised platform.
• Slow feeder bowls, bowls with raised areas that prevent cats from taking huge bites at once are good to have on hand in case your new kitty is prone to eating too quickly. Many of these work well for both wet and dry food options.

What to Look for in Water Bowls

Just like food dishes, water dishes should also be wide to protect sensitive whiskers and, ideally, made of a non-plastic material. This applies to both standard water bowls and water fountains.

• For standard water bowls, select a wide-bottomed or heavy dish that is not easily knocked over.
• For water fountains, I recommend looking for fountains that can be easily dismantled, as it is important to regularly deep-clean fountains, and not all are designed to make this easy. I also recommend choosing one that has a water reservoir, so that your cat can still access their water in the event of a power outage.
  
  Additionally, many styles of water fountains exist, from basic bubblers to fountains that imitate a running faucet. Some designs have interchangeable parts, allowing you flexibility as you learn your cat’s preferences.

Litter Boxes

Not all litter boxes are created equal. While there are lots of aesthetically pleasing or high-tech boxes out there, many of these fail to meet the key requirements of an inviting and accessible litter box, and this can lead to cats choosing to potty anywhere else.

I strongly discourage starting your new cat with any form of robotic litter box and NEVER have one be their only option. I have a Litter Robot 3, and both I and my cats are big fans. BUT they always have equally easy access to a standard litter box, as sometimes they simply prefer that experience. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Additionally, experts recommend having one litter box per cat, plus an extra, as a general formula for success. So, even if you’re just bringing home a solo cat, you should plan on setting up two litter boxes.

To reduce the chances of your new kitty being averse to using their litter box, keep these litter box golden rules in mind:

1. Litter boxes should be large enough for your cat to comfortably enter and turn around in without touching the sides. Cats typically dig a small hole to deposit into, and boxes that are too cramped may prevent this natural behavior or even feel unsafe/confining. Also, no one wants to accidently rub their body or face against a dirty litter box wall.
2. Litter boxes should be easy to get into. While a top-entry box may be tempted for its ability to reduce litter tracking, this isn’t a natural behavior for a cat seeking a place to relieve themselves. In general, a low-entry box will be best received and tolerated by cats of all ages and mobility levels. A large plastic tote bin with a low-entry cut into it is both cheap and highly appealing to most cats!
3. Litter boxes should be adequately filled with clean, unscented clay litter (until you learn your cat’s preferences and tolerances.) Basic clay litter is the most widely tolerated litter substrate and in general, a litter depth of about 2 inches works well, though some cats may prefer more/less.
   
   NOTE: If you decide you’d like to try a different litter type/brand/scent, always keep a litter box with your cat’s preferred/original litter out in case your cat is avoidant of the new litter. If they seem game, transition gradually to the new litter.

Safe Spaces and Cat Carriers

Once you have ensured your new cat is set up with food and water dishes and an appropriate choice of litter box, there is one more supply that can actually fulfill two important roles: a cozy cat carrier.

Cat Carrier Role #1: Safe Transportation

There are MANY different styles of cat carriers out there and it’s increasingly possible to find carriers that are both highly functional while still looking appealing.

When choosing a cat carrier, keep these key safety features in mind:

• Size. Your cat carrier should be large enough for your cat to comfortably turn around in, but not much larger. Cats typically feel more secure in fairly cramped spaces, as long as they can reposition themselves as needed. Additionally, too much free space can be hazardous in the event of an accident in which the carrier is tossed or knocked around, such as a car accident.
• Sturdy zippers/closures. Cats, especially startled cats, can absolutely claw their way out of flimsy or poorly closed carriers. Zippers that have safety clips and door latches that require pressing or maneuvering a latch in a way kitty paws simply can’t are great additional safety measures. Hard-sided carriers should have latches that seat firmly and can’t be bumped loose.
• Structural support. Being transported in a strange flying box can alarm even the most stoic cat, especially if said box is buckling around them. A hard-sided carrier solves this immediately, but you can absolutely find soft-sided carriers with reinforced body structures and bases that will hold rigidly and support your cat’s weight. Also, consider the sturdiness of where you’ll likely be holding the carrier, whether that’s a handle or strap; will it hold up with a 15-20lb cat inside?
• Ease of entry/removal. Top-loading carriers are often the easiest to maneuver a concerned cat into with the least amount of stress. These are also a great option for during vet visits for cats that prefer to stay safely in their carriers. The opposite action, removing the cat, should also be considered, and again, top-loaders are great for this. It can be extremely hard to remove a cat that has crammed itself into the back of a front-entry carrier.
• Washability. Inevitably, at some point, your cat will have an accident (from one end or the other) while in their carrier, or it’ll just get real funky smelling over time. Being able to fully clean a carrier is important, whether that means being able to toss a soft-sided carrier into the washing machine or wiping down a hard-sided one.

Cat Carrier Role #2: A Dedicated Safe Space

What is a safe space?

A safe space is an area that your cat has an extremely positive association with (e.g., where they get special treats) and where they will retreat when they are overwhelmed, scared, or when they simply want a cozy space to nap. This is a space that is consistently available, safe, and secure.

Why provide a safe space for your cat?

Everyone, cat and human alike, deserves to have a space where they feel safe and secure. For a cat entering a new home especially, having a dedicated safe space can help them feel less overwhelmed and boost their confidence. But beyond providing a positive emotional benefit to your cat, mindfully choosing and providing a safe space helps ensure that this space is one that you will have ready access to and control over. This is important both for reducing the likelihood of your cat retreating to an unsafe area where they could get hurt and for helping ensure you can quickly grab your cat in the event of an emergency.

Why use a cat carrier as your cat’s safe space?

The simple answer here is: utility. Your cat WILL need to go into their carrier at various points in their life, from vet visits to evacutations, and the more positive association your cat has with their carrier, the easier it is to get them into said carrier and the lower their stress levels while being transported.

One if the best ways to make a cat carrier more appealing is to leave it out all the time, so it’s not acting as a herald of end times every time it makes an appearance.

Scratching Options

The last essential supply is critical not only for letting your cat fulfill a very natural, necessary behavior but also to avoid potentially negative outlets for this behavior. Cats scratching at furniture is among the top reasons for cat-human conflict and even a reason for cats being surrendered to shelters.

The fact is, cats scratch. It’s a biologically-driven behavior, and it serves many purposes, including scent marking their territory and removing old nail layers. It’s our job as caregivers to provide our cats with a suitable outlet for this behavior.

From the start, you should be providing your new cat with appropriate scratching options. Scratchers don’t need to be fancy; in fact, many cats go absolutely nuts for those basic flat cardboard scratchers. The cat is something they can get a good pawful of grip on.

I recommend getting both a horizontal scratcher option (such as those flat boards) as well as a vertical option that allows your cat to reach upwards and stretch their entire body nice and tall, such as a sisal rope tower. Both motions are beneficial and enjoyable to cats, but some cats really only prefer one or the other.

Supply Summary

Is your new cat feeling even more real now that you’ve gathered your supply list? I hope so!

To recap, the core essentials you need to gather up before introducing your new cat to your home are:

1. Appropriate food and water dishes
2. An accessible and appealing litter box (x1 per cat+1)
3. A sturdy cat carrier/safe space.
4. Appropriate horizontal and vertical scratching options

With these, you can ensure your new cat’s core needs have been met, and as you get to know them better, you can expand their supply list and lavish them with the toys and other enrichment items they so deserve!