Essential Pet Accessories for New Cat Parents

Essential Pet Accessories for New Cat Parents

A small, complete kit makes the first weeks easier than buying everything at once.

Bowls

A stable stainless or ceramic bowl is easier to clean than thin plastic. Keep water away from litter.

Carrier

A ventilated carrier is useful for vet visits and moving house. Let the cat explore it with the door open at home.

Toys

Wands and small toys support play. Rotate toys so they stay interesting.

Grooming brush

Short regular brushing reduces hair around the home and helps you notice skin changes.

Scratching products

A scratcher protects furniture and lets cats stretch.

Litter accessories

A scoop, mat and a box that is easy to clean matter as much as the litter itself.

Safety

Keep strings, rubber bands and toxic plants out of reach. Browse Pet Accessories.

What you need on day one

Everything else can wait a week. On the first day you want:

• A litter box, litter and a scoop
• A water bowl and a food bowl
• The food the cat is already eating, so nothing changes at once
• A carrier, because the first vet visit comes early
• One safe hiding place — a cardboard box is genuinely fine

What can wait

Cat trees, automatic feeders, water fountains and a large toy collection are all easier to choose after a fortnight, when you know whether your cat climbs, grazes, or ignores anything that is not a string.

Choosing a carrier you will keep

A carrier that opens from the top as well as the front is far easier to get a reluctant cat into, and easier for a vet to examine from. Check it is stable when carried with a cat's weight inside, and that it fits the transport you actually use.

Bowl material and placement

Wide, shallow bowls suit cats better than deep narrow ones, which press on their whiskers. Keep water a short distance from food — many cats drink more when the two are not side by side.

Cheap mistakes worth avoiding

Thin plastic bowls scratch and hold odour, retractable-lead style restraints are poorly suited to cats, and collars without a quick-release safety catch are a genuine hazard for a cat that climbs. Spend on the carrier and the litter box; economise on toys, which get lost anyway.

Kitten-proofing a Bangladeshi flat

Balcony railings, ceiling-fan cords, open water buckets and houseplants are the usual four. Lilies in particular are seriously toxic to cats, so keep them out of the flat entirely rather than merely out of reach.