If you're thinking of getting indoor cats, my advice is to stock up on a few basic cat supplies before you even go look at cats. Because even if you're not completely convinced you'll get a cat before you go to the pet shelter, chances are fairly good that one of those sweet little faces will persuade you on the spot. You'll have a new kitty before you know it. It's best to be prepared!
Hopefully, you can avoid the mistakes I made! Listed below are some of the essential supplies that are going to make bringing your brand new kitty home go a lot better than it did for me and Cody.
Food
Choose a variety of foods and flavors, including both wet and dry formulas. It's well known that cats can be finicky so you’ll want to maximize your chance of supplying your new cat with something he will like to eat. This is especially important as he goes through what can be a stressful period of adjustment during that first week or so.
I recommend you stick with high quality cat food with good levels of protein. Look for ten percent protein for wet food and thirty to forty percent for dry.
Note that grain-free, canned food is generally recommended as best for optimal feline health. This diet will help your cat avoid costly health issues such as obesity, urinary tract infections, and diabetes.
Stay away from foods that have corn (occasionally listed as “maize”), wheat, soy, and rice, particularly if they are shown as the first ingredients. Cats do not need grains! They're carnivores.
Eventually, you will want to feed your cats more fowl or poultry based foods, like chicken, turkey, or duck rather than fish, which should only be fed maybe one or two times per week.
Recommended Canned Food:
- Evo
- Freshpet Select
- Innova
- Nature’s Variety Instinct
- Simply Nourish by PetSmart*
- Wellness (grain free), especially the chicken formula
- Weruva*
Recommended Hard Food:
- Nature’s Balance Ultra Premium Dry
- Nature’s Variety Instinct
- Wellness CORE
*Cody's favorites
Although it’s true these varieties can be more expensive than grocer's brands, your cat won't need to consume nearly as much, due to the higher quality of the ingredients. For example, I happened to have some cat food that contained rice; Cody easily ate double the amount as compared to a grain-free item.
Dishes
You can wait and use your own dishes, however should you decide to purchase them at this point, pick out bowls that are heavy or rubber-edged to prevent slipping. Stainless steel is encouraged. Plastic and ceramic bowls can scratch, creating crevices where bacteria can grow.
Bowls that have a nice contour or slope on the inside are preferable for wet food, which tends to get stuck in the corners of the bowl as your cat eats.
Litter box & Scoop
A large, uncovered litter box with tall sides is encouraged, as compared to covered boxes which will trap odors. These types of boxes are very affordable and are a great starting point.
If your intention is to get a kitten, make sure that one of the ends is low enough for a kitten to step across. If you're looking to get a young or mature cat, make certain the box is roomy enough so that he’s not forced to step in his own business. Think 'clean paws.'
Rubbermaid offers a really nice, good-sized litter box that has tall sides and a “scooped out” access point that even larger kittens could use.
If you're planning on multiple indoor cats, buy at the very least one litter box per cat to get started. Know that the rule of thumb is one box per cat plus one.
And be sure to buy a litter scoop to clean out the cat litter box! It's best to choose a scoop with very narrow slats to catch the most debris. Keeping the box spic and span is the best thing you can do to make sure your cat develops and keeps good litter box habits! Scoop at least once or twice daily!
Cat Litter
Many cats prefer scent-free litter, and litter that clumps is recommended. The best cat litter I’ve used is Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat, multiple cat formula. This clumps well, and that goes a long way toward keeping the litter box clean. ScoopAway’s unscented clumping cat litter is a fine choice as well.
Toys
Playing with your cat will help you bond with him more quickly. Plus it's usually pretty entertaining!
Almost all cats love to bat at a feathery toy on a string, so that would be a great place to begin.
You can also pick up a laser pointer toy for a few bucks. My cat has a blast chasing that little light all over the house. You’ll both have fun with this one!
And finally, catnip is a terrific ice breaker!
Scratching Post
Cats need to scratch! It’s very important that indoor cats have a scratching post or pad as an acceptable outlet for this exercise.
There are many types to pick from. To begin, just be sure that what you end up with is stable and won’t tip over when a cat puts his or her weight on it. If all else fails, a piece of firewood or carpet sample will work just fine.
Cody absolutely adores his SmartyKat “ScratchScroll,” a wave-style scratcher that I got at Target for about $20, (unfortunately, I can't find it on their web site). PetSmart carries something similar, the Dream Curl Curved Scratcher, for $29.
Crate & Travel Accessories
As to size, you’ll want to find a crate that will enable a full grown cat to comfortably turn around inside. These come in hard-sided and soft-sided models, the latter of which is easier to store if space is an issue.
If you have to travel longer than an hour to transport your cat home, you might want to purchase a bottle of Feliway to relax your cat for the ride home. This product mimics the cat’s pheromones and has a quieting effect. Simply spray it into the crate prior to loading up your cat. Using this product at home may also help relax your cat as he adjusts to his new home.
Congratulations! Now that you have all the essential supplies for indoor cats, you're now ready to start the best part: picking out your new cat or kitten!
