Getting ready
What to buy before the kitten arrives
A one-evening list: litter box, litter, scratching post, bowls, food. Nothing extra — just the first week.
The list is short on purpose: everything else is bought along the way, once you see what the kitten likes. Buy these before it arrives — on the first evening there is no time to run round the shops.
Essential for day one
- Litter box. Get an adult-sized one straight away, with a higher rim — the kitten will grow into it in a couple of months. A Maine Coon needs a large box; a standard one will be too small.
- Litter — the same one used at the cattery. This is the one item where you cannot experiment: changing the litter in the first days is the most common reason for puddles next to the box.
- Two bowls. Ceramic or metal, shallow. Put the water separately from the food, in a different part of the room.
- Food from the cattery. For the first two weeks the kitten eats what it ate before. A new food is introduced later and gradually, mixed into the old one.
- Scratching post. Stable and tall, so the cat can stretch to full height. A wobbly one it will knock over once and never go near again.
- Carrier. Needed on arrival day and later for the clinic.
Can be bought in the first week
- A bed or a house — though more often the kitten picks its own spot.
- Wand toys. Balls and mice on the floor are less popular than whatever the owner is playing with.
- A cat tree with shelves, if there is room: both breeds love height, Bengals especially.
- A brush — a slicker and a comb for a Maine Coon, a rubber brush is enough for a Bengal.
What to prepare in the flat
Move cables and small objects off the floor, close the windows or fit a cat-proof screen (a mosquito net will not hold a cat’s weight), and remove houseplants — many are poisonous. For the first few days keep the kitten in one room rather than letting it roam the whole flat at once.
What I give with the kitten
food for the first days, the litter it is used to, and a feeding guide. You can write with any question a month later, or a year later.
Read on
More guides
What comes with the kittenPedigree certificate, pedigree, vet passport and microchip: what they are, how a certificate differs from a pedigree, and what you should have in hand on handover day.Genetic tests: what is checkedWhich hereditary mutations are screened in Bengals and Maine Coons, and why the parents’ tests matter more than a vet’s certificate.What goes into a kitten’s priceMating, food, vaccinations, tests, papers. Why a cattery kitten costs more than one from a classifieds site.Bengal or Maine Coon: which to chooseTemperament, coat, size, attitude to children and to being alone — so you choose a breed to fit your life, not a photo.
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