So you have decided to bring home a kitten, or maybe two! Here are some things you will want to have ready before the big day! **Note: If viewing on your phone, links to products will appear at the bottom of the page.

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• A clean litter box full of fresh litter. If your home is large, you may need two. We will have your kitten litter box trained before they go home with you. In order for a successful transition to their new box, we recommend buying Dr. Elsey's "Kitten Attract" Litter. It is a little spendy, but comes with a success guarantee. Once you are confident in your kitten's litter box skills, you can slowly switch to a different kind. (Mix the two, then slowly decrease the amount of kitten attract.) You may need to experiment with different types of litter. Recently we have been using a type that we have only found at Wal-Mart.  It's called "Vibrant Life Mini Crystals." We feel like it absorbs odors well, and doesn't break the bank. One more thing to note:  If your kitten has an accident, don't punish them. They won't understand and it could harm your relationship! Cats naturally want to bury their waste, so give it time!  If your kitten does have an accident, the Nature's Miracle line of products are AMAZING!! The guy at Petco told me, "it will work on anything that comes out of a living thing -- including my roommates throw up." Ha! It really is amazing and we also use it frequently on our kids' mattresses...... ;)

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• Research and choose your kitten's future veterinarian. You will want to have an appointment already scheduled ahead of time for within the first four days of bringing your kitten home.  Your vet will be your best resource!

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• Food. It's important that they have the right food for the developmental stage they are in. Your kitten will need food labeled especially for kittens, or one that says it's for all life stages. We use primarily dry food, but wet food is good too. Your vet can give you advice. Here is the company our vet highly recommends:

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• Pure bred kittens and cats such as ours are more prone to urinary issues. Because of this, it is important to make sure you are providing them with high quality food. Make sure your kitten always has fresh water available. You may even want to get a cat fountain for them. Here's one similar to what we have:

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• Soft spots for your kitten to lay on. These can be blankets draped in various locations, and/or a pet bed. However, don't be surprised if their favorite spot is on the bed with you! I also appreciate cat beds that flow seemlessly with the style of my house, like these woven baskets:

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• Cat toys. Kittens AND grown cats need to play throughout the day. We like to say they are like, "miniature lions" who need to go on the prowl! Our cat's favorite toy is the laser pointer, especially in the evening when they become extra frisky! If you have two kittens, then your kitten will have a built-in playmate. Don't be alarmed if they rough-house together, it's fun for them! If one gets too feisty, the other will let them know!

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• Grooming. It's important to brush your cat and keep their nails clipped. Brush your cat once or twice a week and clip their nails about every two weeks. When clipping their nails, keep them calm on your lap and gently squeeze their paw. You are only going to clip the white part of the nail. The pink part is where the nerves and blood are -- don't clip that far! It's better to err on the cautious side. You may not be able to clip all claws in one sitting, and that's okay. We like to reward our cats with a treat afterwards.  Having a scratching post is also a great way for cats to naturally shed their claws. Hopefully it will deter them from scratching your furniture instead!  We have two ways we brush our cat's fur. One is a brush, the other are gloves. We love our gloves the most! They get so much fur off, it's crazy. Plus your cats just feel like they are getting a nice massage!       

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       These are all our favorite pet recommendations! We hope this will help get you started!