New kitten checklist

The essentials are food and water bowls, the kitten food your breeder or shelter uses, at least one litter tray and litter, a bed or cosy hideaway, a scratching post, a secure carrier, toys including a wand toy, and a grooming brush, plus cat-proofing your home and removing any lilies and toxic plants. The full tickable list is above, so you can work through it before your kitten arrives.

Set your kitten up in one quiet room at first rather than the whole house, show it the litter tray, food, and bed, and let it explore and come to you at its own pace. Keep things calm, limit visitors, and give it places to hide so it feels safe. Keep feeding the same food it had before, then change it over gradually to avoid an upset tummy.

Keep a kitten indoors until it is fully vaccinated and neutered, and settled in its new home, which is usually from around six months old. Letting a kitten out too early risks disease, getting lost, and unwanted litters. Your vet will confirm the right time. When you do start, do it gradually, before a meal, and supervised at first.

Yes. In England, microchipping cats is a legal requirement, and it is strongly recommended everywhere as the best way to be reunited with a lost cat. Many kittens are already chipped by the breeder or shelter, so check the paperwork, keep your contact details on the microchip database up to date, and register the chip to you.