Tell me the essentials for getting your first cat! Looking for good versions of basic cat owner stuff so I only have to buy the things once. 🐈‍⬛

Question

Sophia You · Answer

shop around for a good vet: much like human healthcare..find a place to go where you trust and like the doctors and staff! even if your kitty is perfectly healthy it’s always good to have a team nearby to help in case something goes down. i wasted time and money on a place that sucked for too long because I was a first time cat owner and didn’t know better. your gut + yelp reviews will lead the way.

molly · Answer

triangular cat carrier: not only easier to get the cat in, but makes them easily accessible at the vet! a significantly less stressful experience for humans and cats alike.

Taryn · Answer

Total Cat Mojo: I know this sounds really corny, but it’s a great primer on cat behavior and what your cat needs to be happy and healthy!

Eric F · Answer

Elevated, Whisker-friendly Pet Bowls 🐱: We use a cake stand and shallow stainless steel dishes, but whatever works. Helps with digestion, reduces straining, and prevents a robot vacuum from running over and grinding wet food into its wheel wells (whoops.)

Karen Fischer · Answer

Prepare for unique cat personalities: This isn't a physical item, but more of an expectation. Every cat has a different personality, and set of life experiences that makes them that way. Example: A few years ago I adopted a cat with my husband, and she was a stray that was so young I don't think she ever had a home. She was really afraid of everyone, and isolated herself for a long time from us until she got comfortable. Don't throw things in their faces to entertain them and expect they're going to love every little thing. Just be patient.

Karin Connor · Answer

Skip the bowl and feed out of puzzle feeders!: Helps with weight, mental and physical stimulation and stress. So good

Amy · Answer

Yeowww! Catnip: The only catnip toys my cat has ever paid attention to.

Clara · Answer

Pidan expandable backpack carrier: Most importantly by far, my cat adores this - it’s one of her favorite places to hang out, period. She feels safe and comfy, and once you’re a cat person you know that that is a HIGH bar for carriers. This Chewy bed is a perfect fit inside, and adds a ton of comfort. I also love that it’s both a backpack style (much easier for schlepping) and expandable. You can even fit a small travel-size litter box inside the expanded side.

All that said, the carrier isn’t a *perfect* design - but I followed the lead of an Amazon reviewer who suggests adding a board to the inside of the “floor” to stabilize it and not sag under the cat’s weight, and it’s made a massive difference. Feel free to message if you’d like more deets about how I did that. It also isn’t technically TSA-approved, though I have gone on over a dozen flights (comfortably! My girl likes to travel, funnily enough) and never had an issue. All in all, I truly recommend it, albeit with these caveats.

Clara · Answer

Using soy sauce plates for your cat’s wet food: Pretty, microwaveable (if you wanna do that), and better for their skin than plastic.

Clara · Answer

This cat hammock that suctions to the window: My cat — like most, a creature of habit — religiously spends her mornings on this, which is in a north-facing window, then transitions to sunnier climes later in the day.

It also happens to be the chicest cat furniture I’ve ever seen.

Clara · Answer

Turbo Springs Interactive Cat Toys, 8-Pack: Springs are far and away the best cat toy of all time, but these particular ones are the most crazy-making I’ve ever seen. My little lady goes truly bananas for them. Their ballistic capacities are something else.

Clara · Answer

IKEA’s genius cat scratching mat: This fills a true unmet need: it turns already-existing furniture — in my case, usually a table leg — into a cat scratching post. And it’s a well-loved scratching post at that, at least in my household.

Plus, these things are so affordable that I’ve gone ahead and stockpiled a few, just in case one day IKEA discontinues them.

Josie · Answer

adding hydration to your cat’s food: feeding your cat enough wet food is essential especially for boys! cats are usually not drinking enough water so adding some forms of hydration to their food is good for them. my cats like the Reveal brand wet food and i like that it looks like actual chicken/tuna/etc and not a weird pate paste thing…

alie k. · Answer

IRIS Top Entry Cat Litter Box with Scoop, White/Beige, Large: i have two cats and several of these bad boys. they’re discreet and the shape makes it easy to slide into small spaces. throw a litter mat under it and it stays neat!