You’re going to buy your very first cat! You want to prepare your home for their arrival so that they have everything their little feline heart desires. You’ve already put together a shopping list of items like cat beds, toys and treats. All of these items are great, but they shouldn’t be your top priorities.
These are the essentials you’ll want to get your hands on first:
A Cat Carrier
A good quality carrier is essential for safely transporting your cat by foot or vehicle. You’ll need it to bring them to their vet appointments and grooming salon sessions. You’ll also need it in emergency situations when you must evacuate your house, like if there is a prediction for severe flooding in your neighborhood.
You might be given a cardboard cat carrier to bring your cat home for the first time, but this is a temporary item. It’s not something you can use in the longterm.
A Litter Box
Every cat needs its own litter box. So, if you decide to get yourself two cats, you will have to get two litter boxes. You shouldn’t force them to share a single box. You may also want to get multiple litter boxes for a single cat if you have a large, multi-story home. Put a box somewhere on each story so that your cat doesn’t have to travel far to relieve themselves.
What type of box should you get? What type of litter should you get? Where should you put the box? If all of these questions are plaguing you, you should look up advice on litter boxes from The Humane Society of the United States.
Brushes
You will want to purchase a few cat brushes before your cat gets home. While your cat will groom themselves every single day, they will need a little extra assistance to make sure that their coat is sleek and healthy. Brushing them regularly should prevent their coat from getting tangled and matted. It should also make them less likely to cough up hairballs all over your carpet.
Pet First Aid Kit
You have a first aid kit sitting underneath your bathroom sink in case you or anyone else in your house gets injured. Well, you will need to add another first aid kit to that storage spot. This first aid kit will be for your cat. To get an idea of what to put in your pet’s first aid kit, look at the recommendations of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
Pet Insurance
You’re signed up for health insurance to help cover the costs of your medical treatments. You can do something similar for your new cat by signing up for pet insurance. Pet insurance can help you cover the costs of certain veterinary treatments, including treatments for accidental injuries (for example, ingesting something toxic).
Without pet insurance, you might have to pay some hefty out-of-pocket costs for certain treatments. In that case, you could turn to the savings sitting inside of your emergency fund for help. If you don’t have a fully stocked emergency fund now, you should consider building one as soon as possible. It’s an excellent safety net for pet owners to have.
Without pet insurance or an emergency fund, you might not be able to afford surprise treatment costs. In that case, you could turn to a borrowing solution like a personal line of credit for help instead. Learn about all of the benefits of using a line of credit to see why this could be an effective option when you don’t have savings on hand. It should only be used in cases of emergencies. Do not use a line of credit to cover basic expenses, like simple veterinary check-ups.
These items may not be as fun to purchase as toys and treats, but they’re essential. Make sure that you get them all for your new furry friend!