New Cat Owners UK: What to Buy, What It Costs, What to Do First
A new cat brings a cluster of upfront costs: the kit, insurance and, for a kitten, the first vaccinations and neutering all land in the same few months. The guides here are ordered by when you need them.
If you only read one, read the priced kitten checklist. It gives a budget, mid-range and premium total for the whole starter kit, and links to the buying guide behind each item.
Read in this order
- Before you choose a cat: choosing the right cat, then rescue cat vs kitten.
- Before you pay for one: monthly costs and, for pedigrees, the breed price guides.
- The week before it arrives: the checklist and cat-proofing.
- In the first month: vaccinations and insurance.
Start here
New kitten checklist UK, priced
Every item you need before the kitten comes home, priced at budget, mid and premium.
Start here
New cat owner guide UK
The first three months: microchip law, registering with a vet, settling in and insurance.
Start hereCosts and insurance
How much does a cat cost in the UK?
PDSA's monthly, set-up and lifetime cost figures, and the bills they leave out.
Costs
Is cat insurance worth it in the UK?
Lifetime vs annual cover, what gets excluded, and when saving the premium makes more sense.
Costs
Best cat insurance UK
Lifetime, annual, accident-only and maximum-benefit policies, and the small print to check.
InsuranceChoosing a cat
How to choose the right cat
Kitten or adult, moggy or pedigree, and whether a cat suits your working hours, other pets and home.
Before you buy
Rescue cat vs kitten
Costs, time and personality compared, and which suits which household.
Deciding
Ragdoll cat price UK
Registered breeder, unregistered and rescue prices, what a kitten should come with, and first-year costs.
Price guide
Bengal cat price UK
Prices by colour and source, the early-generation licence rule, and first-year costs.
Price guideSetting up home
Cat-proofing your home
A room-by-room check for toxic plants, windows, cables and cleaning products.
Home
Indoor vs outdoor cats UK
What Cats Protection and the RSPCA say about indoor and outdoor life, and how to keep an indoor cat busy.
HomeBest microchip cat flap UK
SureFlap, PetSafe and Cat Mate flaps for keeping neighbourhood cats out, plus fitting advice.
Smart tech