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New Kitten Checklist UK: Everything You Need, Priced
Before a new kitten arrives you need a carrier, a litter tray with litter, two bowls, the food it already eats, a scratching post, somewhere to sleep and a wand toy. The kit costs about £98 on a budget, £273 mid-range or £459 premium.
Prices checked 28 September 2026.
A kitten needs less than the pet shop suggests, but the things it does need have to be in the house before it arrives. This list prices each item three ways and links to the buying guide behind each one.
How much does it cost to set up for a new kitten?
About £98 to £459 for the kit, depending on how much you spend on each item, plus £0 to about £400 in vet and admin costs in the first months.
| Level | Kit total | What that buys |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | about £98 | Plain carrier, open tray, basic bowls and post, a box for a bed, dry-led food |
| Mid-range | about £273 | Top-opening carrier, high-sided tray, fountain, small cat tree, Feliway, named kitten food |
| Premium | about £459 | Catit Cabrio, hooded tray, premium litter and food, bigger tree, wool cave, full grooming kit |
The vet and admin costs depend on what the breeder or rescue has already done (see vet and legal costs). For comparison, PDSA's 2024 estimate puts the set-up cost of a cat at about £366, but that figure includes the first vaccinations, neutering and a microchip as well as equipment.
Prints the lists and tables without the site menus.
What do I need for a new kitten?
Before day one you need a carrier, a tray with litter, bowls, food, a scratching post, a bed or box, and a wand toy; the table prices every item worth buying three ways.
| Item | Budget | Mid | Premium | Notes and guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier | £15 | £33 | £43 | Top-opening is easier at the vet. Carrier guide |
| Litter tray | £4 | £19 | £26 | Open or high-sided first; some cats refuse hoods. Litter guide |
| Litter, first month | £13 | £19 | £23 | Start with whatever the kitten already uses |
| Scoop | £1 | £3 | £5 | Metal outlasts plastic |
| Food and water bowls | £6 | £10 | £17 | Ceramic or steel; easy to clean and hard to scratch |
| Water (spare bowl or fountain) | £3 | £28 | £36 | Put water away from food. Fountain guide |
| Kitten food, first month | £25 | £45 | £75 | Same food as the breeder or rescue for two weeks. Food guide |
| Scratching post | £9 | £15 | £27 | Tall and heavy enough not to wobble. Scratcher guide |
| Cat tree | £0 | £32 | £60 | Can wait until the kitten is settled. Cat tree guide |
| Bed | £0 | £15 | £45 | A cardboard box and a blanket works. Basket guide |
| Wand toy | £8 | £11 | £11 | The one toy worth buying on day one. Toy guide |
| Breakaway collar | £6 | £6 | £6 | Snap-open buckle only; usually sold in pairs |
| Feliway Classic starter kit | £0 | £23 | £23 | Plug in a day before arrival; worth it for nervous or rescue cats |
| Brush | £5 | £10 | £27 | Match to the coat. Brush guide |
| Nail clippers | £3 | £4 | £15 | Small scissor-type clippers suit kittens |
| Kitten playpen | £0 | £0 | £20 | Optional; useful with dogs or small children |
| Total | £98 | £273 | £459 |
Typical UK retail prices, checked 28 September 2026 at Zooplus and other UK pet retailers and rounded to the nearest pound. They are a budget guide; the price on the day you buy will differ. Food is an estimate for a first month of kitten feeding: dry-led at the budget end, all-wet premium brands at the top.
Item by item: what to buy
Carrier (£15 to £43)
You need it on day one to bring the kitten home. Budget: a Trixie Capri or Ferplast Atlas (£14 to £37). Mid: a two-door carrier that also opens from the top (around £30 to £35). Premium: the Catit Cabrio (about £43), whose top lifts off so the vet can examine the cat in the base. Buy for the adult size.
Trixie Capri · Amazon Basics top-load · Catit Cabrio
Litter tray, litter and scoop (£18 to £54)
An open tray (from about £4) is fine for a kitten; a high-sided tray such as the Savic Aseo (about £19) cuts litter kicked on the floor. The Catit Jumbo hooded tray (about £26) suits adult cats that dig hard. For litter, Catsan is about £13 for 20 litres, Ever Clean about £17 to £21 for 10 litres and World's Best about £23 for 6.8kg. Keep the kitten on its current litter for the first few weeks, then switch gradually if you want to.
Catit Jumbo hooded tray · Ever Clean · World's Best · metal scoops
Bowls and water (£9 to £53)
Two ceramic or steel bowls cost £3 to £7 each. PDSA suggests several water bowls or a fountain to get more water into a cat, and some cats prefer moving water. A Catit Pixi fountain costs about £28 in plastic or about £36 in steel, with six filters for about £7. A spare bowl in another room does much of the same job for nothing.
Ceramic bowls · Catit Pixi fountain
Kitten food (about £25 to £75 for the first month)
Buy exactly what the breeder or rescue feeds, for at least two weeks, then change over across 7 to 10 days. For reference: Royal Canin Kitten wet is about £13 for 12 pouches, Purina Pro Plan Kitten dry is about £22 to £25 for 3kg, and Lily's Kitchen kitten pâté is about £24 for 19 trays. Kittens eat three or four small meals a day until about six months.
Royal Canin Kitten · Pro Plan Kitten · Lily's Kitchen Kitten
Scratching post and cat tree (£9 to £87)
A sisal post from £9 covers the first weeks; put it by the sofa or wherever the kitten tries to scratch. A cat tree can wait until the kitten has settled and you can see where it likes to sit. The Feandrea range starts at about £31.
Scratching posts · Feandrea cat tree
Bed (£0 to £45)
Kittens sleep wherever they like, often somewhere you did not plan. A cardboard box on its side with a fleece in it is a fine first bed. If you want to buy one, a felt cave (£9 to £50) suits a nervous kitten and a radiator bed (£12 to £33) suits winter.
Toys, collar, Feliway and grooming (£22 to £82)
A wand toy (£8 to £11) is the one toy worth having on day one: it lets you play without putting your hand near the kitten's teeth. If the kitten will ever wear a collar, it must be a breakaway type (a two-pack is about £6). Feliway Classic (about £23 for a starter kit) is optional; it may help a nervous cat settle, but the evidence for pheromone diffusers is mixed. Match the brush to the coat: an Ancol slicker at about £4 or a KONG ZoomGroom at about £10 for short hair, a steel comb and slicker for long hair. Add small nail clippers (about £2 to £5).
Wand toys · Breakaway collars · Feliway Classic · Nail clippers
What vet and legal costs come with a new kitten?
Vet and admin costs run from nothing to about £400 in the first months, depending on what the breeder or rescue has already done. Moving the microchip record into your name is your job either way.
| Item | Typical cost | Often already done? |
|---|---|---|
| Microchip | £10 to £30 | Yes, by breeders and rescues. The law in England requires it by 20 weeks old. |
| Transfer chip to your name | £0 to £15 | No: you have to do this with the database |
| First vaccination course | From £69 at a low-cost vet; more at high-street practices | Yes for GCCF kittens, which leave after their course |
| Neutering | From £102.50 (male) and £190 (female) at a low-cost vet | Rescues usually; breeders sometimes |
| Flea treatment | Frontline Plus about £18 to £21 for 3 doses; prescription products through your vet | Ask what was given and when |
| Insurance | £9.30 a month on average for a cat aged up to three (Confused.com, early 2026); pedigrees and lifetime cover cost more | Breeders and rescues often include 4 to 5 weeks' free cover |
| First health check | Varies by practice | Many practices include one when you register |
Low-cost vet prices are from Animal Trust's published price list; microchip costs from PDSA; the insurance average from Confused.com policies bought January to March 2026. High-street vets set their own prices, so ask for a price list when you register. PDSA advises neutering at about four months old. See the vaccination schedule and whether insurance is worth it.
What should you do when you bring a kitten home?
Keep it in one quiet room with the tray in one corner and food and water in the other, open the carrier and leave the kitten to come out in its own time.
For the next couple of days, keep the kitten in that room. Sit quietly on the floor and let it come to you, and start two short play sessions a day. By the end of the first week, register with a vet, check the microchip is in your name, and let the kitten into more rooms while you watch. Have insurance in place from the day it arrives (check whether the breeder or rescue's free cover has a start date and any waiting period). In weeks two to four you can change its food gradually if you want to and book neutering. Keep it indoors until it is vaccinated and neutered.
Longer versions: the new cat owner guide for the first three months, and cat-proofing your home for the hazards to deal with before arrival.
What don't you need for a new kitten?
You can skip an automatic litter box, a big cat tree in week one, a GPS tracker, calming treats in place of Feliway, and clothes.
- An automatic litter box costs £150 or more, and many are not suitable for kittens under the maker's minimum weight.
- A big cat tree is better bought once you know where the kitten likes to be.
- A GPS tracker is no use yet, because the kitten should stay indoors until it is vaccinated and neutered.
- Calming treats and sprays are optional extras; start with a quiet room and a hiding place.
- Clothes are unnecessary, apart from a post-surgery recovery suit if your vet suggests one.
Printable checklist
Before the kitten arrives
- ☐ Carrier
- ☐ Litter tray, litter (same type as now) and scoop
- ☐ Two bowls, plus water in a second spot
- ☐ Two weeks of the food it eats now
- ☐ Scratching post
- ☐ Bed or box with a blanket
- ☐ Wand toy
- ☐ Feliway plugged in the day before (optional)
- ☐ Safe room ready; windows, cables and toxic plants dealt with
First week
- ☐ Register with a vet and find the out-of-hours emergency vet
- ☐ Transfer the microchip to your name
- ☐ Check vaccination, flea and worm records
- ☐ Feed at the same times every day
First month
- ☐ Insurance in place from arrival day, with no gap when any free cover ends
- ☐ Vaccination course complete
- ☐ Neutering booked
- ☐ Brush and nail clippers introduced