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New kitten checklist — what supplies and prep do I need?

A real question cat owners ask. Here’s a tool that answers it for your cat — with the sources shown. (ACS-033)

Routine decision

You can act on this at your own pace.

Before pickup

Fact

Food + water bowls · Cat food (life-stage appropriate) · Litter box + litter · Scratching post/pad · Carrier · Bed / resting spot · Toys · Brush/comb · Breakaway collar + ID tag · Nail clippers

Identification

Fact

Use both a breakaway collar with an ID tag AND a microchip — the tag gets your cat home fast, the chip is the permanent backup.

How this was decided — 1 source

www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/general-cat-care — T4 (ASPCA — established US animal-welfare authority) · Tier 3 · verified 2026-07-17
⚠ Sources differ: n/a (no conflict flag).
⚠ Commercial bias: Cite ASPCA. If used commercially, note microchip legal requirements differ by country (e.g., mandatory in England from 2

Rules fired: core supply checklist (EV-004); two-layer ID: tag + microchip (EV-004)