by Ann E. Smith

Created on: September 03, 2008

There is nothing quite so cuddly and precious as a kitten. Let's face it. They are irresistible! Adopting a kitten can be such a joy, no doubt, but you need to face and prepare for the slightly-less-resistible side of kittens: they are wild and will climb on everything, including your nice furniture!

To prepare your home for a kitten, you need to make sure you have all of the kitty basics, as well as kitty-proof your house as best you can for the adorable ball of fire that is about to take over your house. The better prepared you are, the more you can enjoy your time with the new kitten.

Some tips for preparing to bring kitty home include the following:

1) Purchase the kitty essentials, and put them in place prior to the kitty's arrival. You will want to go a local pet store and load up on some essential kitty items: a sturdy food and water bowl, a litter box, litter, kitten dry food and treats, and lots of fun toys. These are the basics. Since many of these items are bulky, you will definitely want to get these items home and situated before you bring your new pet home.

Find the right place for the litter box, and place a towel or small rug underneath the litter box. While most cats have excellent bathroom habits, a well-placed towel can catch any stray bits of litter that may naturally escape when your kitty leaves the litter box.

You will also want to place a towel underneath the food and water bowls. Kitties often love to move their water bowls around, and then watch the movement of the water. A towel underneath can protect your hardwood floors.

Pick a variety of toys for your cat, as kittens absolutely love to play! Cats adore chasing items on the ends of string, or stuffed toys filled with cat nip. You may also want to consider inflatable cubes they can jump in and out of, as kittens have tremendous amounts of energy! There are countless options, and your kitten will appreciate your selection.

2) Get a scratching post to try to protect your furniture. It's especially important to have a scratching post for kittens, as their claws are particularly sharp. It's also easier to train young cats to use a scratching post. You definitely want to have your cats dig their claws into this instead of your leather sofa.

3) Get a water bottle. As alluded to earlier, kittens are wild little creatures. While that can be adorable, there may be certain things you want to train them not to do, such as jumping on countertops. While there is no full-proof way to train a cat, one

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