Kittens are extremely cute but they can be incredible brats, let's face it. What can you do to prepare? How can you take care of these little monsters properly? You love kittens; otherwise you wouldn't be reading this, and you want to prepare. How do you get ready? Is it a big deal?
My girlfriend and i two years ago, learned firsthand what we needed to prepare, after getting the last two kittens out of a litter that was left at the front door of a local pet store. They were adorable of course, and had no full idea what we were in for.
I have to say, one of the more entertaining parts about having them was getting all the things they needed AFTER we got them. However, no doubt there are some obvious things you need to do in preparation, as well as some simple procedures you can do to make life more tolerable for your new "angels.
I have to hand it to my girlfriend, she was already mentally preparing, and all i was worried about was them pooping on the floor. We had already picked up a feeding dish and a litter box with some tools to go with it, some kitty litter, and some food.
Food Dish:
Since we had two kittens, we used both sides of the feeding bowl, and had a separate dish for water, but obviously this was just a personal choice. We had one kitten that liked to eat more than the other and at the time we were more worried that one would get huge and the other would starve to death. Always make sure your kittens have lots of water! You won't know that you need it until your kitten starts eating, but a nice placemat that goes under the food is a nice commodity.
Food:
An obvious need is kitten food, and NOT cat food. Try to do a bit of investigating on your own in which is diet is better than others. You would be surprised, when asking people in pet stores, in what you can learn about what is best for your new kitten. Fortunately for us, my girlfriend's sister at the time made some reasonable suggestions that we went with immediately.
Litter Box:
We got the standard litter box (at first), and the little scoop, as well as a multi-cat litter that at the time seemed to work just fine. When we brought the kitten's home, one of them luckily left a little poop surprise in the box. We set the litter box where we wanted it, poured the litter in and I put the "smelly surprise" right in the middle of the box. Then we released the kittens for the first time right out of the box, I held them near the box, so they could smell, and show them that that's where it belonged. Letting them explore from that point gave them a mental map of where they had to go, every time. They never miss, and always go where they are supposed to. If your kittens are on a good pattern of going where they are supposed to, obviously keep it clean. Any feline will show its disapproval with its litter box by going somewhere else!
Furniture:
If you value your furniture, it is best to get scratching posts to distract your cats from using your couches, or anything else. Things to chew on like electrical cords should most likely be out of kittens reach also. Observe any small area's that you may not want your kitty to get into. If you do not want your new friend going under your dresser, then make sure it's blocked off somehow.
Keep an EYE on them if you can!
I'm not joking; one of our kittens quickly leaped into the fridge without us knowing and had a snack in there for at least 10 minutes with the door closed! Once we heard muffled meowing, we opened the fridge in horror to find him happy, but cold and full of roast beef!
Vet:
I would advise you to bring your new kitten to the veterinarian for its first checkup. From this point you can ask tons of questions, as well as establishing a place for future checkups, and a place to go (that already knows your pet) if god forbid if your kitten gets sick or got into something they shouldn't have (ex: extra long Christmas tinsel). Talk to your vet about declawing (see furniture above) when your kitten is old enough. If you choose not to declaw your kitten, your vet will most likely recommend the type of nail trimmer that you will need, and how to use them properly.
Training:
Felines and are hard to train, but we have to try anyway, especially when they are young. Having set many precautions to help them be safe, remember that they are kittens and they will get into everything else if they can get away with it. For this I like to have a can of compressed air or a squirt bottle handily available just in case if they need some extra training. Always have some treats ready for your kitten, as the reward system works pretty well in some situations. If we can't seem to find one of them, one shake of the snack package has them usually coming out of wherever they are hiding.
Toys and Entertainment:
I wouldn't worry about toys much, since they will play with anything. If you are lucky you will be able to hold onto anything shiny that is accessible to their reach (or leap!).
Enjoy your kittens; they will be furry monsters soon!