Preparing for a Kitten’s Arrival: How I Prepped for Ivy

Welcome to the Wednesday Cats of Catster! Each week, we share a narrative from one in all our cat-loving Catsters. This week is about Crystal and her soul cat, Ivy.

Hello Catsters!

When you’ve learn my introduction, you’ll know a bit about how I adopted Ivy and the way uncertain I used to be that I used to be able to tackle such a giant accountability.

In the present day, I’m going to be taking you thru how I ready for Ivy’s arrival.

Having by no means owned a pet by myself, saying that I used to be nervous is an understatement.

First Issues First: The Cat Provider

After Ivy needed to be taken away from her authentic household (storytime on that to come back!), she was staying with a woman who had her personal rescue shelter.

Ivy needed to be vaccinated and spayed earlier than I may decide her up – one thing that I wholeheartedly agree with.

I used to be requested if I had a cat service and, unusually sufficient, this was the very last thing I had considered. I’ve thought of cat meals, bowls, beds, scratchers, litter packing containers, however not the precise factor I might use to get her to my home. (This will inform you a large number about how I’m as an individual, haha!)

The girl expressed that the cat service is of utmost significance – it shouldn’t be a type of fundamental, plastic cat carriers which are discovered round each nook. It wanted to be sturdy, ideally have a metallic gate/door, and have the ability to lock securely. It might even be excellent if it couldn’t be opened from the highest. All of this to ensure she wouldn’t escape in the course of the 2-hour journey to my home.

This led me on a journey and a half of attempting to find a service that might tick all of those packing containers, in a method that I may afford. I couldn’t consider the costs of those carriers in our native pet outlets. I ultimately ended up shopping for a second-hand, barely used cat service from a really candy previous woman. I totally washed and sun-dried the service and acquired approval from Ivy’s momentary foster mother.

Cat service: verify.

Subsequent Up: The Bowls

Now this was method earlier than I knew about cat whisker fatigue and their dislike for having their water proper subsequent to their meals, so no judgment, please!

I settled for 2 fundamental metallic bowls. Simple to scrub and never needing as frequent changing as plastic bowls.

Meals and water bowls: verify.

The Cat Mattress

So, I knew that cats had a fame for not essentially sleeping of their beds the identical method canine do. All over the place in the home is truthful recreation – together with the sink!

However once I noticed the cutest plaid, spherical, pink cat mattress, it was a no brainer. I thought of the entire cat snoozes she may take, curled up in her cute little mattress. (Yeah, proper. That was not the case in any respect.)

However nonetheless: cat mattress, verify.

The Litter Field and Litter

I had been doing lots of analysis within the days main as much as her arrival, and truthfully, it wasn’t sufficient.

I knew the litter box’s size was really important, however I didn’t actually know the way large/small she was. I settled on a really fundamental, normal litter field and non-clumping, extremely absorbent, biodegradable cat litter.

Litter field and litter: verify.

Final Up: Toys & Equipment

I, as soon as once more, foolishly believed that she would love all of the toys widely available at every pet store. Little squeaky mice, light-up balls, and even a self-moving mouse.

I might later discover out that no, she really hates all of these.

Out of the entire toys I acquired for her, the one actual winner was the wand toy! (Despite the fact that that curiosity didn’t final lengthy.)

I additionally acquired her a collar and a nametag together with her title and our quantity on, simply in case.

I additionally acquired her a cat tree made by one more very candy woman, who I discovered on one in all our Fb teams. Granted, it wasn’t the prettiest or the sturdiest, nevertheless it must do for the primary couple of weeks. Oh, and we additionally saved each single field we had from buying our first kitchen home equipment, as one does.

And that checked off the final on my listing: toys & equipment.

This was the lengthy and in need of how I prepped for Ivy’s arrival! I used to be slightly misinformed on the time, and my judgment might have been clouded by my pleasure. However the fundamentals acquired us by way of the primary few weeks!

Since then, we’ve upgraded large time.

Ivy now has:

And this listing retains rising, each single week. As a result of truthfully, she deserves it!

How did you put together on your cat’s arrival? Are there some belongings you want you knew beforehand? What are some belongings you’ve modified or acquired additional since then?