Your New Kitty’s Shopping list

FOOD – Your new kitten will be coming home with what he/she is currently being fed in both canned food and dry. Once your kitten settles and you choose to change food there are a great many choices out there. All cats are obligate carnivores and Siberians require quality protein without all the meat byproducts. One will NOT find quality food brands to keep your baby in top shape in the grocery store’s pet food aisle.
Cats are obligate carnivores so limiting dry food and the carbohydrates they contain is important to their health. Making sure your kitten has a diet rich in quality protien as in canned wet food or raw food (ask your vet which brand and variety is best) will help your kitten grow into a healthy adult. From a wellness standpoint wet food/raw will increase moisture intake and only benefit the digestive and urinary tract system of the feline. We hear a lot about urinary tract issues these days and feeding your kitten in this manor will benefit their health in many different ways.

FOOD BRANDS – Raw food we like is, 'Small Batch', both Turkey and Rabbit varieties. Canned wet food varieties we like–Merric Real Turkey Recipe, Weruve Paw Lickin Chicken, Royal Canin Mother & Baby Cat and Kitten. Preferred dry food–Merric Purrfect Bistro Grain Free Healthy Kitten Recipe.

WATER – It is vital that your kitten has adequate intake of fresh clean water. If you have bowls set out for water make sure they are cleaned and changed daily. I love using a fountain for my cats. The fountain I use has two filters and a UV light system to kill unwanted bacteria and viruses. I will include a link in the Amazon links section of this website.

LITTER & LITTER BOX– Having so many choices of litter boxes can make choosing one a challenge. Keep it elementary when you first get your kitten. Use a very simple, open style litter pan so your new baby can find the litter box easily and avoid accidents. Some may want to place two litter boxes if you have a two story home, one upstairs and one downstairs so your kitten knows where to go or if your home is extra large. This will be helpful to your kitten as he/she navigates and becomes completely comfortable with the new surroundings. Other more popular types of litter boxes like Litter Robot, top entry or covered litter boxes can be introduced later.
When choosing litter keep in mind your new kitten will be used to ‘Scoop Away’ which is 99.9% dust free, Tidy Cat, and pellets. Both Scoop Away and Tidy Cat are popular choices and easy to find. Costco carries Scoop Away. Be sure to choose a ‘low dust’ litter, as too much litter dust may cause respiratory issues.

FOOD DISHES– One would think this is an easy purchase, but there are choices to consider. I prefer water and food dishes made of stainless steel, glass, and melamine. I use a flat melamine dish for wet and raw food. Like stainless and glass, melamine makes it easy to just throw it in the dishwasher for cleaning. Keep it simple, no need for fancy. If you choose to use paper plates just make sure they are the brand that won't absorb the moisture from meat or canned wet food. If at all possible avoid plastic as there is a possibility that plastic dishes may cause chin acne in cats.
You’ll want to make sure that the dishes you serve water and food in are stable enough that your kitten will not knock it over, and far enough away from each other that she/he doesn't splash water into their food bowls. I find a rubber mat or absorbable mat is a good idea to place under their food and water area. It makes cleanup that much easier.

FURNITURE & TOYS – Siberians adore and thrive with active playtime. They look forward to their daily routine with you. To go shopping for your new baby is always the fun part. But don’t go crazy, for budget's sake! First, you’ll want to find out what type of toys your kitten likes before investing in a ton of playthings. Always remember to keep it simple, but stimulating. A wand that has interchangeable flys or feathers is a good investment, along with plastic springs, and wool balls. All toys mentioned here will be listed under our ‘Amazon links’. Cat trees are an essential purchase and highly recommended. This furniture, no matter the size, gives your kitten a place to climb, jump, scratch and perch to get a view of their new home and family. Also, consider purchasing a new scratching post and placing it next to your favorite cloth covered chair or couch to encourage your little one to use the post and not your furniture. Positive reinforcement with treats whenever the kitten uses the scratch post will help to train him/her.

BLANKETS & BEDS – Siberians have a triple layer of fur so they will not need a sweater like a sphynx or other kittens that are sparsely furred. But they do enjoy a soft bed or fleece blanket to snuggle in. I purchase inexpensive fleece blankets at Walmart for my cats. They are easy to throw in the washer and last a longtime. Stuffed, soft cat beds are a nice addition and can be found for less at your local home decor store like TJ Maxx, Ross or HomeGoods, along with other cat products. Another item my cats really love is the “Cat Cave”. This bed/hideout can be found on Amazon. The “Cat Cave” is made of wool and stands up nicely to the active large cat. Mine love to play and sleep in them.

GROOMING SUPPLIES – To keep your kitty well groomed and mat free you will need a few items. A quality comb like the ‘Chris Christensen 000 7.5 in. comb, found on Amazon. It may be a little pricey but is truly worth the purchase. This comb will help to brush out any loose/shedding fur and small mats, if any. You will need a good nail trimmer to trim their sharp little nails–found at any pet store or big box store like Target. Cats are usually very clean animals and Siberians really don't require weekly baths, but If you plan, once in a while, to bathe your baby yourself, a gentle shampoo (like Johnson’s baby shampoo) is fin. Other items one might need are cotton pads for cleaning delicate ears, and pet wipes for cleaning around sensitive eyes and face.

CAT CARRIER – You will need a safe cat carrier for the ride home and traveling for vet visits, etc. It is not only a safe way for your baby to travel, it also gives your kitten a sense of security in a moving vehicle. Try to purchase one that allows your baby to grow. Both soft sided and plastic carriers are equally good choices. Bonus of the plastic carrier is that it is easily disinfected and can be used for other pets as well. Remember to place a soft pad, towel, mat or fleece blanket in the bottom of the carrier for them to snuggle in while they travel.