Bringing home a kitten: the first thirty days

Kittens do not benefit from the run of a house on day one. A large, unfamiliar space with no identifiable safe corner produces a kitten who hides under furniture for a fortnight.

Start with one room

Set up a single room — a bathroom or spare bedroom works — with everything the kitten needs and nothing they can be hurt by.

• A litter tray at one end, food and water at the other. Cats will not reliably use a tray next to their food.
• A covered hiding spot: a cardboard box on its side is genuinely better than most purchased igloos.
• Something vertical to climb. Height is where cats feel safe.
• Toys that move, and no toys with loose string or small detachable parts.

Let the kitten come out on their own schedule. Sit on the floor, read something out loud, and don't reach for them. Expanding to the rest of the house works best over a week or two, one room at a time.

Health, in the first week

Book a vet check within the first few days, even if the kitten appears well. That visit should cover:

• A general examination and weight
• Deworming — most kittens from Indian streets and shelters carry worms
• A check for ear mites and fleas
• The vaccination plan: FVRCP from around eight weeks, rabies from twelve

Litter training

Kittens mostly train themselves if the setup is right. Use an unscented, fine-grained litter, keep the tray scrupulously clean, and provide one tray per cat plus one extra. If a kitten starts going outside the tray, that is nearly always a problem with the tray, the location, or health — not defiance.

Handling and socialisation

The window for socialisation in cats closes early — around nine weeks. Within whatever time you have, handle the paws, look in the ears, touch the mouth, and do it gently and often, paired with a treat. The adult cat who tolerates nail trims and medication is made in these weeks.

Kitten-proofing

Lilies are lethal to cats. So are several houseplants. Secure window grilles and balcony gaps — "high-rise syndrome" is a real and regular emergency. Tuck away loose wires, hair ties and thread; linear foreign bodies are among the more serious things we take out of kittens.