New Kitten Checklist: What to Do in the First 7 Days

The First Week Is About Safety, Not Training

You brought a kitten home and are now auditing every sneeze, every litter trip, every hour under the couch. Most of it is normal. Here is the week day by day, plus the signs that mean call a vet.

Days 1-2: One Safe Room, Not the Whole House

Open the carrier in one quiet room. A cat's sense of safety is enhanced by access to isolated or secluded areas where it feels protected from what it perceives to be potential threats [1], so build in two or three: a box on its side, a covered bed, the gap under a chair.

Add food, water, a litter box set away from both, and a scratching post; normal feline elimination usually occurs away from feeding and resting areas [1], and a post on day one beats redirecting a kitten who has claimed the arm of your sofa. Then kitten-proof: cords, blind pulls, screens.

Days 1-7: Feeding and the Litter Box

Kittens can be weaned onto commercially balanced kitten foods starting at 3-5 weeks of age [2], so one arriving at eight weeks is already on solids. Keep their current food for a week, then switch gradually to avoid diarrhea.

Kittens at 10 weeks of age have a very high energy requirement of 200 kcal/kg body weight/day compared with 80 kcal/kg/day at 10 months of age [2]. The daily food allowance should be split into multiple small meals and fed throughout the 24 h period [3]; three or four meals a day suits most.

The rule of thumb is one litter box for each cat plus one additional box [2], filled with a fine, sand-like, non-scented, clumping material to a depth of at least 1.25 inches (3 cm) [1], with low sides. Remove waste a minimum of once a day and wash the box every 1-4 weeks [1].

Kittens learn voluntary elimination at about 4 weeks of age, start to eliminate in the litter box at 5-7 weeks, and usually begin covering at 7 weeks [1]. A kitten who nibbles the litter is worth flagging.

Days 2-5: The First Vet Visit

Book the first vet visit within a few days with a fresh stool sample. Expect a weight check, exam, retrovirus testing, deworming, and vaccines.

Testing should establish FeLV antigen status prior to vaccination [4]. Core vaccination against panleukopenia, herpesvirus, and calicivirus begins no earlier than 6 weeks of age, then repeats every 3-4 weeks until 16-20 weeks of age [4]. The FeLV vaccine is two doses 3-4 weeks apart beginning as early as 8 weeks of age, and is core for cats under 1 year of age [4]. Rabies timing follows local law.

Deworming is recommended starting at 2 weeks of age and repeating every 2 weeks until regular broad-spectrum parasite control begins, with fecal examinations at least four times during the first year of life [5].

Days 3-7: Handling, Play, and Meeting Your Other Pets

The sensitive socialization period for new experiences, people, and other animals begins as early as 2-3 weeks and may be closing by 9-10 weeks [2], so an eight-week-old arrival has little runway left. A 2025 review of earlier handling studies reports that handling kittens for 5-15 min per day during early life is associated with a reduced latency to approach novel humans [6]. Touch paws, ears, and mouth often; leave the carrier out. Cats weaned before 8 weeks of age were significantly more likely to behave aggressively towards strangers than cats weaned at 12-13 weeks of age [7].

Use wand toys, never fingers; hands that double as toys become a biting problem. Introduce resident pets through a closed door and swapped bedding. When they meet, allow the kitten to approach and engage on their own terms [2].

Your kitten has not read this schedule. A twelve-week-old foster who has met three dogs settles faster than an eight-week-old from a barn litter, and a studio differs from a house with a resident tomcat.

When to See a Vet

• Refusing food for more than 12 hours, or eating less alongside lethargy. Kittens have almost no energy reserve.
• Vomiting or diarrhea more than twice in a day, or any blood in either.
• Labored or open-mouthed breathing, pale or blue gums, or a kitten who is cold and limp. Go to an emergency clinic.
• Straining in the litter box, or no urine passed in 24 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

My kitten has hidden under the bed for two days. Is that normal?

For the first few days, yes; the AAFP/ISFM house-soiling guidelines recommend giving cats secluded places to retreat to. Worry only if it will not come out overnight to eat, drink, or use the box.

How often should I feed my kitten?

AAFP guidance splits the daily allowance into multiple small meals across the 24 h period. The 2021 AAHA/AAFP feline life stage guidelines put kittens at 10 weeks at 200 kcal/kg body weight/day versus 80 kcal/kg/day at 10 months, so three or four meals suits most.

What does a new kitten cost at the vet?

In the US, a basic kitten exam runs $50 to $150, a FeLV/FIV test $35 to $70, bloodwork $100 to $250, and the vaccine series $100 to $250. Spay or neuter comes later: $50 to $150 at a high-volume clinic, $200 to $500 at a full-service hospital.

My kitten does not cover their poop. Is something wrong?

Probably not. Per the AAFP/ISFM house-soiling guidelines, covering urine and feces is innate feline behavior and usually starts at 7 weeks of age, although some cats leave it exposed. Check box size and litter depth if a kitten who covered before stops.

When can my new kitten meet my resident cat or dog?

Not on day one. Keep them separated, swap bedding to trade scents, and feed on opposite sides of a closed door. AAHA/AAFP life stage guidance is to let the kitten approach and engage on their own terms.

Is eight weeks too young to bring a kitten home?

Eight weeks is the common minimum, but earlier separation carries a behavioral cost. In a 2017 Scientific Reports survey of 5,726 cats across 40 breeds, those weaned before 8 weeks of age were significantly more likely to behave aggressively towards strangers than cats weaned at 12-13 weeks of age.

References

1. AAFP/ISFM House-Soiling Guidelines, 2014. https://catvets.com/resource/aafp-isfm-house-soiling-guidelines/
2. AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines, 2021. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10812130/
3. AAFP Feline Feeding Programs, 2018. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11343346
4. AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines, 2020. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11135662/
5. CAPC General Guidelines. https://capcvet.org/guidelines/general-guidelines/
6. Link and Moody, Socialising Kitties, Animal Welfare 2025. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12277100/
7. Ahola et al., Early Weaning Increases Aggression in Cats, Scientific Reports 2017. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5583233/