There’s nothing more exciting than bringing home a new kitten. Congratulations on the new addition to the family! Plenty of love, laughter, fun, and games lie ahead! 

When you take your kitten home, he/she will have all the vaccinations, will have a microchip, and will be neutered/spayed. 

When we meet, we will provide all the current vet records, TICA registration, and a carrier that is FAA approved with a piece of the blanket that each litter receives when they are born.

You’ll need to get your home prepared for the arrival of your new kitty. There’s quite a bit of equipment and supplies you need to have on hand for when they arrive. Over the years we have created and optimized a list of recommendations for our families. We continue to make additions to the list as we try new products on the market.

The list should cover everything you need to get started. As you get to know your little cat, you can change your list of essential supplies to suit your needs better.

SMALL QUIET PLACE FOR THE FIRST FEW DAYS

Prepare a small quiet room for your kitten. The first few days are always very stressful.
 

Find a quiet comfortable place for him/her and put there a pillow, toilet, and plates with food and water. Water and food should be far enough from the toilet.
 

It’s very important to keep your kitten in a small area at least for one day, especially if you have a big house. Your kitten should start using the litter box first, and then you can let her/him explore the rest of your house slowly.
 

The first few days your kitten can hide or be very vocal, it’s normal (new place, new smell, no mom or siblings around).
She/he might not eat anything for the first few hours, do not worry, just give him/her time.
 

You can use this Cat Calming Pheromone diffuser to help him/her adjust

https://amzn.to/4bE3ZtR

Stainless steel is often the best option for your cat's food and water bowls since it's durable and easy to clean and disinfect. Glass and ceramic come in second, but they're not nearly as durable as stainless and can chip or break easily. Plastic bowls, while somewhat durable, can easily get scratches and nicks where bacteria can hide and result in a case of digestive problems for your cat, so these come in last.

Here's a link to the bowls we recommend (this link sends you to Amazon) 

Steel Bowls for Water/Food

https://amzn.to/4bsBRu1

https://amzn.to/4aaY7aG 

Ceramic Bowls for Food 

https://amzn.to/3wlV9m6

https://amzn.to/4bt1IlN

Water fountain we recommend:

Water fountain - https://amzn.to/3zitQux

Replacement filters - https://amzn.to/3BfQpAq

Your cat's water bowl should be placed 3-5 feet away from its food bowl. Many cats cannot stand the scent of food near their water.

For your cat's optimal health and wellness, it's important that you do all you can to protect them from dehydration. Along with feeding raw/canned food (to which you can even add a bit more water), you should also put out several different fresh water sources throughout your home, and especially in the rooms where your kitty loves to hang out. Use bowls of all different sizes and depths, and perhaps even some mugs or glasses of water as some cats like to drink from those. A well-hydrated cat is at lower risk for conditions such as bladder inflammation, bladder and kidney stones. 

You can read more about the urinary track problem here:

https://exclusiveblues.com/blog/f/urinary-blockage-in-cats-a-real-emergency

We feed all our cats and kittens the highest quality food products. We do a lot of research, and network with other breeders to find the best products for our cats. Choosing a high-quality food from the hundreds of available brands can be challenging. 

We feed our kittens Vivapets raw food (twice a day), and Orijen kitten dry food (available 24/7).

Here are links (these links take you to Amazon):

Orijen Dry Kitten Food - https://amzn.to/4a9u7fp

We’ve done a lot of research and in our experience raw food is the healthiest option. 

Viva Raw Food comes premixed and they customized the blend based on your specific kitten’s information. 

If you choose raw here is the link to Viva Raw Food -

vivarawpets.com/EXCLUSIVEBLUES

You will have 20% off your first order (applied at checkout). 

We recommend mainly chicken (90%), and turkey. We do not recommend the beef for kittens. 

There is another website with a similar name, and that is the wrong website, please be careful (shop.vivapets.com).

Raw food can also be less convenient. If you have the time, patience, and space in your freezer raw food may be a good option. Otherwise, canned wet food once a day is fine. If you choose canned food, we recommend buying one or two cans to make sure he/she will eat it. Not all kittens like all brands. 

Regardless of whether you choose raw food or canned wet food, feed that once or twice a day and make sure dry food is available 24/7. Young kittens need to eat frequently. Although they need relatively large quantities of food because they are growing rapidly, they have limited space in their tiny stomachs. For example, at eight weeks of age, they need to be fed about 5 meals a day. 

When your kitten will be 8-9 months old, you only need to feed him/her twice a day. 

A good quality kitten food has advantages over adult cat food since it has been specially formulated for a kitten's demanding nutritional requirements. Because of their rapid growth, any nutritional mistakes made during kittenhood will have severe, even irreversible, consequences.  An adult cat food can be introduced at about 10 months of age.

Many people believe that feeding dry food only will help keep their cat's teeth clean and healthy, but that's often not the case. The real benefits of kibble are usually convenience (it can be left out longer and not as "gross" or smelly) and cost (often cheaper). However, there are far more drawbacks to a dry-food-only diet-it can wind up being less convenient and more expensive in the end. Kibble has less moisture than canned food, increasing a cat's risk of bladder inflammation, stones, constipation, and urinary tract obstruction. Also, dry foods are usually higher in carbohydrates and lower in protein, increasing a cat's risk of obesity and diabetes. Your best bet is to feed BOTH types! Give your cat the majority of their calories in high protein, low carb, wet food-two meals daily, not just "the occasional treat." Then, provide the rest of their daily calories with a measured amount of high-quality dry food.

Interesting fact … If you don’t give raw/wet food to your cat for some time after a while they will lose the habit and won’t eat it again ...

Please, do not change food for the first two months, do not try to add new food.

You can change food slowly when your kitten will be older than 6 months. 

You can check and find a brand that you like but please always check ingredients. Then slowly change the food.

We do not recommend “super healthy” brands with beautiful marketing pictures etc. especially brands you can buy online only. We recommend using brands with history on the pet market.

Please, do not mix dry and wet food in one plate!

We do not recommend buying food online during the hot weather in summer. You can read more here:

https://exclusiveblues.com/blog/f/hot-weather-and-stomach-problems

TREATS we can recommend.

INABA Churu Kittens Treats - https://amzn.to/3B82SWM

ORIJEN Cat Treats - https://amzn.to/44Wb1bG

REDFORD Naturals, chicken (available in the Pet Supplies stores only or online). We like this because the only ingredient is chicken. 

https://www.petsuppliesplus.com/categories/cat/treats/alternativediet/freezedried/redford-naturals-freezedried-raw-grain-free-cat-treats-chicken/21654?sku=750683088153&position=1

Please remember, treats should not make up more than 10% of your cat's daily calorie intake! 

Please supervise chewing and do not feed your cat a treat size that could be a choking hazard.

Over our years of breeding, we have used many different types of litter, and we are always trying new products, because all of our kittens are trained to use a litter box. 

We have tried different corn-based litters, walnut shells, silicone, Boxiecat premium clay litters. We like the way they work except they are all dusty, and some of them are very crunchy if they are tracked on a hard floor.

We use Wood pellets, Tidy Breeze, and Tofu for little kittens because they are the best and safest for them. 

We won’t introduce your kitten to sand because it’s very easy to transfer a kitten from pellet to sand, and almost impossible from sand to pellets. This gives you the option to use whichever litter you prefer. 

Cats love to rummage and scatter the sand in all directions, they love this much more than just sitting on pellets.  

Here are our four favorite cat litters:

Option #1 Wood Pellets

We really like wood pellets. They are easy to clean and safe for cats. Change the wood pellets as needed. If the litter box is close to the toilet, you can just put small amounts in the toilet and flush it.

If you decide to use wood pellets, we recommend using a Sophresh plastic litter box and bags for this litter. The bags help keep litter box clean (So Phresh Elastic Cat Litter Box Liners, size of the litter box equals the size of bags).

Sophresh Cat Litter Box, size Large - https://amzn.to/3QyERNy

Litter Box Hood - https://amzn.to/4dvQe2q

And liners for this box (Elastic Litter Box Liners, Size Large) - https://amzn.to/4aaLblp

Sophresh Cat Litter Box, size X-Large - https://amzn.to/4dwYFuo and Litter Box Hood (size Extra Large) - https://amzn.to/3UNKJ80

Elastic Litter Box Liners (Size Extra Large) - https://amzn.to/3Uxj7CG

An extra-large box is more comfortable, but it takes more space and extra litter. So, if you have enough space then we recommend buying an extra-large.

We recommend these wood pellets:

Feline Pine Platinum Cat Litter - https://amzn.to/4bmpdgb

Option #2 Tofu Litter

If you prefer to use a Tofu based litter, please remember that different brands work differently. We have tried different brands, and some work better than others. Some of them do not clump good enough and stick to the scooper. Some contain clay, and since clay is heavier than Tofu, you will pay the same price and get a much smaller bag. The clay is also dusty (if you want to use clay you can just buy simple clay litter).

We recommend these brands:

FUKUMARU Tofu Cat Litter - https://amzn.to/4e9V59N

PETKIT Mixed litter - https://amzn.to/4cgfIQC

We recommend to use this Litter Trapping Mat (works well, easy to clean) - https://amzn.to/3y8AClz

The benefits of Tofu based litter are:

• No sand or dust around.
• No smell.
• Easy to clean.
• You can flush it in the toilet.

Option #3 Tidy Cats Breeze 

Tidy Cats Breeze litter box system - https://amzn.to/4a85ZKh

Tidy Cats Breeze Hooded cat litter box system - https://amzn.to/3QwxDJU

The benefits of the Tidy Cats Breeze Litter System are:

(advantages of this litter over others)

• No sand or dust around at all
• Easy to clean. 

Option #4 Litter Robot

We have a few Litter Robots in the house. And we absolutely love it! 

It’s very easy to use. If you have a big house, you can keep a wood toilet and a litter robot, one in a bathroom and one in the basement, for example.

Plusses and minuses of Litter Robots

Plusses:

• No need to scoop.
• Change the bag once every other week.
• The litter will always be clean. 

Minuses:

• The cat will carry the litter from the Litter Robot to the floor on his paws, we have not found the way to avoid this. 
• The Litter Robot takes a lot of space and needs to be near an electrical outlet. 
• If your cat will have diarrhea, you will not be able to see it (which is very important to see and address for your vet)
• The Robot is not easy to clean, and you will need to clean it sometimes. 

Litter-Robot 3 - https://amzn.to/3JPBduX

Litter-Robot 4 - https://amzn.to/3UPBbcV

We do not buy “special Litter-Robot bags”, we use “Sophresh Drawstring Cat Litter Box Liners” (size Large).

Size Large - https://amzn.to/3Uv88Ke

With the Litter Robot we recommend using these clay litters:

1) Ever Clean Extra Strength Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter, 42 lbs. (4 small bags)

2) Fresh Step Ultra Unscented Clumping Clay Litter - https://amzn.to/3Wxts4w

The smaller bags are easier to dump into the Robot than the large box. 

Be careful to not overfill the robot. There’s a line on the liner. Overfilling the robot causes excessive wear on the motor.

We recommend to use pellets (wood, tofu or Tidy breeze) for families who live in a small apartment or families with known allergies. 

And please remember, Russian blue cats are very picky, they love to use a nice and clean toilet. If the toilet will be dirty, she could probably find another place… 

If you are planning to place the litter box somewhere in a room, we can recommend this simple cat litter box enclosure. We have two of them, one on top of the other.

Paperboard Litter Box Enclosure - https://amzn.to/3JR6I7L

For a trapping mat we use simple scratching boards, and we change them regularly.

Cardboard Scratcher Pad - https://amzn.to/3UswNiB

Cat Litter Box Furniture Enclosure | Wooden - https://amzn.to/44wWBP0

Designer-Crafted Litter Box Furniture - https://amzn.to/4aayBm9

If you don’t want to let your kitten sleep with you, never let her do it from the beginning.

If your kitten starts jumping on a kitchen counter just put aluminum foil on the counter for a few weeks.    

Please spend time with your kitten every day, play and talk with him/her, kittens are just babies, and like all kids they love to play. So, play with your baby every day, and you will be best friends quickly.

Some families have asked for air purifier recommendations. Here are the purifiers we have.

This one is great for bedrooms because it’s quite: Honeywell HEPA Air Purifier (Bedrooms) - https://amzn.to/4b7ftqo

These are our favorite. They are more expensive than the others, but it’s worth it in our opinion: 

Honeywell Professional Series HEPA Air Purifier for Large Rooms - https://amzn.to/3JN9V8j

Alen Air Purifier BreatheSmart 75i HEPA (very quiet) - https://amzn.to/4ex1Zqd

Cat scratching posts are necessary! 

At least one in the house. Just spray it with a simple Catnip spray, and she will use it. Provide scratching posts or surfaces near resting areas and high-traffic pathways. One study revealed that kittens and younger cats preferred rope over other substances such as carpet or cardboard, however every cat is unique. Cats scratched more often when the post was a simple upright type or a cat tree with two or more levels, and at least 3-feet high. Narrower posts, with a base-width less than or equal to 3 feet, were used more often than wider posts with bases wider than or equal to 5 feet.

For the first time we recommend this simple one: 

Simple Cat Scratching Post with Hammock - https://amzn.to/3JToQOg

We have the same, and kittens love it! 

Here are some Cat Trees:

Wooden Cat Climbing Tree Tower - https://amzn.to/3JPPpUK

Tree Scratching Tower for Multiple Cats - https://amzn.to/3wdzI6J

Cat Climbing Tower - https://amzn.to/4aVrgrL

• Doesn’t take a lot of space in a room.
• Cats love high places.
• Easy to clean, just take pillows and wash them in your washer machine.

Hammock for Window - https://amzn.to/3yeQEdo

Cat Exercise Wheel - https://amzn.to/44vePjT

Kitten Toy Rechargeable with Fluttering Butterfly - https://amzn.to/3JPuqBu

Cat Tunnel - https://amzn.to/44v5Dw0

Catnip Toys:

https://amzn.to/4dskN9m

https://amzn.to/4a3PiiV

https://amzn.to/44CtwBR

FELIWAY Cat Calming Diffuser - https://amzn.to/4e92rdq 

Simple ear cleaning from pet store.

We use this one, Zymox Enzymatic Ear Cleanser - https://amzn.to/3Wsb2lq

Most cats (80%) will develop dental disease by age 3. Left untreated, this can seriously affect your cat and even lead to early death from extreme inflammation, kidney disease, or heart disease.

Ideally, a cat’s teeth should be brushed every day, but once a week is more realistic. 

Most cats need to get used to having their teeth brushed. Start by putting flavored gel treats on the toothbrush to have the kitten lick it off and gradually work up to touching the teeth with the brush over time. 

It is necessary to clip your cat’s nails regularly. Routine nail trims protect your cat from painful ingrown nails and help to protect your furniture. Getting into the habitat of nail trims when your cat is just a kitten will make the task easier throughout life, and choosing the right cat nail clippers will help ease the job. 

Simple clippers for nails - https://amzn.to/3wq161f

Please red more information how to trim your cat's nail here

Startling or rough handling may develop fears that last a lifetime, so kittens should be handled gently, while being gradually and positively acclimated to any stimuli. Use food or enticing rewards and allow her/him to approach and engage on her own terms.

Kittens have a high play drive and learn predatory behavior by watching, swatting, chasing, pouncing, and catching. They want to play with other kittens until about 12 weeks of age, then they’ll want to play more with objects. Do not use your hands or feet as toys during play! Cats will think this is OK, leading to bites and scratches.

We recommend buying this wonderful book: 

101 Essential Tips: Kitten or New Cat: Health & Safety by Dr. Jason Nicholas:

https://amzn.to/3yw4FUb

10 Cat Emergencies That Need Immediate Vet Attention https://meowexpert.com/10-cat-emergencies 

Be careful when you close doors, kittens love to explore, and they move very quickly. 

Always check your washing/drying machine before you put in clothes because kittens love to sleep there... 

You also can read information here:

https://meowexpert.com/a-new-cat-at-home