Time to get ready for your new arrival

This shopping list will help you prepare for the arrival of your new British Shorthair kitten. 

You may have some of the things already. don’t feel you have to get the exact same items. This is just a guide to help you get ready for the exciting time ahead..

cat carrier OPTIONS for your British Shorthair

Your new kitten will need a sturdy cat carrier to travel home in.  Make sure it is a nice strong plastic one and not cardboard or soft sided.  Sturdy collapsible carriers are fine as they take up less storage space but not soft bag types. It doesn’t have to be new. If it is an old one just check it is secure with no cracks.

Make sure it is nice and roomy as your British Shorthair will get quite hefty when they are fully grown and you want to get some good use from it. Put in a nice towel or a cosy blanket for your kitten so they will be nice and comfy for the journey to their new home.

cat & kitten food for your British Shorthair

Cuddleton British Shorthair kittens are all fed on Royal Canin kitten wet and dry food as well as raw beef meat. I am a Royal Canin Brand Ambassador and I have fed the Royal Canin diets to my cats for nearly twenty years.  I love that the range has something for every cats different needs and life stages.  There is even a diet specifically for British Shorthairs. 

When you adopt a Cuddleton British Shorthair kitten from me you will get a bag of kitten dry food delivered to your home thanks to Royal Canin. They will also give you vouchers for the first and second bag you purchase. I think it is the best kitten food available and love that they give my new owners such a great gift.  It's important to me that the kitten stay on the same food that I feed so they don't have any digestive issues as they adapt to a new home.  

My kittens also enjoy lactose free milk on occasion.

As they grow past nine months of age, Cuddleton British Shorthairs will thrive on the Royal Canin adult range of biscuits as their main diet plus and raw meat or wet food as their dinner or breakfast treat. Make sure you follow the feeding guides on any food you buy to avoid obesity.

We highly recommend the Royal Canin British Shorthair Breed Specific biscuits as it is high quality, made for our breed and very easy to find in your local pet shop.  The British Shorthair formula helps support their hardworking joints and bones, maintains muscle mass and is enriched with nutrients to support a healthy heart. 

There are different foods for other different situations too. For our portly Cuddleton British Shorthairs we feed Royal Canin Indoor or Royal Canin Light Weight Care.  For our older cats we have managed to help them stay healthy longer on the Royal Canin 7+  diets.  

The higher quality the food the better the health of your cat. Premium food also means better teeth (no stinky breath) and better poops (no stinky litter box!). If you need to buy a supermarket brand for your Cuddleton please make sure it is one of the higher quality ones. They are usually a little bit more expensive and in shinier packets.

cat bowls for food and water

 for your British Shorthair

Your kitten will need dishes for food and water.  Flat, pan or plate style dishes are good for food as the cats can eat without having to fold back their whiskers.  If that is a bit messy then a wide bowl. China bowls are better than plastic as they wash better. There is less chance of bacteria building up in the small scratches that will develop in the plastic.  Washing the bowls regularly is a must and the dishwasher is best if you have one. 

Deep bowls are good for water to keep it cool and prevent it being tipped over.  My British Shorthair cats love water and will dab at their water dish, try to get in the bath and even jump into the laundry tub to lick the dripping tap!  I keep them happy with small plastic buckets for their water from Bunnings.  They are the right size for them and stay cooler and fresher as they are deep. 

I also like the large china dog bowls from Kmart as they are nice and wide for our cats large heads but still deep enough to hold a lot of water and have it stay cool. 

cat litter and litter trays for your British Shorthair

I have two different cat litter set-ups I prefer for my cats and kittens.  

First up, my manual type cat litter trays. I love the wood pellet style litter that is used with a cat tray system. I really like Oz-Pet Litter.  It is the most economical, clean and simple litter to use.  It is made from wood and requires a special tray.  All of our kittens get a tray set when they leave home as we believe it is the best simple choice for an inside only cat for both your cat and for you as the person having to clean and live with the tray.

The Oz-Pet litter tray is designed specifically for use with Oz-Pet wood litter. The tray is made up of two parts, with the top section used as a sieve. When Oz-Pet is wet, it breaks down into smaller particles, which then fall through into the bottom tray when shaken once or twice a day.

The trays are a little pricey which is why I give one to every new owner but the savings in the long run are amazing as you only need a scoop or two of litter a week.  You can even compost the litter in the garden.  To find out more visit the Oz-Pet page and see the video that shows you how it works. 

I also have multiple automated cat litter trays.  They are a bit like a cat toilet in that they clean themselves like a toilet flushes.

I have a few favourites including the Pura x and the Pura Max.  My cat room where the kittens grow up currently has two Popur  trays.  These are quite expensive.  I have other budget models too and I am happy to chat to my owners about which one might suit them best.  I prefer a soy based clumping litter in them. 

I don't recommend the Litter Robot brand models.  They only use a clay based clumping that I find messy and they are a bit temperamental.   

If you are keen to use an automatic tray I can help you decide on the model that is right for you.  Litter is a very personal choice and something we will talk to you about before you take your kitten home.  You may have another cat already using another litter or prefer a particular type which is fine.  We just need to know so that your kitten can be transitioned to the litter you want to use.

cat scratching trees and posts for your British Shorthair

Cats love a good cat scratcher or a cat gym. Something to get their claws into or to climb up and sleep on. I recommend the cheap Kmart cat scratchers for Cuddleton British Shorthairs.  If you screw them up tight they are sturdy enough for the biggest British boys! The price is great and they vacuum clean quite well.

You can find lots of variations on cat scratchers everywhere from shops like pet shops, Kmart, BigW, Reject Shop and Red Dot or online such as ebay and Kogan. 

cat beds for your British Shorthair

There are lots of cute cat beds for sale these days but we are yet to have a British Shorthair cat that will sleep on any fancy bed that we have bought. They will sleep on our bed, in cardboard boxes, in washing baskets or on dining chairs but never on the pretty bed!!

You can make your kitty a bed from a box or plastic crate and see if they will use it before upgrading to something more fancy. One exception to the rule seems to be the cheap donut style Kmart and BigW cat beds.  

cat toys for your British Shorthair

My Cuddleton cats and kittens certainly love to play. They love everything from little toy mice to felt toys and crinkle balls. The secret is to have a variety and to collect them up and swap them around often.

Other great toys include screwed up paper, the ring of plastic milk bottles, ribbons, bat-em toys on springs and anything with a human attached at the other end!

My British Shorthairs are all fans of catnip too. You can buy dried catnip or grow your own. If it is fresh scrunch it up to release the scent. Try putting some toys that have fallen out of favour in a ziplock bag or container with some dried nip for a few weeks. When you take them out they will be the favourite play thing again.

Both my cats and my kittens also adore crinkle tunnels and of course, being cats, they love a good cardboard box or two.