Kitten Care Guide: Feeding, Litter & Australian Laws Explained
Bringing Home a Kitten?
The First 6 Months Matter More Than You Think
Welcome to the start of something paw-some. I’m Dr Tanya Phillips, a veterinarian with over 20 years of experience in small animal practice since graduating from the University of Sydney. Whether you're a first-time cat parent or adding a new bundle of whiskers to your crew, these early months set the stage for a healthy, happy, eco-conscious life together.
1. The First Journey: Collecting Your Kitten
Use a sturdy, escape-proof carrier. Line it with familiar bedding and spray calming pheromones 20 minutes before use.
MATCHA Tip: Add a sprinkle of used MATCHA tofu litter to provide a comforting scent and toilet cue.
2. Safe & Sound: Creating a Kitten-Friendly Room
Set up one quiet room with bedding, food/water bowls, and a low-sided litter tray far from food.
Use a litter that the kittens were already using prior to being adopted as the familiarity of their litter will help with the transition into their new home.
MATCHA Tip: Use 3cm of MATCHA litter, soft, low-tracking, and odour-free in the bottom of your tray. Scoop out the clumped litter and poops daily and leave the rest there!
3. Toilet Training: Nature (Mostly) Takes Care of It
Kittens usually know how to use a tray, but setup matters. Scoop daily, avoid scents, and place trays away from food and noise.
MATCHA Tip: MATCHA clumps firmly, is compostable in most green bins, and ideal for multi-cat homes.
4. Feeding: Small Stomachs, Big Appetites
Feed the same food they were eating for 1–2 weeks before slowly transitioning to a premium diet.
- Ad lib super-premium dry food
- Two small meals of wet or raw food daily
More info: The Benefits of a Raw Food Diet for Cats
Note: Stress can affect appetite and cause mild diarrhoea in the first week. Monitor closely.
Parasite Control: Treat fleas and worms on arrival to avoid introducing unwanted pests follow the worming schedule below.
5. Play the right way : It’s Serious Business
Always use wand toys, puzzle feeders, or soft kicking toys for playtime, never your hands.
Kittens explore the world with their mouths, and while their nibbling may seem cute at first, those tiny teeth and claws are sharp! It’s normal behaviour, but it’s important to set boundaries early, from the very first day they come home.
If your kitten starts biting or playing too rough, calmly stop the game and pull your hands away. Wait a moment, let them settle, and then resume with a toy. This mimics how their littermates would respond, if one kitten gets too rough, the other walks away. That’s how they learn what’s “too much.”
You’re not being mean, you’re speaking their language.
Trim their nails regularly, redirect their energy to appropriate toys, and you’ll raise a confident, well-mannered cat who knows how to play nice.
6. Handling: Gentle and Gradual
Always use two hands. Let kittens initiate contact. Use the “5-second rule” for stroking pauses.
7. Resident Pets: First Impressions Count
Introduce resident cats or dogs slowly via scent swapping, sight barriers, and supervision in the early days until you trust that they can be left alone.
8. Grooming & Habituation
Start brushing early. Reward with treats. Expose to normal household noises calmly.
9. Outdoor Adventures (or Not)
Veterinary advice: Keep cats indoors. Free-roaming increases risk of injury and impacts native wildlife.
- Use a secure catio, lead/harness, or supervise in enclosed yard
- Once allowed out, cats will want it again so it's best to keep them inside from the start
MATCHA Tip: Most cats still prefer a clean MATCHA litter tray indoors, even with outdoor access.
10. Health & Happiness Checklist
💉 Vaccination Schedule
| Age | Vaccine | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6–8 weeks | F3 | Start of core protection |
| 10–12 weeks | F3 Booster | Strengthens immunity |
| 14–16 weeks | F3 Booster | Final booster |
| 6 months+ | Vet Advised | Annual or tailored plan |
🐛 Worming Protocol
| Age | Frequency | Targets |
|---|---|---|
| 2–12 weeks | Every 2 weeks | All intestinal worms |
| 12w–6 months | Every 4 weeks | All intestinal worms |
| 6 months+ | Every 3 months | Maintenance |
Intestinal worms = Roundworm, hookworm, tapeworm and whipworm.
And yes, you and your family can contract these worms so it is important to stick with this schedule when they are initially introduced into your family,
📋 Legal Requirements
- In NSW, kittens must be microchipped before sale or adoption
- Cats must be desexed by 16 weeks of age
- Refer to: NSW Companion Animals Act
📍 Microchip Registry Links by State
- NSW: NSW Pet Registry
- VIC: CAR / PER
- QLD: Petsafe / CAR
- SA: DACO
- WA, TAS, ACT, NT: Council-approved or CAR
✔️ Final Checklist
- Choose a cat-friendly vet
- Follow vax and worming schedules
- Desex by 4 months
- Confirm Microchipping and register in your state
- Consider insurance
Final Thoughts: One Tiny Cat, One Big Opportunity
These early weeks shape your kitten’s whole future. By making conscious choices from MATCHA litter to vet-approved care, you’re giving them the best life possible.
Small Change, Big Impact, One Tray at a Time.
Downloadable PDF guide coming soon from Best Fur Forward.
