What do I need to get for my kitten?

First of all, it depends on the health of your kitten when you receive it. To keep things simple, I'll add a short list of basic supplies that all owners of animals should follow:

1. Dry cat (kitten) food. Special Kitty is a fine brand and relatively cheap to purchase. You can find it in just about any pet shop and most general retail stores. Alternatively, you'll want to start your kitten on wet (canned) food if it has difficulty chewing or outright refuses the dry food. As she ages, you can slowly mix the wet and dry food, using increasing portions of the dry, until you move her completely over to the dry kitten food. In my experience, dry kitten food is usually much more nutritious (and cheap) than the canned variety.

2. Litter, a litter box, and newspapers. It's very important to train your kitty early to use the litter box or she never will, and use the bathroom wherever she wants. Even if you intend her to be a mostly outdoors pet, keeping a litter box and having her trained will prevent finding any special surprises she may leave for you to clean up. Again, pet shops and general retail stores (Wal-mart, etc.) sell these sorts of supplies. Brands do not really matter here, but the more expensive ones tend to make for better litter. You should experiment and find what you like.

3. Toys. Ropes, yarn, and things that make noise will serve to keep your kitten amused instead of running off and getting into trouble. You can buy spools of yarn in most general retail stores around their arts and crafts section. Pet shops also sell a variety of toys. The cheaper, the easier it usually is to be torn up.

.4. A scratching post. Cats love to stretch out and scratch things. Getting your kitty a small scratching post and placing it in areas where she likes to scratch will prevent her from tearing up your walls, couches, and the like. Finding a method of punishment (a spray bottle filled with water is acceptable; NEVER hit your animals) when she scratches something important will instill in her that this is bad and she won't do it. Use this method while you potty train her as well.

These are all rather basic necessities that you should have on-hand to ensure that your kitty will have a comfortable stay at your home and integrate her into the family. Remember to have her examined by a veterinarian and have proper medication on hand when she is old enough to take heart medication and flea doping. Good luck!