What you need before it arrives
The full list, with what each thing costs in Spain and what it is for. Tick off what you already have: the total at the top updates by itself and stays saved in this browser.
The first day at home → Choosing a litter tray and litter → What it will cost each year →
What you really need on day one
Less than they sell you, but there are things you cannot start without. A carrier to bring it home, a large litter tray with the same litter it used before, food and water bowls, the food it is used to, a sturdy scratching post and a quiet place to hide. And if there are windows or a balcony, nets fitted before it arrives, not after. With that you can start perfectly well. The rest can be bought once you know what your cat is like: whether it prefers to scratch upright or flat, whether it sleeps up high or hidden away, which toys it takes any notice of.
Where it is worth spending and where it is not
It is worth it on the carrier, which should be hard, open at the top and held together with screws, not just clips; on the scratching post, tall and heavy, because one that wobbles goes unused and the cat chooses the sofa; and on the litter tray, the bigger the better. It is not worth it on expensive beds, which many cats ignore in favour of a cardboard box, or on battery-powered toys. A five-euro feather wand and ten minutes of your time are worth more than any gadget.
What hardly anyone buys and should
Nets for windows and balconies, which prevent one of the most common emergencies in summer. A water fountain, because many cats drink more from moving water and drinking more protects the kidneys and urinary tract. An enzymatic cleaner, the only thing that really removes the smell of an accident for a cat’s nose and stops it happening again. And kitchen scales to weigh its food and, if it is a kitten, to weigh the kitten itself every week.
How to use this list
You can tick what you already have and print it or keep it: it stays in your browser. It is designed to take to the shop or to share out if several people are helping with the arrival. If you adopt from a shelter, cross off the health section first: the microchip, vaccinations, test and neutering usually come done and are part of the adoption fee. And if the total seems a lot, look at the yearly cost too: the starter kit is the small part of what a cat costs.
An educational tool from Michipedia. It gives estimates, not a diagnosis: for anything to do with your cat’s health, ask your vet.