Getting a new pet is such an exciting time. I have wanted a cat my entire adult life and I kept waiting and waiting for the right time to bring one home. Luckily for me that time came four months ago, and I got to bring home a kitten before the holidays! It was thrilling but it was also stressful. I had to do a lot of research on what I needed in my home and what my apartment needed from me. Now I’m going to share that knowledge with you!

1. Let your Camden Team know a pet is going to moving in:

When you know you’re bringing a pet home to your Camden apartment, let the Camden team know. They will make it easy for you to sign your pet addendum, pay your pet fee, and add your monthly pet rent to your monthly bill. Send them a picture of your pet and it’s vaccination records and you are all set to bring home your baby!

Photo courtesy of Mousse helping me unpack boxes post-move!

2. Stock up:

Your kitten isn’t going to need much when they first get home, but you should still have your supplies ready to go. Have your litter, litter box, litter pad, food and water bowls, food, kitten formula, a comfy bed and toys ready before you bring your kitten home. You don’t want to realize you need something when it’s too late! As your cat gets older, and you get a feel for what they like, you can adjust and get new toys and a cat tower to make them feel very at home.

3. Find a space for your kitten:

When you first bring home a kitten, make sure they have a small space that they can stay in while they acclimate. My little guy camped out in my spacious Camden bathroom for the first week that he was home with me. Because he weighed less a pound at the time, the bathroom was plenty of space for him to play, eat and have a litter box. Make sure your space correlates to your pet’s size. After a week or so, allow the kitten to explore more of your Camden apartment. When the cat is confident and comfortable you can give them full access.

Photo courtesy of Mousse’s personal space in the bathroom – he got very attached to my blanket basket, so I put it in there with him. Comfort is key!

4. Show your cat it’s litter box first thing:

When you walk through the door with your new kitten, the first thing you should do is carry them to their litter box. Set them down in the box and let them find their way from there. Kittens are born with the instinct to bury their waste so once they know where the box is you should have no problems. If your kitten often has accidents, consult your vet.

5. Check for nooks and crannies:

Kittens are adventurers! They are somewhere new, and they want to know what is going on. Make sure you secure any snug nooks or crannies so your kitten can’t get lost of stuck. Secure outlets, cords and anything else your cat could get hurt by.

Photo courtesy of If there’s somewhere to hide, your kitten will find it!

6. Lean on your office team:

About a month after bringing home my kitten, he got lost. It was terrifying. I destroyed my apartment trying to find him. Finally, I went to my community manager who was so calm and so helpful. She sent an email to the entire community asking them to keep an eye out for him. Then she and two other members of the team helped me search. We finally found the sneaky boy inside a pillowcase! With him being less than two pounds at that point, he had gone completely unnoticed curled up inside a pillowcase. Without my Camden team, I would have panicked for hours. They were so kind to me, and they made the entire experience much less scary than it could have been.

Photo courtesy of Mousse posing innocently as if he didn’t scare me and the entire office team by hiding for hours!

I am so glad I was able to bring my kitten home to such a loving and caring community and I hope these tips make it easier for you to do the same!

If you love cats and you want to learn more check out these other Simply Camden Blogs about cat care:

· Are you bringing home a second cat? Click here for what to do for your old cat and your new one!

· Do you worry about pets vs. plants? Check out these amazing options for pet-friendly plants!

· Do you want to ensure your pet is having fun when you’re not home? You can with this helpful blog!

Photo courtesy of Bonus Photo of Mousse helping me write this post!