How to Prepare for Your Maine Coon Kitten’s Joyful Arrival

The day you pick up your new baby is incredibly exciting, but let’s be honest—it can also feel a little nerve-wracking.

When families come to us, Abbraccionese Maine Coon Cattery in Westfield Indiana, they always ask exactly what they need to buy and how to make the transition as smooth as possible.

I’ve put together this guide based on years of living with these magnificent cats. Here is the reality of bringing a Maine Coon kitten home, minus the generic pet store advice.

Forget those trendy, soft-sided fabric shoulder bags. For the car ride, you need a sturdy, hard plastic carrier with a secure metal door. It is simply the safest option for the road and for future vet visits.

Most of the time, our new owners text me proudly to say the kitten slept the whole way.

But stress can do funny things to a feline stomach, so pack extra bedding and some paper towels just in case there is a little vomit or a bathroom accident on the road.

Maine Coons are huge, and they dig like little excavators. You need a large tray with very high sides or an enclosed house-style box, otherwise, you will be sweeping up litter every single day.

If kittens are playing upstairs in the bedroom, they simply cannot wait long enough to run all the way down to the basement. Keep it close.

Please, no plastic bowls. Plastic gets microscopic scratches where bacteria breed, which causes feline acne on their chins. Stick to heavy ceramic, glass, or stainless steel.

And here is a Maine Coon secret: keep the water bowl far away from the dry food. These cats are notorious for playing with water.

They will dip their paws in, splash around, and if the bowls are next to each other, your expensive dry kibble will be turned into an unappetizing soup by noon.

If you ever decide to change their diet, do it painstakingly slowly. A kitten's digestive system does not handle sudden changes well.

People think a huge cat with a thick coat needs constant baths. They don't. Cats are meticulous groomers. You just need to help them with the undercoat every few weeks.

In your kitten's go-home "baby box," I pack two specific metal combs as a gift. When you are shopping for grooming tools later, always test them on yourself first.

Your kitten needs a place to stretch and scratch (to save your furniture).

Eventually, you will want a massive, stable cat tree. Wobbly, cheap towers will literally tip over when a 15-pound adult Maine Coon launches onto them.

However, for the first few months, I actually recommend buying smaller, simpler furniture.

Watch what your kitten naturally prefers—what type of fabric, what height, whether they like hammocks or solid shelves—before investing in a giant piece.

If you read online forums about adopting a Maine Coon, you’ll see warnings that kittens might hide under a sofa for a week.

While every cat needs time to process new smells and sounds, the reality for kittens leaving our home is completely different. Usually, it takes them exactly one day to own your house.

Why? Because I spend hundreds of hours socializing them. They aren't raised in a quiet, isolated back room.

People often worry about leaving their kitten alone while they go to work. Don't stress—they will absolutely just sleep the entire time you are gone.

If it gives you peace of mind, grab a cheap wifi pet camera so you can peek in on them.

And the question I get asked the most: Is it okay if they sleep in my bed? My answer is always yes. Sleeping with our cats makes us happier, calmer, and brings an extraordinary feeling of comfort.