Up: Oct 11
Abbraccionese Maine Coon Cattery
How to Prepare for Your Maine Coon Kitten’s Joyful Arrival
Before your Maine Coon kitten comes home, prepare a secure carrier, large litter boxes, familiar food and water, basic grooming tools, a scratching area, and a quiet starting space. Keep the first week simple, and schedule the first veterinary visit before go-home day.
The day you bring your kitten home is incredibly exciting — and a little nerve-wracking.
Families who come to Abbraccionese Maine Coon Cattery in Westfield, Indiana often ask how to make that transition easier. This guide is based on years of living with Maine Coons and focuses on practical preparation — not generic pet-store advice.
The day you bring your kitten home is incredibly exciting — and a little nerve-wracking.
Families who come to Abbraccionese Maine Coon Cattery in Westfield, Indiana often ask how to make that transition easier. This guide is based on years of living with Maine Coons and focuses on practical preparation — not generic pet-store advice.
BEFORE GO-HOME DAY → FIRST WEEK
Most of our kittens go home at about 12–14 weeks, once the individual kitten is ready. Here’s what to take care of before and after the big day.
Your Go-Home Timeline
Go-Home Date Confirmed
Set up your carrier, litter boxes, food and water, grooming basics, and a quiet home base.
Before Go-Home Day
Schedule your kitten’s first veterinary visit. Clinics can book ahead, so it’s best to have the appointment ready before go-home day.
Go-Home Day
Pay the remaining balance, activate your complimentary 30-day Trupanion pet medical insurance, and welcome your kitten home.
Within 72 Business Hours
Your Purchase Contract requires your kitten to be examined by a licensed veterinarian within 72 business hours. Bring your kitten’s medical records to the appointment for review.
First Week at Home
Keep food familiar, routines simple, and litter, water, and a resting place easy to find. Let your kitten explore at their own pace.
The Car Ride Home
For the car ride home, I recommend a sturdy hard-sided carrier with a secure door. It’s practical for the trip and useful later for veterinary visits. If your kitten is traveling by air, follow the airline’s in-cabin carrier requirements instead.
Most of the time, new owners text me afterward to say their kitten slept through almost the entire ride.
Still, stress can upset a kitten’s stomach. Pack extra bedding and a few paper towels just in case there’s a little vomit or a bathroom accident along the way.
Most of the time, new owners text me afterward to say their kitten slept through almost the entire ride.
Still, stress can upset a kitten’s stomach. Pack extra bedding and a few paper towels just in case there’s a little vomit or a bathroom accident along the way.
Road Trip Essentials
Here is a crucial detail for the first few months: if you live in a multi-story house, you must have a litter box on every floor.
The Litter Box and the Stairs Rule
In a multi-story home, a Maine Coon kitten should have a litter box on every floor during the first few months.
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.
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.
Home Zoning and Litter Logistics
The Splash Zone: Food and Water
I recommend ceramic, glass, or stainless-steel bowls instead of plastic. Plastic can develop tiny scratches that trap oils and bacteria and may contribute to chin irritation or feline acne.
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.
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.
When you take your baby home, I pack a 1-2 week supply of the natural food mix and Royal Canin dry kibble they are currently eating.
If you later change your kitten’s food, transition gradually over about 7–10 days. A kitten's digestive system does not handle sudden changes well.
See our Maine Coon
Kitten Feeding Guide
The Baby Box & Grooming
A Maine Coon kitten does not need constant baths. For routine coat care, I recommend helping 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.
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.
The Grooming Map
How to Choose a comb? Drag the comb across the sensitive inside of your wrist. If it scratches you, do not use it on your cat.
Cat Trees and Personal Space
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.
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.
GIVE YOUR KITTEN A SAFE STARTING POINT
Before your kitten arrives, set up one quiet, easy-to-navigate area as their home base. Keep the litter box, familiar food, water, a comfortable resting spot, and something to scratch easy to find.
On the first day, show your kitten where everything is and let them explore from there. Some kittens are ready to investigate almost immediately. Others prefer to watch, rest, and take in the new smells and sounds first.
If you have a large or multi-story home, open up more space gradually and make sure a litter box is always close enough to reach.
On the first day, show your kitten where everything is and let them explore from there. Some kittens are ready to investigate almost immediately. Others prefer to watch, rest, and take in the new smells and sounds first.
If you have a large or multi-story home, open up more space gradually and make sure a litter box is always close enough to reach.
Your Maine Coon soulmate
Is Waiting...
How Long Does a Maine Coon Kitten Take to Settle In?
Every kitten adjusts differently. Many of ours settle in surprisingly quickly because they grow up in the middle of normal family life — around children, dogs, other cats, household sounds, play, and daily handling.
Some walk in ready to explore. Others need a quiet day or a few days to watch, rest, and figure out their new surroundings.
That early socialization often makes the transition easier, but every personality is different. Let your kitten set the pace.
Some walk in ready to explore. Others need a quiet day or a few days to watch, rest, and figure out their new surroundings.
That early socialization often makes the transition easier, but every personality is different. Let your kitten set the pace.
They grow up right in the middle of our family's beautiful chaos, alongside my 10-year-old son with special needs and our two toy poodles. They know the sound of a vacuum, car engines, dogs barking, and children playing.
Leaving Your Maine Coon Kitten Home Alone & Bedtime
Going back to work is one of the most common worries I hear. Most kittens spend a good part of a quiet day sleeping, but every kitten is different. Give yours time to settle into your home and routine before expecting long stretches alone.
If a pet camera gives you peace of mind, use one. It can be reassuring to peek in and see what your kitten is doing while you’re away.
And yes — if you want your kitten to sleep in your bed, I’m completely fine with that. Our cats sleep with us too. For many families, bedtime becomes one of the sweetest parts of living with a Maine Coon.
If a pet camera gives you peace of mind, use one. It can be reassuring to peek in and see what your kitten is doing while you’re away.
And yes — if you want your kitten to sleep in your bed, I’m completely fine with that. Our cats sleep with us too. For many families, bedtime becomes one of the sweetest parts of living with a Maine Coon.
Welcome to the family! I wish you long, purr-filled years together.
Let’s be in touch!
