Buy now! Kittens make great consumers

I am cute. Don't deny it. (Photo courtesy Portia Stewart)For ailurophobes (look it up), a new kitten looks like a wiry ball of fur, with needle-sharp claws on tiny paws of ankle agony. But for the rest of us, they're mewling, bouncy, leaping, clumsy wonder balls. We asked Kathryn Primm, DVM-a practice owner and host for a pet-owner podcast on Pet Life Radio-what she recommends for new kittens for a fun and happy home life after she's covered the basics for the medical side.

Her new-kitten owners seem to love her tips on …

A better alternative to obesity-friendly grazing and bowl eating

Dr. Primm likes the Indoor Hunting Feeder (Doc & Phoebe Cat Co.), a hide-able, grazing-bowl-free option to feed that helps prevent boredom and promotes a healthier, more fit cat by providing indoor hunting that may eliminate laziness, frustration and overfeeding. Multiple-cat kits for two- and three-cat households are available.

A good scratching post, along with a regimen of Feliscratch

Recommend your favorite scratching-post alternative to scratching the sofa leg, then encourage more use of the right spot with Feliscratch (Feliway). Each package comes with nine applications of the pheromone, which are used as directed over the course of a month. According to the company, with most cats, only one month of treatment is needed to transfer scratching to a more appropriate spot.

A good cat carrier

Dr. Primm lets new-kitten owners know they should look for a carrier that opens on the top and front, so physical exams can be conducted in the safety of the carrier for scaredy cats.

What do you consider a new-kitten essential for your veterinary clients? Email us your recommendations at firstline@ubm.com or comment below.

Editor's note: This story was edited to change "ailurophiles" to "ailurophobes." When we learn new words, we really ought to make sure we've got the right one. Thanks, eagle-eyed reader!