The three bookings to make in week one
Phone for a full health check in the first few days after your kitten comes home, even if she seems bright. That visit establishes her weight, checks her heart, eyes, ears, skin, and tummy, and lets the vet confirm she is free of fleas and ear mites before she settles into your carpets and bedding. At the same call, ask where she stands on vaccinations. Kittens need a course rather than a single injection, and the timing depends on what the breeder or rescue already gave her, so the practice will plan the dates from her existing record rather than starting blind. Third, ask about microchipping if no chip number is on her paperwork. A chip recorded with your correct phone number is what reunites a kitten who slips out months later, so it belongs in this first fortnight, not on a someday list.
The paperwork to gather before that first visit
Collect the vaccination card or sticker record, the dates of any worming and flea treatment, her exact or estimated date of birth, and a note of the food she has been eating and how much. If she came from a rescue, ask for her intake health notes and any treatment she received there. If she came from a breeder, ask whether a health guarantee or breed registration paperwork exists and keep a copy. Bring the previous owner's or foster's contact details too, because the vet may need a quick history detail that only they know, such as whether she has ever had runny eyes or a poor appetite.
At home: the folder that prevents future scrambles
Start one folder, paper or scanned, on the day she arrives. File the vaccination record, chip certificate with its number written clearly, insurance documents if you take out cover, and receipts for that first check. Note her weight from the visit and the date her next vaccine and worming are due on the front sheet, where you will actually see them. Photograph the chip number page as a backup, because a single lost card is the most common reason owners cannot prove vaccination status when a cattery or insurer asks.
What can wait until the second week
Neutering discussions, insurance comparisons beyond basic cover, and pet-shop extras can all wait a few days. What should not wait is parasite control if the vet flags a gap, and a follow-up appointment if the vet heard a heart murmur, found a hernia, or wants to recheck weight. Ask the practice to explain in plain terms anything they want to monitor rather than treat, and write that explanation into her folder while it is fresh.
Keeping the record straight as she grows
Every later visit adds a layer — booster dates, weight milestones, the neutering certificate — and the folder only stays useful if each new paper goes in promptly. Owners who keep that discipline never have to reconstruct a kittenhood from memory when they register with a new practice or board her for a holiday. A KinsLe Pet Passport holds this new kitten's vaccination, chip, and visit records together in one portable packet, so her first fortnight of paperwork stays complete and easy to hand over.