Just got a cat?The new cat starter setup
Here you go. This is the exact gear we run for Fred and Jackie, the stuff I'd set a friend up with on day one. No $500 robots, nothing motorized to spook a nervous cat, no 50-tab research spiral. Set it up once and you're basically done.
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1. Litter
This is the whole game for whether your house smells. We run a Breeze pellet-and-pad system, not clumping litter. With a deodorizer sprinkle and a weekly pad change it genuinely doesn't smell, and an enclosure hides the box so guests never notice it.
Tidy Cats Breeze Litter System
The pellet-and-pad system that genuinely beats litter smell.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
A two-part box: large non-clumping pellets on top let urine pass through to an absorbent pad in a tray below. Solid waste stays up top to scoop, urine gets locked in the pad. Done right, it controls odor better than most clumping setups with less daily mess.
- ✓Excellent odor control
- ✓Less scooping
- ✓Low tracking pellets
- –Pellet system is an adjustment for some cats
- –Brand refills are pricey (use third-party)
Why I recommend it: Love this system and can't imagine going back to actual litter mess. Catster rates it 4.5/5. Pee passes through the pellets onto a pad below, virtually no dust, almost zero tracking. I use the Breeze box itself but buy cheaper third-party pellets and pads instead of the brand refills.
Litter Pellets (Breeze-Compatible)
Third-party pellets that outlast the brand refills.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
Non-clumping pellets that work in a Breeze-style pellet-and-pad system. A cheaper alternative to the brand's own refills that many people find lasts longer and tracks less.
- ✓Last longer than brand pellets
- ✓Less mess
- ✓Gentler on paws
- –Only for pellet-and-pad systems
Why I recommend it: These are great. Pee just drips through them to the pad below, they cover poop well, and they don't get tracked all over the place. Both Steve and Jackie/Fred have been on pellets since day one, never needed a transition. Can't imagine using anything else.
Litter Pee Pads (Breeze-Compatible)
Cheaper pads for a pellet-and-pad litter system.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
Absorbent tray pads for a Breeze-style system. A budget alternative to brand refills that does the same job: soak up urine, lock odor, swap weekly.
- ✓Cheaper than brand pads
- ✓Work just as well
- ✓Weekly swap
- –Only for pellet-and-pad systems
Why I recommend it: Cheaper than the Breeze brand pads and thicker too. I change once a week and they're never soaked through. No reason to pay more for the name-brand ones.
Litter Deodorizer Sprinkle
Sprinkle on the pad at each change for a big smell drop.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
A deodorizing powder you sprinkle onto the pad (or into litter) at each change to neutralize odor between cleanings. Cheap insurance against the box announcing itself.
- ✓Noticeable odor drop
- ✓Cheap
- ✓Easy to use
- –One more step at change time
Why I recommend it: Great to put on the pee pad at each change. That way it's never on the cats, but it kills the odor of the pee on the pad. Big difference.
An occasional spritz on the pellets to keep odor down.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
A spray deodorizer for the litter or pellets, used now and then between full changes to keep things fresh. Pairs well with a pellet system.
- ✓Quick freshness boost
- ✓Cheap
- –Spot fix, not a substitute for changes
Why I recommend it: Good for a refresher, like once every two weeks. Just a light spray on the pellets between full changes keeps things smelling fine.
Litter Genie Disposal Pail
A sealed pail that traps litter-waste odor until you empty it.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
A diaper-genie-style pail for scooped litter waste. Solids drop into a sealed bag chamber that locks in the smell, so you're not walking to the outside bin after every scoop. When it's full you pull one tied-off bag.
- ✓Seals in waste odor
- ✓No outdoor-bin trip per scoop
- ✓Cheap
- –Uses proprietary refill bags
- –Still have to empty it
The honeycomb mat that catches litter before it spreads.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
A textured mat under and around the box catches litter off paws as your cat exits, then you tip it back in. Cheapest, easiest win against tracking. Pair it with a top-entry box for near-zero tracking.
- ✓Dirt cheap
- ✓Actually works
- ✓Easy to clean
- –Won't catch everything
- –Some cats avoid odd textures
Why I recommend it: These keep any potential pellets right near the litter box if they get out, which is rare with the Breeze system but nice insurance.
Litter Box Enclosure (Furniture)
Hides the whole box in a piece of furniture nobody clocks as a litter box.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
A cabinet-style enclosure that conceals the litter box as a piece of furniture, with a side entry for the cat. Keeps the box out of sight in a living space and helps contain litter and odor.
- ✓Hides the box completely
- ✓Looks like furniture
- ✓Contains tracking
- –Takes floor space
- –Assembly
Why I recommend it: No one knows this is even a litter box and it's right in the middle of my living room. I have a cat couch on top of it that Fred chills on sometimes. People are always blown away when I tell them what it is.
2. Food & water
A water fountain is a must, cats barely drink from a bowl. Get metal, never plastic. A raised multi-bowl station keeps mealtime clean, and churu is the daily treat both cats lose their minds over. (For which food to buy, see the feeding guide.)
Stainless Steel Water Fountain
A metal fountain that stays cleaner than plastic.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
A stainless steel water fountain. Metal resists the biofilm and odor that build up in plastic fountains, so it stays cleaner and is easier to keep that way. Better long-term than a cheap plastic unit.
- ✓Stays cleaner than plastic
- ✓No plastic taste/odor
- ✓Durable
- –Pricier than plastic
- –Pump still needs cleaning
Why I recommend it: I run three of these, one per floor, and I keep them away from food. Cats instinctively avoid water next to a meal. Easy refill once a week, full clean every two weeks, new filters every month. Vets link plastic fountains to chin acne because plastic develops microscopic scratches that harbor bacteria. Stainless steel is non-porous and dishwasher-safe. Cats with chin acne often clear up weeks after switching from plastic.
Cat Feeding Station (Multi-Bowl)
A multi-bowl station built for a free-feeding setup.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
A raised station holding multiple bowls, handy for running dry and wet food side by side. Elevated bowls can be easier on a cat's neck and help keep the feeding area tidy.
- ✓Great for free-feeding
- ✓Holds dry + wet
- ✓Tidy and elevated
- –Takes counter/floor space
Why I recommend it: 3 bowl is nice. 2 wet food, 1 dry food, stainless steel, easy to clean. Perfect for my free-feeding setup: one bowl of dry, one for wet in the morning, another for wet in the evening.
Squeezable purée treats cats lose their minds over.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
A creamy lickable treat in a tube that even the pickiest, most suspicious cats go feral for. Perfect for bonding, hiding pills, or making a nervous cat associate you with good things.
- ✓Almost universally loved
- ✓Great for pilling/bonding
- ✓Low calorie per tube
- –Can become an addiction
- –Messy if squeezed wrong
Why I recommend it: They need it every morning. It's really cute giving it to them straight from the tube, back and forth. I have to push Fred's head away so he doesn't steal it all and Jackie gets time with it. When I push the final bits out of the tube Jackie knows it's over and runs away to check on birds. For their birthday I do a can of tuna with churu on top for each as a 'cake.' They love it.
3. Save your house
A tall sturdy scratcher saves your couch, an enzyme cleaner is the only thing that truly kills puke and pee smell, and you need a carrier before you need one. Separate carriers per cat, always (learn from my vet-puke disaster).
Tall Scratching Post (Our Pick)
A tall, sturdy post, because height is the whole game.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
A full-height scratching post sturdy enough not to wobble. Height is the single most important factor in whether a cat actually uses a post instead of your couch.
- ✓Full vertical stretch
- ✓Sturdy
- ✓Cats actually use it
Why I recommend it: The big square ones specifically. They're heavy so the cats can actually climb the side of them without it tipping. It's key for them to be able to fully climb up on these things.
Enzyme Cleaner (Pee & Vomit Odor)
The enzyme cleaner that actually erases pee and puke smells.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
An enzymatic cleaner that breaks down the proteins in urine and vomit instead of just masking them, which is the only thing that truly removes the smell (and stops a cat re-marking the same spot). The one cleaning product every cat home needs.
- ✓Actually removes odor at the source
- ✓Stops re-marking
- ✓Works on pee and vomit
- –Needs to soak/dwell to work
- –Reapply for old stains
Why I recommend it: Truly works and the only thing that kills the smell of puke or pee. Enzymatic bacteria break down uric acid crystals, which is what makes pee smell permanent. Regular cleaners just mask it. Keep a bottle on hand at all times.
Top-loading hard shell that makes vet trips way less awful.
›Why we picked it, pros & consHide details
A sturdy carrier that opens from the top so you can lower a reluctant cat in instead of shoving them through a front door. The top also comes off so the vet can examine your cat in the base, far less stressful all around.
- ✓Easy top loading
- ✓Vet can exam in base
- ✓Secure & durable
- –Bulkier to store
- –Heavier than soft carriers
Why I recommend it: Top-load matters. I put a pee pad in it for Fred's car sickness. Two rules from living with a world-class puker: always use separate carriers (Fred once threw up on his sister in a shared carrier, never again), and go top-loading so you can lower a panicking cat in instead of wrestling them through a front door.
😼Fred 
“Every car ride ends in vomit. Every single one. You're welcome.” That's genuinely most of it
Get the litter setup right and the rest is easy. Want the picks tailored to your specific cat instead? Take the quiz. Fighting a specific problem already? Jump straight to it.
