Welcome to Pet Talk! How exciting to be getting a precious kitten. I, too, was worried when you mentioned it's age until you said it was still with it's mother.

Litter? We tried lots, but Premium Choice fits my budget, is easy on the nose (smell dampening), and makes the cats happy... you might want to try a few and see what works for you.

Food? Try food made for kittens. Most kittens are in high-growth mode for 6 months to a year, and keep on growing for a couple years. They need nutriments that kitten foods give them. (Okay, confession time: I accidently gave my 9 month old kittens cat food to my vet's horror and they REFUSED to go back. No harm done, but it's not the best way of going. Do the best you can.) I free fed the squirts dry kibble and had the two share a small can of wet food twice a day. Weaned them from wet food except for special treats at about a year. They ADORED Pounce treats as kittens, but they are high in sodium and it seemed the kittens puked a bit more when they got them, so I've REALLY tapered off on these.

Toys? Has anyone told you that kittens are immune to catnip? The cats the develop a hankering for it usually kicks in at about 6 months. I was told to avoid catnip in kitten toys as it would lessen their interest as adults. I don't know if that's true or not, but it's miserable trying to find cat toys withour catnip on them. I favor interactive toys -- ones you play with the cat with to add to your bonding and amusement. Feathers on strings on wands are good. When my cats were kittens they could tag team one another for upwards to an hour before they collapsed in exhaustion. HINT: If your kitten hasn't learned to sleep through the night yet, you might want to exhaust him/her and feed him/her before you go to bed. You'll sleep better.

Collars? Yes, please, yes make it a breakaway collar. It will keep your baby safe if it gets hung up somewhere. Horror stories about kittens hung by their collars -- ick...

Helpful hint: Kitten claws are SHARP! 1) Learn the momma cat moan/hiss that tells a kitten to back off and 2) get nail clippers and teach your darling early that grooming is part of the package. JenLuckenback has a thread going, illustrated with photos, on how to clip baby's nails that's wonderful.

Enjoy your visit to Pet Talk! And post often, please.