It’s a very exciting day when you bring home a new pet to meet the family. The kids are beyond excited, and there hasn’t been this much feverish anticipation since a new baby was brought home. But if you’re anything like me, I tend to be somewhat underprepared when it comes to the planning side of things. When our border collie, Molly, was brought home, little did we know what we were letting ourselves in for. I’d never had a pet growing up, and I thought it would be a walk in the park, I’d had two babies after all! So, for your benefit, here are the things you need to know to get your house ready for your first pet.
Pet Proof Your Home!
This is something that we didn’t think would be too difficult. If we just hid the wires that would have solved the problem, right? Wrong! The ficus plant we had in the corner of the living room didn’t stay standing for long. So what I’d recommend you do is getting a puppy or kitten-eye view of all the temptations your new pet might want to investigate. Also, pick up anything that has dropped on the floor like rubber bands or paper clips.
The best incentive for keeping a clean house is a puppy or kitten, because if anything has been lost or left behind, they will most definitely find it! Cats will disappear behind your TV or under your bed, and reappear with stuff you’ve either long forgotten or never knew was there in the first place!
Pet proofing is the best way to prevent problems during those important first few weeks of new pet ownership.
Stock Up
On food, toys, collars, ID tags, potty bags, scratching posts, cat litter and litter box. Have a look here to see what dog toys are indestructible, they came in handy when we brought Molly home!
And with food, it is best that you keep your pet on the very same food they have been eating before leaving their shelter, even if it’s very poor quality. They will interpret this wonderful change in circumstances as stressful. Change, if it is good or bad, gets translated as stress in your dog’s or cat’s body.
Puppies and kittens, in particular, experience a lot of stress because they’re being separated from their mom and littermates for the first time. They’re changing environments, sometimes outdoor environments as well, which bring new allergens that can affect their immune system.
Assign The Pet Chores
Decide ahead of time who will be doing the dog walking, taking care of the feeding and cleaning up after them. Not just the adults, but giving young children a desire to look after a pet, instead of just treating the animal as a plaything, will instill caring values. Having a pet is a lot of work, and if everyone gets involved together, it makes the chores seem less of a chore. It also will help everyone to work as a family, to raise your wonderful pet into a loving and caring creature.
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