First-time pet adopters as well as seasoned pet parents can all use a refresher on pet care from time to time, to ensure you take nothing about pet ownership for granted. The best time to do this is before you bring a(nother) pet home. Whether it’s the sense of warmth that comes from having a living, breathing four-legged family member waiting for you in the doorway, or you’ve simply ‘always had pets’, keeping pets is a privilege and it’s for the pet’s whole life. The best way to mitigate any issues (such as compatibility, finances, commitment, time, etc.) is to prepare for them beforehand. This requires taking a good, honest look at what it takes to be a pet parent and how to be the best pet parent you can be for the pet you want to adopt.
This article covers a lot of the pre-adoption preparation that should be done before your new pet comes home, and how to get your new pet to adjust to your household.
Step 1: Know that a new pet will change your life
Pets are still regarded as possessions to own, commodities to buy, so it is fairly easy to acquire a new pet whenever the desire strikes. However, before you bring a new pet home, it’s important to resist the need for instant gratification; to put some intellectual distance between the cute face on a picture on social media, and how your life will change as a result of adopting that cute face into your home. Adopting a new pet means committing the next 10 – 15 years of your life to meeting their needs and being 100% responsible for them.
To ensure you can be a responsible pet owner to that specific pet, it’s important to know – broadly – what they need (and how you will fulfil those needs), how much they will cost you (across their whole lifespan), and where you’ll get them from.
Match the pet to your existing lifestyle (breed research)
Whether you want a large dog, a small cat, a rare bird or reptile, or a rodent, each type of animal and breed within the type will have different needs. It’s not that a Sphynx cat needs less grooming than a triple-coated Alaskan Malamute dog – it’s just a different type of care. Sufficient breed research will go a long way to ensuring you adopt the pet you want to care for with your personal resources and within your boundaries, and that they fit into your family’s current lifestyle. If your family are big on the outdoors; hiking, biking and being generally athletic, and you want a dog to join you on outdoor adventures, a Dachshund would not be the right companion. If your family comprises homebodies with a penchant for relaxation, Netflix marathons, and long hours of video gaming, the hyperactive border collie would most certainly be frustrated with this more laid-back lifestyle. If you are away from home for most of the day, a cocker spaniel (and his need for close human companionship) would most likely suffer without your presence.
When looking for the perfect breed for you or your family, always ask (the shelter or breeder) about activity levels and temperament, sociability and their personality in general. Do not choose a pet based on their looks. Ask any Siberian husky owner who had no idea about their escape artist dog who needs at least 10km of running per day…
If you do not meet the energy, activity and problem-solving needs of the pet you choose, they may find ways of entertaining themselves, which are not conducive to a harmonious household (i.e. they may become very destructive out of boredom). We are quick to judge these pets as ‘naughty’, when they are merely solving their unmet need for stimulation.
Create a budget for your pet’s needs
The cost of pet ownership is not only defined by what the adoption fees are and the incidental expenses like pet beds or vet visits. To get an idea of how much money you’ll need to afford a new pet, it will help to draw up a budget and record the ‘initiation fees’ (adoption, vaccination, microchipping, sterilisation); the ongoing annual fees like vet visits, dental cleaning and booster vaccines; monthly expenses like pet food, training classes, tick, flea and deworming medication, and pet insurance. Ad hoc expenses would include grooming products, pet toys and treats, supplements, poop bags, etc.
High-quality pet products are expensive, but they are durable. Do your research and find the best pet products for your pet and your budget. Record all of these expenses, add them up, multiply them by the 10+ years you’ll have your pet (plus inflation), and this will give you an idea of what you’ll need to be able to afford the new addition to your household.
Beware of pet scams
Modern technology can solve many problems, but it can also create a whole host of new headaches. Do not use Google to find a new pet. Your heart may be in the right place, but you’ll need to use your head to find the right new pet online. There are thousands of unscrupulous scammers who prey on animal lovers, so educate yourself on how puppy scams work before you fall victim to this type of scam.
Pet scammers know how to make a website look professional and legitimate, but if they advertise lots of different breeds with puppies immediately available, that’s a dead giveaway that there are no puppies (the same principle applies to kittens). Registered breeders do not have litters available all year ‘round, and when they do showcase a litter, it’s likely that each puppy is already reserved by someone on their waiting list.
Legitimate breeders do not need to use emotional manipulation or a sense of urgency to get you to buy their puppies – only scammers do that. If you’re prepared to wait for the puppy you want, ask a breeder to add you to their waiting list. If you’re not prepared to wait, rather visit the pet shelters and SPCAs in your area, view the available animals in person, and participate in a legitimate adoption process to make sure you can bring home the pet you choose.
Step 2: Do all the necessary preparation for your new pet
It’s easy to assume you can make your new pet comfortable in your home when they arrive, but pet-proofing your home is an essential step before that new pet walks through the front door. Whether you cordon off a room or two where your new pet can adjust, or whether you need to pet-proof your whole home, you need to make a pet-safe area for your new pet to adjust to life with you.
What does pet-proofing your home entail?
- Put all cleaning supplies and medicines out of reach.
- Keep human food and snacks locked away.
- Tie up loose cables, or make them inaccessible.
- Install baby gates in front of staircases and window screens in front of windows.
- Fence off your yard/Place barriers in areas where your pet is not allowed to go.
- Keep a pet first-aid kit handy and stocked up.
- Get rid of any plants that may be poisonous to pets.
Puppies and kittens love to chew on things, and their curious noses will lead them towards all sorts of chewable objects like electronics cables, shoes, the corners of furniture, etc. – anything at ‘pet height’. Aside from pet-proofing your home, it would be wise to purchase enough toys and games to keep young pets interested in playing with the appropriate objects long enough to distract them from the inappropriate (unsafe) ones.
Pet supplies you’ll need before bringing your new pet home:
- food and water bowls (one food bowl and one water bowl for each pet, to prevent a competitive environment that can lead to aggression between pets)
- pet food
- pet treats
- pet supplements (if recommended by the vet)
- pet bed and blankets
- pet toys (lots of them)
- scratching posts for cats
- collar and leash for dogs
- grooming tools (brush, nail clippers, toothbrush)
Step 3: Introduce your pet to the vet
Your new pet should go to the veterinarian as soon as possible. This initial consultation and check-up are to give the vet the opportunity to record a health baseline for your new pet. The health baseline will give the vet a starting point from which to monitor your pet’s health and progress. The vet will also encourage you to vaccinate, microchip and sterilise your pet (if these steps have not yet been followed or if your new pet has come from somewhere other than a shelter). You will have a vet card in which your pet’s vaccination schedule is recorded, so you’ll know when to bring them in for their booster shots.
Once the vet has taken a good look at your new pet, ask them to recommend the most appropriate pet food to meet your new pet’s nutritional needs. Follow the vet’s feeding advice and do not overfeed your new pet. Only use treats to reward your pet’s appropriate behaviour. At each vet visit, the vet will weigh your pet and will know if you’ve been spoiling them!
Step 4: Making your new pet feel at home
Introducing your new pet to your household changes everything for everyone – animal and human – already in your household. It’s very exciting to bring a new pet home, but it’s important to make sure everyone’s wellbeing is taken into consideration: that your existing pets and children feel at ease, and your new pet acclimates at their own pace. There are a few things you can do to make this adjustment as comfortable as possible.
- Give each pet their own bed, food bowls and toys. This ensures they don’t have fight for and guard their resources, and they each get a safe place to withdraw to if they need some peace and quiet. You can affirm this by giving a treat to each pet when they are lying quietly on their own beds. Don’t let your existing pets try to dominate the new pet.
- Let all your pets meet on neutral territory to avoid your existing pets getting territorial about your home and treating your new pet like an intruder.
- Teach your children from the get-go to handle all animals with care. Before a new pet comes home, some boundaries must first be set (i.e. no disturbing the pet while they are eating or sleeping). They also need to be taught how to properly handle a pet – no picking it up by the legs, tail or scruff of the neck. Children must always be supervised when playing with pets.
- Set a daily routine as soon as possible. When a pet is fed, walked, played with, trained, groomed and toileted at more or less the same time each day, it removes any anxiety about not knowing what’s going to happen. This builds self-confidence, especially if they know what you expect from them, since they are willing to please you. A pet that knows their routine, is less likely to experience separation anxiety if you leave the house, or aggression, due to lack of confidence. When a pet anticipates (and then enjoys) their known activities, they are less likely to engage in unwanted or destructive behaviours. Doing things together as part of a daily routine also helps to solidify your bond as pet owner and pet.
- Socialise your pet with other pets and humans as much as you can. Some pets will be more sociable than others, but healthy socialisation will keep their manners in check and help them to not be reactive to other people and animals. Meet other pet parents in the park, attend puppy school or training classes. Keep in mind that it’s inappropriate to simply walk up to a stranger and their dog and expect them to socialise. Always ask for permission to approach if you want to use the opportunity for socialising.
Obedience training works wonders to cement a lifelong bond between you and your new pet. It’s all about learning to communicate with each other, which is essential to being the best pet parent for your pet. Find out about training classes in your area or even one-on-one training with a behaviourist, and attend regularly. Cats can also benefit from obedience training, which can be reinforced with treats and petting.
Step 5: Adapting to your new pet
No matter how long it takes for your new pet to feel at home, see the world from their perspective and understand that they may need time to adjust to this new environment. Also take your own time to adapt to a new pet in the house, and accept that you (and your family) may need to make some changes to your own space and routine.
Be caring and compassionate to your new pets – especially those who may have had a traumatic history. They will need lots of time to decompress, relax their anxiety, and come out of their shell. Give them that time and space to learn that your home is a safe place – safe enough to make it their home. It may take a few days, a few weeks or a few months, so just be patient.
If you are concerned about your new pet’s health or the dynamics between your new pet and the rest of your family, ask the vet for advice on how to incorporate this brand-new family member into your life to make them feel at home.