How to Prepare the Home for Your New Pet

Photo by: Bigstockphoto
Photo by: Bigstockphoto

A pet is one of the best ways to transform a house into a home. Adopting a pet is indeed an exciting time but make sure to create a cozy, warm home for your new companion too! In today’s post, we are giving you tips on how to prepare your home for a new pet:

Get a Kennel

A kennel is a great way to calm a nervous pet and protect the animal from the stress of moving from point A to point B. Most dogs love car rides but others don’t. You can always put the dog in the kennel throughout the car ride to your home to keep him comfortable. If you are adopting a cat, you can get a small kennel. But if it’s a kitten, a small box should suffice as temporary shelter throughout the car ride. You can get a kennel from your local pet store but make sure the size is just right for your new pet.

Seat Covers

If you got a pet that sheds a lot, we strongly recommend getting seat covers to protect your couch (or car seat) from animal hair. Invest in lint rollers too especially if you adopted a cat with a long coat. You can reduce shedding by grooming your pet regularly and trimming their coat every month!

Establishing Household Rules

House rules are important especially if you have kids. Talk to the rest of the family and delegate various tasks to every member. Adopting a pet is a great way to teach kids about responsibilities. You can delegate simple tasks to children such as giving the pet fresh water twice every day or grooming the pet’s coat. You can also ask the kids to play with the pet for exercise while the grownups can handle the cleaning and bathing.

Pet Supplies

Do not wait until the last minute to get all the pet supplies you need to keep the pet comfortable and happy. Start with the essentials: pet food, water bowl, food bowl, harness, and leash. Get collars, identification tags, grooming tools and toys. You can also get treats, which are handy when you’re potty training a puppy! A dog or cat bed is optional. Some animals like pet beds, others don’t. Finally, invest on bath products such as shampoos, flea collars, tick soaps and other treatments.

Pet-Proofing Your Home

To keep your new pet out of harm’s way and to avoid damage to property, pet-proof your home before picking up the newest member of the family:

Store Chemicals Properly

Start by locking away cleaning agents and other harmful chemicals such as insecticides, detergent, and tile cleaner. Animals are particularly attracted to antifreeze so store this in a place that pets cannot reach. Clean up spills immediately to avoid ingestion.

Remove Poisonous Plants

Some types of common household plants are actually toxic to pets. Cats, in particular, are prone to chewing houseplants so it is important to decorate your home with pet-friendly plants. Corn plants, tropic snow, lilies, and sowbread are just a few types of common household plants that are toxic to both dogs and cats.

Protecting Your Appliances

Dogs and cats of all ages love to gnaw and chew almost everything, including electric cords. Get the cords out of your pet’s sight by tying them up. Playful pets tend to play rough, causing lamps or other appliances to fall. Generally, you want to train the pet to never crawl over tables. Remove fragile home appliances out of the way to reduce the risk of accidents.

Keep the Doors and Windows Closed

Always keep the windows and door closed especially if you want to raise an indoor pet. Cats love to sneak out on any openings so always make it a point to check and double-check doors and windows before leaving your home.

Seal Dangerous Household Items

Always keep dangerous home items like pins, medicine, needles and garbage in sealed containers and stow these away from your pet’s reach. Cats love to go on little expeditions and explore high places. They have a knack for getting into things that are purposely hidden so make sure to keep dangerous household items tightly sealed.