Bird, fish or kitten, have your home ready for the new pet
Many people are so excited to get a new pet that they don’t take the proper amount of time to prepare their home for the pet’s arrival. Make sure you designate a special place for it to eat, sleep, and eliminate. Obtain any necessary accessories (ie. collar, leash, ID tag, crate, cage, aquarium, dishes etc) before you bring your pet home. For most pets, you will need to pet-proof your home just as you would child-proof your home to avoid accidents. Harmful cleansers, plants, electrical cords, and breakable objects should be kept out of reach. Open windows should be screened. Roaming pets are prime candidates for fights with other animals, traffic accidents, and communicable animal diseases. Their life span can be expected to be considerably shorter as a result.
Most pets, especially cats, are perfectly content to be indoor pets, as long as they have access to food and fresh water at all times. Many pet professionals strongly recommend that for a healthier, happier pet you consider keeping your pets indoors only. If your pet must go outside, make sure you know where it is at all times, that the pet is old enough to manage on its own, that it is identified in some fashion (microchip ID or breakaway collar and tag), current on vaccinations, and not outdoors in extremely cold, hot, or inclement weather. Dogs, of course, love and need exercise and the outdoors is the best place for that. Whenever possible, ensure it is on a leash to be safe.
If there are certain areas of the house that you want to keep off-limits to your new pet, start training it immediately to avoid those areas. When choosing where your pet will sleep, keep in mind some pets are nocturnal animals and will be active at night. Placing soft bedding materials in secluded corners will help your pet to feel at home.
Show your pet you love them from day one and make sure your home is pet-friendly. The pay-off is a long and healthy relationship.