Preparation Checklist: 6 Essential Steps Before Bringing a Pet Home

Buying a pet is different from shopping at a supermarket for food. You and your family need to make preparations for the arrival of a new living thing. Some pets are simpler to care for, and some can be demanding. Therefore, you should research before you rush out to buy a pet to silence your child, who has been begging for one for the past two weeks. Here are seven things you should think about or prepare for before you move the pet to its new home.

Preparation Checklist

  • Consider hiring a vet around the Little Rock veterinary clinic.
  • Get food, housing, and toys,
  • Read a book about your new pet
  • Think about getting a tag or microchip.
  • Pet-proof your home
  • Assign someone else to take care of the pet

Consider Veterinary Care

A veterinarian offers necessary treatment and services for ill or hurt animals. However, if that is the only time your pet goes to the vet, they must get the required care. Pets should receive routine veterinary care, just as people are expected to visit their doctors for annual checkups.

It is also important to consider parasite prevention. Preventing parasites is the best way to care for your dog or cat. Because some pet parasites can spread zoonotic infections from infected animals to humans, parasites also pose a risk to human health.  Check this link to learn more.

Get Toys, Food, and Housing.

When it comes to housing and feeding, always plan. Before your pet gets home, make sure you have a variety of pet foods appropriate for your pet. If the animal typically resides in a cage, have a playpen and toys ready. Make sure cat litter is available for cats, and a dog-specific bed should be available for dogs.

Read a Book About Your New Pet.

Before spending time or money, learn more about the animal you are getting by reading a guide. Learn a little about pet habits, diet, and personality. Their feeding preferences, frequency of water consumption, and how close you should keep them around you. The goal is to have a basic understanding of your pet before learning more about it carefully.

Consider a Tag or a Microchip

Consider getting your pet a collar, a name tag, or a microchip. In this manner, if your pet gets lost and has a microchip, it may be quickly located by GPS, and if it has a name tag with your name and a phone number to call, anyone who finds it will know how to contact you. You can visit Bowman Road Animal Clinic for more information.

Make Your Home Pet-Proof

Before the pet arrives at your home or apartment, pet-proof it. This is particularly crucial if you share your living space with pets like dogs. Puppies, in particular, are curious and enjoy playing with anything they come across. 

  • Put wires out of sight or tape them up because your puppy will chew on them for fun. 
  • Toilet seats should be covered because they will later drink from them and lick your face. 
  • Get rid of or lock away anything harmful, such as cleaning products or broken furniture with sharp edges. 
  • Make sure the pet is safe in your house.

Delegate Responsibility for Pet Care.

It takes a lot of effort to care for a pet. If your children request the pet, they must be prepared to care for it. They probably made commitments to provide for the animal before it arrived, including long walks for the dog. After the pet is no longer novel and exciting, enthusiasm does start to wane. Plan so that, as an adult, you will have enough time to intervene if the children break their promise. Because they neglected to feed or walk the pet, it cannot be ignored.