Bringing home a new pet is a really big step. It can be both scary and exciting all at the same time. As a pet owner, you now have the responsibility of another little life.
Your new pet depends entirely on you to provide everything they’ll need. Here are five easy steps to help ensure that your new family member lives a long and happy and healthy life.
- Make your home a safe environment – The same way you baby-proof a home, you also need to pet-proof your home. Because our household pets are talented at getting into things, you want to keep everything that is toxic for them out of reach. This includes cleaning supplies, medicines, foods that are bad for them (see #3), the trash and low electrical cords.
- Make sure your pet receives regular checkups – Going to the vet can be pricey, but it’s important for your pet to make it there often. Just like you get a yearly checkup, your pet should have a checkup every one to two years. While there, make sure that Fido or Mr. Whiskers has a thorough check-up to ensure that they’re on the road to a happy and healthy life. Be sure to ask your vet questions about your new pet, if you have any. And you might also want to ask them about any vaccinations and medications that you think you might need. Products like Sentinel or Frontline Plus can be an important part of keeping your pets’ hearts and bodies healthy.
- Make sure you’re feeding your pet the right things – Different animals are allergic to different things so it’s important to research what your pet can handle. As a rule, there are many toxic foods for pets like alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, garlic, onion, grapes, raw yeast, trash, anything moldy and anything with artificial sweetener.
- Develop an exercise plan for your pet – Pets who stay inside often balloon after they mature, especially cats. It’s important for you to keep your pet at a healthy weight. If you have a dog, you can make sure to take it on walks. If you have a cat, you can give it exercise by playing with it in the house. (Hint- laser pointer.)
- Spay or neuter – It’s been proven that pets who have been spayed or neutered lead a healthier, longer life. If money is an issue, many local animal shelters provide free spay and neuter days. Many counties also have programs where you can get your dog or cat spayed or neutered for as low as $10. Contact your local Humane Society for more information.
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Hi;
You mention about keeping them out of hazardous items when you get them home. I agree. When I brought the “girls” home, (my Min Pins, Cassie and kali) I had to get a pet gate right away. They wouldn’t stay in their pen and climbed out of it. After I got the gate it did a great job keeping them contained while we were at work.