Prepping the Household for Pets: Yes, There Are Rules

What do you call a pet? We call dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits (etcetera)—pets and you might do so also. Alternatively, the definition of a pet to you might be the likes of pigs, tarantulas, and lizards. This preference is mainly due to differing tastes. An instance is that some other individuals might prefer the company of foxes and other such exotic animals to any of the ones mentioned above.

That said, if you are a beginner when and where it concerns pets, then this article contains the preparation methods that will allow you to easily accommodate the new addition to the family. Though, do note that even if you have had pets before, there are somethings you might find here which are helpful.

Moving on, questions like what you need in order to clean (including waste) your pets and how to prepare the house for them will be answered below. And in the case of the latter, lack of preparing your home for the arrival of a pet might lead to complications you would rather avoid.

So, to start with, you need to have:

The Right Mentality

You need to be prepared mentally for a pet since it’s a huge responsibility. You’ll be like the father or mother, raising the pet (especially if it’s a puppy) from its early stages till it is an adult. That includes potty-training the pet (in the case of pets like dogs), bathing it, feeding it, and just being available.

Look at lizards for example. You put them in a large aquarium for them to live in and they have no option of hunting for food. You must be prepared to make time always for their sake, lest they go hungry. This is the same case for pets such as dogs. You’ll pack a lot of feces in the case of a puppy, and that’s minus the occasional vomit when your pet eats too much.

Nonetheless, time and work that you have to put in vary from one animal to the other. Your pet goldfish, for instance, will only require that you change the water occasionally and clean the bowl. Other than that, you need only feed it which as opposed to other pets, is a fast and easy process.

Have Beds for Your Pet

A bed will be required regardless if you prefer to go for a Boerboel, Siamese cat, or even a Bearded Dragon. To put this in properly in place, let’s explain in-depth. For one, a Boerboel will need a soft/plushy bed and some pillows and blankets to go with that. They, like many other animals, like to cuddle a lot and the pillows will serve that purpose. Also, you have to make sure the bed you’re purchasing is situated in your room. This is because, dogs at the base level, prefer to move in packs, so, they (regardless if it’s a grown-up dog or a new puppy) will feel more comfortable knowing you’re around. Finally, if your new pet is a puppy, then you’ll need some chewing toys for teething, so as to help with his or her growth.

A cat, on the other hand, is an animal that you can’t just buy a single bed for. You have to purchase small beds (plush) for almost every room that you’ll be sharing with him or her. If you don’t do this, that means you’ll most likely be finding cat fur on maybe all your furniture. Still, buying multiple beds for your cat doesn’t mean he/she won’t touch your favorite couch. They can’t be controlled, unlike a dog, and that means you have to be prepared, to at least, welcome their inherent antics.

Lizards like the Bearded Dragons (even a spider like the Chilean Rose) can’t be given a bed. You have to build their habitats for them, and that represents a tiny ecosystem. So, you buy a good-sized aquarium, that contains a lot of branches for climbing, has a small enclosure for your lizard’s personal business, and some plants if possible to beautify the whole place.

You also need to consider the temperature since lizards are cold-blooded. A secondary source of temperature like a bulb will do great in this regard since it’s a source of heat that mimics the sun (above the lizard). Essentially, you need to find the bed or resting conditions that will fit any pet you choose. The ones above are just to show the different requirements that you might face when getting/selecting a pet.

The Cleaning Tools

Yes, other than giving your pet a bath, this includes, for instance, clearing the dog poop and also grooming him or her. You need items such as soap, sponge, brush, and shampoo for your dogs, while animals such as lizards do not need such. This is because they only shed their skin after some time.

For cleaning up feces and shed skin, you can purchase a pooper scooper, plastic bags, and gloves (especially good for lizards).

You should also buy a litter box in the case of dogs and cats since it will help prevent some unsavory situations and because it’s needed for a potty-trained pet.

Leash/Tags

In the case that you’re adopting a dog or a cat, you need to be prepared in two regards. First one is that you need a tag for your pet with their names on it. It makes for easy identification if a visitor, for example, comes home. Also, it ensures that your pet won’t miss out on any petting session since they’ll only be a name away.

On the part of the leash, you’ll need a collar if it’s a dog or an harness if it’s a cat. Dogs love exercises and exploring different environments but they love it even more when you do with them. Cats on the other hand, while they love it too, can’t be compared to dogs because of their nature. Also, their lithe frame doesn’t allow such control over them. So, you will have to buy a harness if you want to avoid a fussy cat.

For animals in an aquarium, obviously, there’s no need for any leash. All you have to do is to make sure the pet’s size is correspondent with the size of the aquarium. In other words, give the pet enough room to wander around.

Feeding Your Pet

You need food and water bowls for any pet that you get. And while you’re there, buy the appropriate food too. If it’s a young one, perhaps a puppy, then you buy the kind of food and also treats that will be easily digested and will also help with your pet’s development (fur quality, size, and muscles). On the other hand (grown pets), you should get the kind of food that will maintain an healthy growth and not the ones that will pose risks to your pet’s health later on. Essentially, all this means that you should streamline your pet’s diet as he or she grows.

Also, the food and water bowls should be made from stainless steel, ceramic, or glass since they’re very easy to clean.

Make a Family Schedule that Everyone will Follow

Making a family schedule will, in the long run, help your new pet familiarize with the whole family. In light of this, plan who will feed the pet, take it for walks, bath, groom, and play with him or her (etcetera).

This way, everybody has a part to play and it also helps in the case that anybody is ever too busy to take care of the family pet. Additionally, this includes children since it will give them a sense of responsibility. And later on, this will help build good characters.

Clean Up the House

In the case of pets such as dogs, hamsters, and cats, you need to pet-proof your home in order to protect both your pet and his or her surroundings. Get rid of any object that can cause choking or strangulation on your pet’s part. This includes dangling cords, paperclips, or small pieces of metal.

Exposed electric wires are also an issue that you must get rid of—if you want to welcome a pet. A young German Shepherd, as the inquisitive breed that it belongs to, might wander around and then find an exposed wire to chew on. The results of such might not be severe in the case of a mature dog, but take into consideration that this is a puppy that’s just growing up. Additionally, this is another reason why dog toys will most likely be needed. All you just need to do is to train the dog to only chew on its toys.

Continuing, if you have a plant that’s toxic by nature, or even anything poisonous, you should clear all of this away. You can put the flowers/poisons in an hard-to-reach place or you can get rid of it and the poisonous items entirely. Still, do note that keeping the flowers or poison in places like the window is not advisable. It might work in the case of dogs if the window is tall enough. But in the case of hamsters or cats, they will easily reach the spot if they’re provided with footholds.

Other elements or objects should be your prized possessions. Keep the breakables (i.e your vase) in a place your pet will never reach and your expensive accessories/clothing should be properly kept. If this isn’t done, you might be caught washing piss out of your items, or worst, picking up the pieces. Finally, this is a small tip—which says that you should make your home smell nice since dogs and cats have really sensitive noses.

Know a Vet

Knowing a good vet will be helpful in the scenario that your pets get sick. It’s not impossible and when it does happen, you won’t need to make calls to get a vet who knows his or her job well. All you will need to do at that time is to drive your pet to the vet hospital and get a quick examination and cure to the sickness.

With that point made, the vet you get in contact with prior to the arrival of your new pet, will give your pet all the necessary vaccines. This includes vaccines for rabies, canine hepatitis, and bad temper.

Conclusion

Everything requires preparation to pull off and in regards to that, an examination is a perfect example. You need to properly prepare so that you’ll pass and prepping your house for the arrival of a new pet is similar to that.

So, if you’re on the verge of bringing home a new pet, then you should consider the content above due to the help it stands to provide.

Pin for later