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Welcoming a new pet into your family is joyful, but there’s more to it than just bringing them home and admiring their cuteness! Whether you’ve got your heart set on a puppy, kitten or rabbit, this expert guide on adopting an animal will help. From getting your property set-up properly to must-have pet supplies, here’s how to get started.
Preparing the home: You should think of a new pet as you would a baby, says Dr Arnja Dale, chief scientific officer at SPCA. “When a baby arrives, parents will ‘baby-proof’ the house to ensure it is safe. People with pets should also do a safety sweep of their home.”Other ways to prepare your home for a new pet? Dr Arnja suggests securing cords and wires to prevent chewing, removing toxic plants, locking cabinets containing poisonous substances and checking for any small objects that could be a choking hazard.
First meetings: “To support your pet’s transition into their new home, it’s best to stay with them for a few days,” Dr Arnja advises. “Keep the environment calm and introduce them to your home one room at a time. Try to limit the number of people who meet them at the beginning.”
Get to know your vet: Line up a vet visit ASAP. Not just for vaccinations – your vet is an invaluable source of information on caring for your animal companion.
Play dates: “Puppies need socialisation to help them grow up to be friendly, well-behaved dogs,” Dr Arnja says. “It is important to give them positive experiences with a variety of different sights, sounds, surfaces and situations. For pups under eight weeks old, begin socialisation in the home. After that, you can start introducing them to public places, but they must be carried in public places until they have completed their initial course of vaccines.”
Walkies: Take time to get them used to a dog collar or harness and lead, on slow, short walks only. Puppies tire quickly.
Toy story: “Interactive play things such as wand toys will stimulate a kitten’s hunting instincts,” Dr Arnja says. Climbing towers, cat scratching posts, tunnels and cat toys such as balls encourage natural cat behaviour, she adds.
Safe space: Minimise fear by providing your cat with quiet sleeping areas.
Full house: If you have more than one cat, Dr Arnja advises giving them separate food bowls, water, toys, sleep zones and litter boxes for toileting. The general rule is one resource per cat, plus one extra. “Provide multiple resources to prevent competition,” she says.
Matching pair: “Rabbits are a social species and have evolved to live in groups,” Dr Arnja says. “A desexed rabbit friend is essential for your rabbit’s welfare.”
Free range: “Your rabbit enclosure should connect to, or be contained within, a run (which should be as large as possible) to allow your rabbits to hop, run, jump and stand fully upright on their back legs,” Dr Arnja advises.
Balanced diet: Rabbits are grazers. Give them a constant supply of grass or grass hay, rabbit-safe fruit and veges, and a few rabbit pellets.
Learn how to pet-proof your home, room by room.
Photo credit: Adobe Stock
