You finally gave in to your family’s demand, and you’re getting a new dog or cat for the house. Congratulations! A new pet is a beautiful way to bond with your family and is something that you likely won’t regret. However, if you don’t know how to bring a new cat into the house or a dog with the kind of ease and grace they deserve, this experience may not go as well as you’d hoped.
Thankfully, it shouldn’t be too hard to prepare your home if you know what kind of steps are necessary. You’re not only going to have to work with your family to prepare a variety of different elements properly but also need to take steps to improve your home and its overall design. Doing so will help ensure that you don’t experience any complications and help make your family happier.
Talk to Your Family First
When learning how to bring a new cat into the house, the first thing to know is to talk to your family about the responsibilities that they need to take on when the pet arrives. Everybody in the house will have to contribute to this process and need to take steps to make sure that your new cat or dog is properly cared for and comfortable. Thankfully, there aren’t many difficulties in this situation.
When you have young children, they need to be prepared for the challenges of owning a pet and taking care of them. They must know how to feed them, give them water when to change the litter box, how to walk a dog or leash them properly, and much more. They must also know how to read a dog or cat’s behavior to gauge if they want to be petted or if they need to be avoided when the pet is in a bad mood.
If anybody in your home has troubles with alcohol or drugs, you may want them to get rehabilitation to avoid complications. An addiction treatment center will help walk them back from the dangers of drug abuse. And it will make it easier for this loved one to handle the challenges of caring for a pet and ensure that your dog or cat is happy meeting this individual and doesn’t run into any care issues.
Upgrade Your Home
If you’re bringing a new dog or cat into the home, it is time to upgrade it to make sure that it is suitable for your family and the pet. Your animal may need a little extra room to settle into the house, such as a spot where they can rest and play. You probably don’t need to add a new addition to the home for your pet, but taking a few steps to make it more comfortable for them is an excellent option for homeowners.
For example, there are many types of floor care services to utilize that will make pet life easier. Hardwood floors and other types may be hard for a pet to walk on, and you may need carpets to make their life a little easier. You may also want to talk to HVAC professionals to ensure that your home is comfortable for the pet, as most dogs or cats have higher body temperatures than people and may be uncomfortable in a home otherwise.
Heating contractors typically understand how to bring a new cat into the house and what steps they need to talk to help you out. They’ll start with a building inspection to spot potential problems and then work off this inspection to ensure your home is smooth and efficient. This process also includes various other building professionals who can provide the kind of high-quality home your pet needs. Also, make sure to find affordable home insurance options that include pet protection.
Pet-Proof Your House
Another step to take when learning how to bring a new cat into the house is making sure your home is pet-proofed. After your renovation, these steps should be done to ensure that you don’t have to do them again after you’ve already upgraded your home. These steps are relatively simple and shouldn’t take too much excessive work. For example, you’ll need to get rid of various plants that are not safe for pets.
These plants include various types of ivy growths that you’d think wouldn’t hurt a pet but can be problematic if you aren’t careful. It is also important to close up certain rooms where pets may get, such as bathrooms with dangerous chemicals. Take these substances and put them somewhere that your pet can’t reach, such as on high shelves. Also, make sure small items are picked up and put away.
You’ll also need to consider pet allergies and take steps to minimize this problem. If anyone in your home is allergic to a cat or a dog, upgrading your home with anti-allergenic items is a wise decision. You should also invest in pet stain removal, such as various cleaning products that break apart stains, and take steps to ensure that your cat or dog doesn’t “go” in the home by accident.
Talk to Your Lawyer
Don’t be too stressed out about this tip! There aren’t too many legal issues to consider when learning how to bring a new cat into the house. However, you may want to pay attention to elements like the legality of the adoption (such as if you took a cat in off the street or bought one from a breeder), the validity of their license, breeding rights for dogs, and anything else that may complicate your adoption.
Many dog breeders will not sign over breeding rights for puppies that they sell because they don’t want their “line” to be corrupted. This frustrating situation is something that you and your lawyer may have to hash out if you ever want to breed your pup. Most people won’t have to worry about this step, thankfully, but it must be taken into account if you aren’t sure of your rights.
And you might also want to talk to a dog bite injury attorney about any potential issues when you purchase a pet. Though most dogs are pretty friendly and aren’t likely to bite if they are correctly handled, some might end up lashing out at someone if they aren’t handled properly. Therefore, it is crucial to take the time to understand your rights and what might happen if your dog misbehaves.
Prepare Your Yard
Is your yard fenced in and safe for your pet to run around in with no fear? Or is your yard open and potentially a problem for a pet who may want to run and explore? Whatever the situation, you need to make sure that you take time to prepare your yard correctly. Of all the steps necessary when learning how to bring a new cat into the house, this is often one of the most important and expensive. It is usually worth it as a way of keeping your pet safe from dangers.
For instance, you’re going to have to call a fencing company that can put up a high-quality barrier that will keep your pets safe and other animals out of your yard. These fences can vary in their type and include wood, metal, and vinyl options. Pick whatever option suits your needs, and then work with a building team to install this fence and keep it in great shape for years to come in your yard without issue. You can pick an option that makes your house more attractive, too.
If your HOA or neighborhood does not allow fences, or you cannot afford or do not want a physical wall, you can always consider an electronic option. This type of fencing is invisible but will send a slight shock to your pet if they try to leave the yard. The only problem with these fences is that they do not keep other animals, which may pester or even attack your pet and cause real issues. This may be particularly problematic if your pet gets injured or hurts another animal in a fight.
Create a Place for Your Pet
Like your children, your pet deserves a place that they can call their own. Your dog or cat will accept your whole house as their new abode and will usually comfortably mesh with your family. However, most also want a little spot where they can take over, a place to lay down, play, and do their thing without worrying about getting in anybody’s way. Thankfully, they don’t need a lot of room here.
For example, your pet will need a spot where it can relax and feel comfortable, such as a small spot in your living room that has a bed, a kennel, a basket, or other items that belong to them. Set up these items before the dog or cat moves into the house and show them to them, emphasizing that they are theirs. These pets are smart enough to understand that these items are theirs, particularly cats when it comes to litter boxes.
However, you also need to add a lot of toys for your pets, a step when learning how to bring a new cat into the house that many do not take. Your dog or cat will want and need toys to entertain themselves when they get bored. Without these items, your pet is liable to sleep all day or have a lot of excessive energy. Also, make sure that you take the time to play with them every day to burn some of their energy and get some exercise yourself.
Buy Plenty of Pet Supplies
When you’re learning how to bring a new cat into the house, you may find yourself suddenly needing to buy a lot of items without expectation. For example, your dog is going to need plenty of food and various toys and other items to adjust. Your cat is also going to need food, treats, a litter box, litter liners, and litter. All of these items should be purchased before you ever get the animal into the house.
The best way to approach this situation is to find a list of things that you know you’ll need, buy them, and store them. Place your pet’s food and water dishes in places that make sense for them and which are protected from children or other animals. And make sure to set up a litter box in a place that won’t annoy you or cause your family to suffer from the excessive smell, such as in an easy-to-access basement.
Also, make sure that you have things like collars, leashes, scratching posts, ID tags, bags for when you take your pet on trips, cages for when you go to the vets, and much more. Your pets are going to need all of these items, and you’re going to spend good money on them to prepare. If you feel uncomfortable with these steps, you can also talk to a pet-supply delivery company and have them send items to you at a reasonable and inexpensive price.
You’re Ready to Go
By now, you should have a pretty good idea of how to bring a new cat into the house without causing any challenges to your family’s life or making things more difficult for the pet. You’ll have a great place for your pet to live and will be able to feel comfortable handling their needs and challenges as an animal, making your overall care that much smoother and more enjoyable for everyone in the house.
And if you ever decide you want to bring another new pet into the house, you’ll need to not only take these steps again (or assure that your house is still prepared) but also work with the old pet to ensure that they are comfortable. Integrating a new animal into this kind of environment may be hard if you don’t take the needs of each pet in mind and try to make them friendly before they move in together.