Dr Trudie Prinsloo is a qualified veterinarian and attorney. In 2015, she started Legalvet Services to provide legal advice to the animal and veterinary industries in South Africa – and now she’s teamed up with us to tell us how to prepare for the arrival of a new pet.

 This blog is intended for informational purposes only.  dotsure.co.za is not responsible or liable for any advice or any other information provided herein.

Are you planning to get a new furry baby soon? The excitement of planning for a new pet is one of those special pleasures in life. It is a bit like planning for the arrival of a new human baby.

Gone are the days when you walk past a pet shop, buy a kitten or puppy on impulse, go home, and then wonder what the next step is. Getting a new pet is the start of a long-term relationship, and the more prepared you are for it, the more rewarding the relationship will be for both you and your new pet.

 

Set yourself up for success

Before you even consider adopting a new pet, please make sure that you will be allowed to keep a pet where you live. Certain municipalities also only allow a limited number of pets on a property.  Once you are sure you will be allowed to get a new pet, consider which pet would be most suited to your lifestyle.

Choose a name

Choosing a name before you bring home your new furry-baby may not sound that important, but it could assist in making a good start. Young animals learn extremely fast and calling them by their name right from the start will make it easy for them to learn and react to other commands. Although picking a name is a personal choice, the one thing you must consider is that it should be easy to pronounce and call out.

Choose commands

Decide beforehand which words will be used for specific commands, and make sure that everyone in the household is on the same page. Using two different words for the same command will be very confusing to a young pet. For example, if you do not want a pet to climb onto a couch, will you use the word “down!” or “off!”?

Rules

It is also important that everyone in the household should know beforehand what is allowed and what is not.  Will the new furry baby be allowed on the couch or a bed?  Make sure that everyone knows the rules and applies them to avoid confusing the new pet.

Responsibilities

If you have a family and you want the responsibilities to be shared, make sure that you have a definite plan. Allocate a specific task to a person or have a roster drawn up. If there are no definite rules, it will be easy to neglect the pet – which can be detrimental to the pet. Pets must always have access to fresh, clean water and must be fed regularly.  If these tasks are given to children, a responsible adult must monitor them.

Choose a veterinarian and have the contact details available

If you already have other pets and a veterinarian, this is not a problem. But if you do not have a veterinarian, make sure you choose one that is close by, who you will be able to contact in an emergency.  Keep the details where everyone in the household will be able to access them in case of an emergency.

It will also be good if you already identify a puppy trainer before you get a puppy, so that you can start puppy training as soon as possible.

Making your home pet-safe

Puppies and kittens generally learn very fast, but they are not humans, and we cannot expect them to know what is allowed and what is not allowed at the beginning. The world is new to them, and they must explore.  Exploring often means chewing things. We have the responsibility to make our homes safe and without temptations. The following items should be removed or kept out of their way:

  • Harmful substances such as pesticides and household chemicals. Please remember that sugar replacements such as xylitol are highly toxic to animals.
  • Electrical cords look very tempting to young pets, so please keep them out of the way. Biting on an electrical cord can cause electrocution and the death of a pet.
  • Garbage bins are like treasure troves to puppies! Except they don’t understand the dangers of rotten food or other harmful items in the garbage bin. Please secure garbage bins in such a way that they are not accessible, or that the lids cannot be opened by them.
  • Food – human and pet food should be kept out of their way.  Apart from the fact that it is not acceptable for puppies and kittens to help themselves to food, they are likely to overeat and become sick if they accidentally stumble onto a bag of food.
  • Children’s toys will be a huge temptation for new furry babies. Apart from the fact that these toys are not safe for pets, it will also cause heartache to your child if a beloved toy is chewed up.
  • Remove all possible choking hazards that may be lying around such as elastic bands, pieces of string, paperclips, and bottle tops.
  • Keep floor-length curtains away from kittens because they just love climbing up curtains! Also, make sure that valuable items that kittens and puppies may accidentally knock over are stored away.
  • Close gaps in fences and access to places in which puppies or kittens can get stuck or lost, such as under a garden shed.
  • Swimming pools and ponds are dangerous for young animals who may fall in and drown. Make sure that such places are secured.
  • Poisonous garden plants do unfortunately cause pet deaths from time to time. Young animals explore the world using their mouths and chewing on plants can be very dangerous. Some of the most dangerous plants include oleanders, azaleas, rhododendrons, poinsettias, and lilies.  Please consult your veterinarian if you have questions in this regard.

Making it easy for the new pet to settle in

If you are well prepared for the new arrival, it will make it much easier for the kitten or puppy to settle in. Here is a list of items that you will need:

  • Have a pet bed or dedicated area with soft blankets for the kitten or puppy to sleep in ready. Identify a safe area beforehand where you want the new pet to sleep.  Kittens may prefer a bed that allows them to hide away, such as an igloo-type bed.
  • Get a food bowl and water bowl that is the right size which remains stable when the puppy or kitten eats. Decide beforehand where the new furry baby will eat, but make sure it is an area where they will feel safe and won't be bothered by other pets or people.
  • Kittens will need a sandbox with fresh, clean sand. This should be kept away from the sleeping and eating areas but must also be easily accessible and in an area where the kitten will not feel threatened by other pets or people.
  • Puppies should be taken out regularly to learn to urinate and defecate outside, but if they must be kept inside for longer periods, puppy training pads are very useful to teach them to urinate in a dedicated area.
  • Get a scratch pole for your kitten. It is natural for cats to scratch and providing a cat with a safe place to do it will save you a lot of trouble.
  • Start with a few different toys so that you can see what your puppy or kitten enjoys before buying more toys. Buying toys for kittens and puppies keeps them from playing with and chewing on other things that they should not be playing with or chewing.

New routines and lifestyle changes that come with pet ownership

Owning a pet is a choice and with that comes a few long-term responsibilities. Having said that, the joy that you will get from having a pet more than makes up for the responsibilities, but please make sure that you are prepared to make these commitments before getting a pet.

Be prepared for the following:

  • You are now the primary caregiver of a little life that depends on you for everything. This means that you must set some routines and keep to them. Feeding times are very important, especially for young animals. The importance of access to enough fresh, clean water cannot be overemphasised and pets should be given fresh water preferably twice a day and more often if necessary.
  • Pets must also get daily exercise and they depend on you to provide them with it. If you cannot do it personally all the time, consider getting a dog walker or taking your dog to a doggy day-care facility. Cats are less demanding and access to play space and toys will assist to make sure they get exercise.
  • You are responsible to monitor your pet’s well-being for the rest of its life. After the initial veterinary visits for vaccinations and deworming, annual veterinary visits should be part of your planning. If your pet is not well, you must be prepared to take it to the vet promptly and not only once it is convenient. Veterinary visits can become expensive, so please consider pet insurance to assist you with this.
  • Companionship is important to pets. We as humans have bred dogs and cats to be companions for us, which means that they are genetically wired to need our companionship.  If you are not able to give your pet enough attention, please arrange for someone else to give them the attention they need.  Nowadays there are options such as pet day-care and pet sitters.  Even a retired neighbour might be willing and happy to assist.

Being prepared for the arrival of your new furry baby and knowing what to expect will make the experience even more enjoyable and will ensure many years of a happy relationship with your new best friend.