By Elsa Smith
Bringing a pet into your world is exciting! It's also a huge responsibility as well. To help you and your pet adjust to your new life together, preparation is key. So with that in mind, here are some tips for becoming a great pet parent.
Prepare your home
Pets are usually quite curious by nature, so your home must be safe for them to explore. Protect your new pet from danger by blocking any off-limit areas, creating places for them to rest and play, and also giving them somewhere comfy to sleep. Move anything breakable or sharp, hide dangerous power cords, and make sure there’s nothing small which they could swallow and choke on.
If you have any outside pet like a dog, high backyard fences with no gaps underneath keep them safe so they can't escape. If your backyard isn’t properly fenced, you may need to keep them on an adequate length leash.
Take your pet to see the vet
Just like us humans, it’s super important to have regular check-ups to ensure they’re healthy. Talk to your vet about nutrition, weight control, health screenings, parasite checks, and dental health, plus insurance options. Your vet will also recommend vaccinations for your pet when required depending on things like their age, breed, and health risks.
You should also arrange spaying and neutering of your pet any time from 6 to 8 weeks of age. Not only does this ensure you don’t end up with any surprise offspring, but it also benefits your pet by reducing their desire to roam as well as lowering the risk of some types of cancer.
Start grooming while young
Not all pets enjoy grooming, so start getting them used to the idea of being groomed from a young age. The sooner you start, the more likely it becomes that they’ll end up enjoying and the less stressful grooming will be for you. You can even do a grooming course yourself to ensure you’re doing everything right.
Start slowly by handling their ears, paws, tail, and tummy so they are exposed to similar sensations to grooming while giving them small treats as a reward. Then you can start slowly introducing grooming tools so they get familiar with how they sound and feel, with more rewards and praise.
By making grooming a positive experience for your pet, they’ll accept it to be a routine part of their life.
Provide clean water & food
It doesn’t matter which type of pet you have, nothing is more important than giving them healthy food and water. Providing your pet with good quality and highly nutritious food with natural ingredients is one of the best things for their overall health.
Check you have the right food for your breed and make sure you always follow their instructions for feeding frequency and recommended serving size for your pet’s specific weight and age. When it comes to drinking water, all pets need to have plenty of clean water available at all times. And they can never have too much water, so check their bowl a few times each day and refill it whenever necessary.
Clean up after them
Another important part of a pet parent’s life is cleaning up after them. You’ll find that most dogs relieve themselves in places they've gone already before, so it’s a good idea to clean up their number 2’s regularly for them and for you.
On the other hand, if you’ve got an inside pet like a cat, they’ll often avoid their litter tray entirely whenever it gets too dirty. So always ensure their litter box is accessible and also cleaned regularly. Not only is cleaning up after your pet essential around your home to keep it clean, but your neighbourhood will also appreciate you picking up after them when going for walks to the park.
If you’re a new pet parent, simply follow the above guideline to give your new pet the absolute best life possible.
Bringing a pet into your world is exciting! It's also a huge responsibility as well. To help you and your pet adjust to your new life together, preparation is key. So with that in mind, here are some tips for becoming a great pet parent.
Prepare your home
Pets are usually quite curious by nature, so your home must be safe for them to explore. Protect your new pet from danger by blocking any off-limit areas, creating places for them to rest and play, and also giving them somewhere comfy to sleep. Move anything breakable or sharp, hide dangerous power cords, and make sure there’s nothing small which they could swallow and choke on.
If you have any outside pet like a dog, high backyard fences with no gaps underneath keep them safe so they can't escape. If your backyard isn’t properly fenced, you may need to keep them on an adequate length leash.
Take your pet to see the vet
Just like us humans, it’s super important to have regular check-ups to ensure they’re healthy. Talk to your vet about nutrition, weight control, health screenings, parasite checks, and dental health, plus insurance options. Your vet will also recommend vaccinations for your pet when required depending on things like their age, breed, and health risks.
You should also arrange spaying and neutering of your pet any time from 6 to 8 weeks of age. Not only does this ensure you don’t end up with any surprise offspring, but it also benefits your pet by reducing their desire to roam as well as lowering the risk of some types of cancer.
Start grooming while young
Not all pets enjoy grooming, so start getting them used to the idea of being groomed from a young age. The sooner you start, the more likely it becomes that they’ll end up enjoying and the less stressful grooming will be for you. You can even do a grooming course yourself to ensure you’re doing everything right.
Start slowly by handling their ears, paws, tail, and tummy so they are exposed to similar sensations to grooming while giving them small treats as a reward. Then you can start slowly introducing grooming tools so they get familiar with how they sound and feel, with more rewards and praise.
By making grooming a positive experience for your pet, they’ll accept it to be a routine part of their life.
Provide clean water & food
It doesn’t matter which type of pet you have, nothing is more important than giving them healthy food and water. Providing your pet with good quality and highly nutritious food with natural ingredients is one of the best things for their overall health.
Check you have the right food for your breed and make sure you always follow their instructions for feeding frequency and recommended serving size for your pet’s specific weight and age. When it comes to drinking water, all pets need to have plenty of clean water available at all times. And they can never have too much water, so check their bowl a few times each day and refill it whenever necessary.
Clean up after them
Another important part of a pet parent’s life is cleaning up after them. You’ll find that most dogs relieve themselves in places they've gone already before, so it’s a good idea to clean up their number 2’s regularly for them and for you.
On the other hand, if you’ve got an inside pet like a cat, they’ll often avoid their litter tray entirely whenever it gets too dirty. So always ensure their litter box is accessible and also cleaned regularly. Not only is cleaning up after your pet essential around your home to keep it clean, but your neighbourhood will also appreciate you picking up after them when going for walks to the park.
If you’re a new pet parent, simply follow the above guideline to give your new pet the absolute best life possible.
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