Bringing Home a New Pet
Are you bringing home a new pet? Congratulations! Here are some things to consider when bringing home your pet.
- Is the pet up to date on vaccinations?
- If it’s a dog, has it been tested for heartworms, has it been kept consistently on preventative?
- If it’s a cat, has it been tested for Feline AIDS and Feline Leukemia? If positive, what extra care has it needed?
- Has the pet been kept consistently on flea/tick prevention? If so, which one?
- What food has the pet been eating? Keeping the food consistent and slowly introducing a new food if you want to change it will help prevent stomach upset.
- What veterinarian’s office does/did the pet see (if any)? It is best to ask for any prior medical records.
Once you have the pet, and the records, it is best to set up an appointment for your veterinarian to exam the animal. This establishes the pet’s record with your vet and helps you ensure your animal is healthy. Remember that the stress of traveling, and a new environment, can trigger or aggravate underlying illnesses. If you have knowledge of an underlying illness such as immunodeficiency diseases or autoimmune diseases, reduce your pet’s stress as much as possible during the transition period.
Prepare Your Home
Before bringing your pet home, make sure to check for any safety concerns for the pet.
- Do you have house plants? If you do, are they toxic to pets?
- Do you have uncovered electrical cords, garbage cans, or food storage?
- Do you have fragile or valuable items on display? It may be a good idea to move those items to a safer area out of reach of pets (bearing in mind that cats like to jump to high places).
- If bringing home a younger animal, look at your home from their perspective: What might look interesting? What might look like a toy or food? Are there small objects that could be ingested and cause stomach illness or blockages?
It’s best to have a crate or a pet-safe room to start your pet off for unsupervised periods and gradual introductions to other animals in the home. Crates are very helpful for house training dogs of any age.
- Make an introduction plan for your new pet if you have others in the household already.
- Maintain a consistent feeding and sleeping schedule to help your new pet adjust to the environment.
- Use toys approved for the age and/or size of your new pet. Supervise your pet during play time.
- Avoid dog parks and public locations before your pet is fully vaccinated to reduce the chance of exposure to disease.
- Make a plan on how to reward behaviors you want to encourage. Ensure all family members are on board with the plan.
- Avoid rough play at any age; this goes for cats and dogs. Rough play will encourage bad behaviors that can become behavioral concerns later in life.
- Make sure to give your new pet plenty of time with you and your family to create a loving, last bond.