Have you seen your friends childproofing the house before welcoming home a baby? Now if your little one gets a safe house, why shouldn’t your best friend? One of the many privileges of bringing home a pet is you get to build a little pocket universe for them under your roof and the least you will want to do is make it a safe space for them. A house where they can let the zoomies in and show their true fun persona.
Since you have already considered bringing home a feathery, furry, or even a scaly best friend, it’s time to take a dive into all precautions you need to take. Think of it like a fun welcoming process for your pet before they permanently become a part of your life. Depending on the type of pet, the house needs to make some minor adjustments to make it a safe haven for them. Some adjustments are specific to certain pets and some are common across categories.
Let’s jump right in!
Dogs:
Puppy proofing the house ensures a safe and happy life for the jumpiest member of your family. Get a roomy crate for your pet to create safe personal space for them at the initial stage. Also take care of the essentials – food and water bowls, dog tags, a long leash, comfortable collars, a warm bed to sleep in, and even some toys. Consider getting puppy pee pads as well at the beginning during the vaccination stages. Read up more on vaccinating your pet here.
Cats:
Curiosity thrilled the cat – is something people will say when they see how comfortable and safe your kitten is at home. Just keep a few things in mind, secure all the windows and balconies, find a separate space where the cat can eat and drink, and keep their litter tray away from the food in another secure corner of the house. (Helpful tip: Don’t throw away all those delivery boxes from your shopping binges, your cat is going to love them.)
Birds:
Keep it simple with birds, get a cage almost twice as big as their wingspan(bigger the better), find them a nice fancy perch, and you are good to go! Birds are friendly so don’t isolate them in some room, keep them where the entire family relaxes. Birds are visual creatures so get them some colorful toys they can play with or chew on.
Reptiles:
Our scaly buddies are relatively easy to care for if you have got the basics on point. Primary need for a reptile is recreation of a cage that is closest to their habitat. This includes light and temperature regulation. Invest in UVB bulbs to keep your pet healthy and strong. Their enclosure is where they feel the safest, so make sure it’s clean and filled with comfortable hiding spaces.
Fish:
The biggest factor in making any fish comfortable in your home is the Aquarium. Get the biggest one you can afford. It will make cleaning easy and maintaining the pH levels of the water easier. Start the aquarium before you get your fish so that it can enter a working ecosystem that suits its needs.
There’s enough basic information above for a beginner to be more than prepared but always do thorough research on the type of pet you are bringing home anyway. Apart from the specific precautions, keep in mind some general rules to follow before you get a pet home:
- Find the right Vet
- Sanitize your home
- Set house rules in advance for the family
- Discuss and divide responsibilities
- Keep toxic chemicals away
We hope we could help you feel a little more confident in bringing your new best friend home. If this was your first time here, check out our previous blog – The Good, The Bad, The Floofy, it is a holistic view into everything you need to consider before getting a pet to give them the best life with you.
