Is your home missing a bit of fluffy puppy or kitty love? Every home should have pets, and every child should have a furry companion!
But do you know how to make sure your family is pet-ready? As much as we’d all love to go out tomorrow and come back with a lovable ball of fluff, how do you know your family members and home environment is safe and suitable?
We’ve covered some top tips to make sure your family is pet-ready so you can go out and find the fluff that’s waiting for you!
Educate The Kids
If your kids have never had a pet before, there could be wild excitement! Wild excitement is great, but they’ll need to understand how to treat a pet before the little thing arrives. Kids from the age of 5 and up are usually big enough to understand.
Kids are generally innocent and would never hurt a pet intentionally. But there’s always a chance of them getting too excited and forgetting they can’t just grab Fluffy by the tail and drag him around, or smothering him in long, stuffy hugs!
Make sure they know that the pet is fragile and has to be treated with extreme care! This will set a great foundation for a loving child/pet relationship.
Good Pet-Ready Sign: Your child treats friend’s pets with respect and love.
Bad Pet-Ready Sign: Your kiddie tries to ride every dog they see and pulls animals’ tails!
Work Out A Schedule
If you’re getting a pet for your child to look after, it’s best to wait until they’re around 10 years old. At that stage, they have more of a sense of responsibility. If it’s a joint effort, consider:
Who’s going to feed the pet? At what times?
Where will the pet sleep and who will put them down?
Who’s going to exercise the pet?
Good Pet-Ready Sign: If someone will be home during important times to take care of the pet.
Bad Pet-Ready Sign: If you’re both working parents and your child is at daycare until the evening.
Consider The Budget
Pups and cats come with other stuff. They need quality food, high-quality toys, and a place to sleep. They need to be vaccinated, and every now and then they’ll eat a sharp object and need medical care.
Consider very carefully if you have the budget for:
Bedding.
Toys.
Vaccinations.
Food (perhaps specialized).
Treats.
Pet insurance.
Emergencies.
Good Pet-Ready Sign: You can afford all of that with some leeway.
Bad Pet-Ready Sign: You aren’t sure you can make the rent this month.
Pet-Proof The House
With pets, comes accidents. Accidental weeing, accidental chewing, accidental digging… Your house is another thing you need to get ready for the addition of a little fluff.
Cover sharp corners or objects.
Fix slippery floors.
Move possessions out of the pet's reach.
Invest in a crate (and use it for training purposes).
Find a healthy, non-toxic disinfectant.
In addition, make sure your new pet has something to chew on, somewhere to go to the bathroom, and enough to keep them busy so they don’t get bored enough to be destructive!
Good Pet-Ready Sign: There are no dangers to the pet, valuables that could be destroyed within reach, and an abundance of toys
Bad Pet-Ready Sign: There are delicious puppy-chew-shaped things all over and no toys to keep the little one busy.
Do The Research
Even if your family is super ready, something could stand in your way. Be sure to do your research on things like:
Your landlord’s pet policy.
Allergies/medical conditions.
Long-term plans (not planning on emigrating?)
Good Pet-Ready Sign: You're legally allowed a pet and settled in your home.
Bad Pet-Ready Sign: Pets not allowed, you’re planning on moving, or your SO can’t breathe around pet fur.
Conclusion
It’s not hard to make sure your family is pet-ready! Once you’ve ticked all these boxes, all that remains is to find the right new fluffy member for your family.
If you can, consider adopting rather than buying! There’s a pet out there that needs a second chance, and your family could be his forever!
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