Those that read my blog know that I love my cats Jodie and Allie more than anything. No matter how often I feel blue or down in the dumps, I know that them being at home after a hard day makes me feel good. But at the same time I wish I knew how to cope with them better on occasion, in fact, even at the beginning when I brought them home, my place wasn’t ready to accommodate them! I had no idea what to do! And it was a very steep learning curve. It applies to any family that wants to get a pet. There are always going to be some teething issues. So here’s a few hints to take on board if you’re thinking about taking a pet home for the first time.
Firstly pet proof your home. I didn’t think this would be too difficult at the start, and I thought that if we just hid all the wires behind the TV or sideboards that would have solved the problem, but how little I knew! You really need to change your home! What I’d recommend you do is to get down on all fours and get a cat eye view of the different kinds of temptations that your pet might want to have a look at! And really, the best incentive for keeping a house clean is to get a new pet, as cats or other animals will always disappear behind your TV or under your bed and reappear with things that you didn’t even know were there in the first place! And so pet-proofing your home and giving it a clean is a good starting point to make sure that all problems are prevented during the first few difficult weeks.
Stock up on supplies. And this could be anything from food, toys, collars, potty bags, scratching posts, cat litter, litter boxes, anything! Do some research to find out what materials are indestructible for your pet. And remember, when it comes to food if you’re adopting a pet from an animal shelter make sure that they have the same foods that they were eating there as it will help with the change that your pet is going through. For pets, change is incredibly stressful, so try to make it as smooth a transition as possible.
If you have the luxury of owning your own home, you may want to invest in laminated hardwood flooring because if your pets are prone to making a mess in the worst possible way (which is more than likely in the early days!), then you will need to be able to clean up everything easily and laminate flooring is very easy to wipe down.
The final aspect of owning a pet is assigning the chores. When you have a dog or a cat (or an eagle), then everybody in the house needs to know that this pet needs to be looked after with the utmost care. So divvy up the duties between you, from the walking to the feeding, to the cleaning to everything in between, because a pet is not just something to be petted and caressed all the time. They need care, a stable home environment, and above all else, love.
-Dana
Carry on Beautiful! 