If you’ve made the decision to get a pet, that’s great! Congratulations – you’ve just made one of the best decisions of your life, and it’ll give you years of happiness. Here are some things for you to remember in order to be the world’s best pet parent…
Go To A Shelter
Start off as you mean to go on by adopting your pet from an animal shelter instead of buying it from a breeder. Shelters are always scrupulously careful about the health and behavior of their animals, and they want to make a good match between pet and owner so they’ll be extremely careful about what animals they match you with. They’ll also often make home visits to vet you – don’t get discouraged or irritable at how long it’s taking for you to get your pet! Remember that they’re being careful for the sake of their animals.
Make Your Home Safe
If you already have kids then you know the importance of baby-proofing your house. Pet-proofing your house is just as important – possibly even more so to start with as your puppy or kitten will be able to roam over the house much more easily than a newborn baby can! Make sure that you keep any toxic substances like cleaning products carefully locked away – if you have a cat, remember that no shelf is too high for it. Foods like avocados and chocolate are extremely toxic for your dog so make sure you keep them safely locked away. They can also choke on any pitted fruits so if you eat a peach, make sure you put the pit in a bin that closes.
Keep An Eye On Your Pet’s Health
Just like with your kids, it’s important to make sure that you keep carefully observing your pet’s health for any changes that could indicate they aren’t feeling too great. Any changes in behavior could be cause for concern, whether that’s lethargy, extra sleeping, or being off their food. If your cat starts drinking lots of water, be careful and keep observing it as that could be a sign of kidney problems. You should also make sure that your pets are free of fleas at all times – medications like Capstar can keep them itch-free, and also mean that you won’t ever have to de-flea your home!
Spend Time With Your Pet
One of the best ways to have a great relationship with your pet is to spend plenty of time together. You may speak completely different languages but your pet will still appreciate the importance of closeness and of personal contact. If you have a dog, then why not take it to obedience classes and spend some time at home with it going through training exercises? Dogs are often very eager to please and will do absolutely anything for some kind words and a treat. Cats are a lot harder to train but you should still spend plenty of time with your little feline pal – why not buy some cat toys? A laser pointer can also provide hours of fun for you and your cat.
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