If you’re planning to adopt a pet in the near future, one of the considerations you’ll want to take into account is how to prepare your home for your new furry friend!
Of course, along with prepping your home, you’ll want to consider steps like pet insurance, buying a GPS collar tracker, and finding a nearby vet.
However, for this article we’ll be focusing solely on prepping your house and gardens for your pet. Let’s begin!
Get All the Necessary Equipment and Supplies
You’ll need plenty of supplies and equipment for your new furry friend. The list includes but is not limited to:
- Bed with a cover
- Food bowl and water bowl
- Collar with a tag
- Leash and harness
- Pet toys (e.g., squeaky toys, pet-friendly teddies etc.)
- Litter tray. litter product to fill it and a litter scoop*
- Disposable bags for collecting dog poop and disposable gloves
- Grooming equipment
- Any other equipment/supplies that are specific to your pet
*This applies if you’re adopting a cat
Making Your Home and Gardens Safe
There can be many hazards throughout a home that pose a danger to humans and pets alike, although some hazards can be pet specific.
Either way, here is how you can make your home and front/back gardens safe ahead of your new furry friend’s arrival!
Here are things to look out for/change ahead of their arrival:
- Be sure there are no plants in your home or gardens that are poisonous to pets. *
- Watch out for loose cables/wires (some pets like to chew on these).
- Anything else that your pet could chew on should also be put away.
- Ensure medication and cleaning products are stored away safely.
- Put away any small items/objects, whether it be a paperclip, Lego or even a piece of jewellery.
- Consider any small spaces that your pet might sneak into and end up stuck and block off access.
- Do not leave toilet lids up as your pet could jump in and drown.
- Think about any open fireplaces and how to minimize this hazard. If unsure what to do, consult a professional.
- Add safety edge and corner guards to any coffee tables that your pet might knock into.
- Put any fragile ornaments away or in a spot that your pet cannot reach. Of course, if you’re adopting a cat, they’ll likely be able to reach higher up spots than a dog would.
- Keep food and beverages that are toxic to pets out of reach (e.g., chocolate, alcohol etc.)
- Secure any garden fencing that your pet might dig around or climb up on.
- Look around your garden for any additional hazards/concerns that would be dangerous for a pet.
*Get in touch with your local vets if unsure.
You may notice as time goes on that there are additional steps, you’ll need to take based on your pet’s specific behaviour.
However, as a starter, covering the basics as listed below and any other essentials that feel suitable for your home/gardens can minimize hazards for your new pet.
Having a Pet Flap Added
You may also want to have a pet flap installed for your new furry friend. On average, a pet flap installation costs between £80 and £250. Costs can vary significantly depending on what type of pet flap you have installed.
Cost can vary depending on whether you have the pet flap added to a wooden door, glass French door, composite door, uPVC door panel, or even an external wall.
But what are the different types of pet flaps? There are, in fact, five common categories.
Here are the five common types of pet flap:
- Classic Pet Flap - Budget-friendly and simple pet flap that works manually by your pet entering and exiting with no mechanical process.
- Lockable Pet Flap - This type of pet flap can be manually locked.
- Infrared Pet Flap - Infrared pet flaps open in response to detecting an infrared key attached to your pet's collar. What’s more, it’s possible to buy several infrared keys if you plan on having many pets.
- Microchip Pet Flap - These pet flaps will open up by detecting your pet’s microchip.
- Magnetic Pet Flap - Lastly, magnetic pet flaps can pick up on your pet’s presence in a similar manner to infrared or microchip pet flaps while being more affordable. However, they tend not to be quite as accurate.
What Else Should I Consider?
Other ways of prepping your house for a new furry friend include:
- Ensure you know what food is suitable for your pet based on their breed, age, size, activity levels and any other relevant factors.
- You may need to have a baby-gate installed to prevent them from coming upstairs.
- Think of removing any elements that might scare a new pet (e.g., if it’s around Christmas time maybe avoid having a talking Santa ornament as a puppy or kitten may be a little freaked out!)
In this article we’ve discussed some of the ways you can prep your home for the arrival of a new furry friend.
If in doubt, you can always talk to your local vets for further advice to ensure your new pet has the safest and most enjoyable welcoming possible!
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