Buying a pet can enrich your life and give you years of fun and frolics, but if you have no prior experience of pet ownership then the early days could be a struggle.
The best way to avoid common mistakes is to prepare in advance and know what to expect, so here are a few essentials to consider before you take the plunge.
Pet insurance
As with most things in life, pet owners should hope for the best but plan for the worst, and there’s nothing more worrying than the thought of your animal pal getting sick or injured at a point when you can’t afford to pay for treatment.
That’s where pet insurance provided by firms like Figo and Bivvy can be a lifesaver, quite literally. You will be able to claim to cover the cost of expensive operations and medicines that your pet might need when it is under the weather. By using a comparison site like FindReviews you can be sure to get the perfect pet insurance policy at the right price from a reputable provider.
Furniture protection
Your fluffy bundle of joy might look like it wouldn’t harm a fly, but when your back is turned a young animal could cause all sorts of mischief with your soft furnishings.
If you have high-quality sofas, chairs, tables or any other furniture in your main living areas at home which your pet will be occupying, getting protection for them to avoid animal-associated wear and tear makes sense.
Sofa covers can keep hair and drool off valuable fabrics, while scratch guards can stop pets from gouging out chunks from wooden table legs. Ideally, you will be able to train your pet to stay away from these objects in the long run, but protection makes sense for new pet owners in the short term.
Food & containers
These two things go hand in hand, and you cannot have one without the other. They will also vary depending on the type of pet you choose, but in short, you need to ensure you have both the means to keep your animal fed and watered, as well as the receptacles to make this achievable.
These days you can even snap up automated machines that handle pet feeding when you are out of the house, although for new pet owners it is better to stick around for feeding time to help build a bond between you.
In terms of the quality of food you buy, you will need to budget carefully because you might end up facing steep costs if you are not careful from day one. Also remember that if you start your pet off with the highest grade feed, it might be tough to get it to slurp down cheaper alternatives in the future. If your pet is a fussy eater, there may be more at play than simple obstinate behaviour.
Of course with food comes bodily functions. Make sure to check out dog food that doesn’t make your dog poop so much.
Tags
Cats, dogs and any other pets which are going to roam about outdoors and potentially have the opportunity to escape should be tagged as soon as possible. Getting your new pet used to wearing a collar so that it can easily be identified if it goes walkabouts is sensible, especially as tens of thousands of animals go missing each year.
A simple tag made of metal and etched with your contact details, as well as the pet’s name, is the most basic option available. For an even more foolproof approach, getting your pet microchipped is worthwhile. This will mean that even if the external tag falls off, or is taken off, it can be identified by a vet or the authorities.
Hopefully now you can start your journey of becoming a pet owner without the usual qualms and feelings of trepidation!
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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