Owning comes with a huge number of benefits, ranging from boosting your mood to helping you get extra exercise.
Yet, it also means making significant changes to your current life.
In this article, we’ll go through our best tips on how you can accommodate your new furry friend.
- Make a budget
According to research published by Statista, owning a dog costs an estimated £1,875 a year in the UK.
For any pet, there are considerable costs you’ll need to cover, ranging from the price of their food to vet charges.
Make sure that you factor them into your budget, considering not only the initial costs that you’ll face when you first get them but also the long-term costs.
- Adjust your lifestyle
Your new pet will need plenty of companionships, so you’ll need to change your routine to accommodate this. This is especially the case when you first bring them home and they’re getting used to their new environment.
Remember that pets are lifetime commitments, meaning that you’ll need to start taking them into account whenever you plan to make changes to your lifestyle.
- Purchase supplies
Owning a pet comes with a variety of special tasks, such as preparing food and cleaning up accidents. For this reason, you’re going to need the equipment to do these jobs. Make sure you invest in bits of kit, including:
- Food and water bowls
- Grooming supplies
- Plastic baggies
- Stain remover
- Paper towels
- Blankets
- Bedding
- Treats
- Leads
- Toys
Use this as a starting point but bear in mind that you may need to add items depending on your new pet’s personal needs.
- Pet-proof your home
Your home must be an appropriate place for your new pet to live in. This means not only having access to a secure outdoor space for them to play in and explore but also having enough room inside your home for them to have separate eating and sleeping areas.
Consider any changes you may need to make your home more comfortable for your new pet. This could mean installing plastic sheets from RS to soundproof or insulating the room they’ll sleep in or buying furniture made from pet-suitable materials such as leather.
Don’t forget to take your new pet’s behaviour and safety into mind. You’ll need to take measures to ensure they aren’t able to hurt themselves.
For instance, they’re likely to find and chew on small items such as shoes, dirty laundry, and hair care accessories. Since this could choke them, you’ll need to make sure that their environment is free of these objects. Similarly, use grates or screens to block off any open fireplaces you have installed.
- Be adaptable
Getting a new pet is demanding and all the new changes can be a shock to some people. Remember that it’s going to take time to get used to the newest member of your family and you’ll need to be flexible along the way.
Following our tips above will help you get off to a great start. But bear in mind that having a new pet is a challenge that forces you to become adaptable – and if you’re prepared for this, it will help you enjoy the experience as much as possible.
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