Have you ever thought about adopting a pet? It’s likely something that’s crossed your mind at some point or another, especially if you have kids. You likely would’ve had a pet when you were their age, and you might want to recreate the experience with your children.
There are more than a few reasons to consider it, after all:
You’ll have a furry friend that loves the family unconditionally
You can get more exercise with them
You add more life to your home
They can provide more company than you would’ve thought
You shouldn’t make the decision lightly, though. It’s something you should put a decent bit of time and effort into. It can also be a stressful experience if you don’t know what you’re doing. By following seven particular steps, you should make it much easier for yourself.
Adopting A Pet: 7 Steps You Have To Take
1. Choose A Type Of Pet
The first step you’ll have to make is to decide exactly which type of pet you should get. That goes beyond choosing between a cat and dog, as you’ll need to be a little more specific. Picking the breed of animal you want to get is one of the more notable decisions you’ll have to make.
With that, you can figure out exactly where you’ll get your pet. If you want a labrador, for example, then Lucky Labs could be one of the better options to pick. By figuring out what kind of pet you want to get, you can narrow down the options of where to get them.
2. Pick A Vet
You’ll naturally end up needing to take your pet to the vet at some point or another, so you’ll have to know exactly which vet you take them to. Put some time and effort into this before bringing your pet home, as you’ll end up needing to bring your furry friend to the vet quicker than you’d think.
That’s usually for a general check up once you get them, and it helps develop a relationship with the pet. Decide on the right one for you and spend some time making sure they’re an appropriate option.
3. Pet-Proof
When you’re expecting a child, you’ll know you need to child-proof the home. You’ll have to do the same thing when you’re expecting a pet to make sure it’s as safe as possible for them. It’s a crucial step to take care of, and it’s something you should get out of the way before you bring your pet home.
Moving household cleaning supplies out of their reach, for example. If there are any holes in the floor or walls, then cover these up or fix them. You’ll end up with a much safer house by the time you actually move them home.
4. Create A Schedule & Assign Tasks
You’ll be looking after your new pet as a family, which means spending some time and effort figuring out who’s responsible for what. Before adopting a pet, you should sit down as a family and decide on what tasks everyone has to do. Be as fair as you can be when you’re figuring this out.
Everyone should switch tasks every few weeks, so it might be worth creating a schedule for this. It’ll keep everything as fair as possible. Nobody should end up complaining about what they need to do, and you’ll rest easy knowing your pet’s being looked after properly.
5. Read Up On Training
You’ll already know you’ll have to train your pet when you get them, but that doesn’t mean waiting until you’ve gotten your pet to start. Read up on what it takes to train the pet you’re considering so you can be better prepared for it once you finally get them. It’ll let you know what you’re in for once you actually adopt them.
Focus on the kind of training you’ll need to start with, like potty training them. Once you’ve figured out the breed and type of pet you want, you can focus on the specific training they’ll need. There’s no reason not to get this out of the way and start on it as early as you can.
6. Choose Words Carefully
Speaking of training, you’ll have to make sure your family is on the same page when you’re training your pet. That means making sure everyone knows exactly how they should approach the training. That even includes the words they use when the pet’s being trained. It could be more important than you’d think.
If everyone’s using different words for the same thing, then your new pet could get confused. You wouldn’t want that to happen, as it’ll lead to the training being even more difficult. It might even take longer to train your pet, and there’ll be more accidents because of it.
7. Buy Supplies As A Family
Your family will naturally be involved in the pet’s life, and you’ll want to make decisions as a family when it comes to your pet. That includes the decision to adopt in the first place, but you might want to put a little extra time and effort into a few other decisions. You should also buy supplies as a family, too.
Everyone should get a say in what you end up buying, including the leash, bedding for your pet, and even the type of food you end up getting. It lets everyone feel much more responsible for the pet and encourages them to put more effort into everything. Make sure your family is as involved as they want to be.
Adopting A Pet: Wrapping Up
Adopting a pet can be one of the best decisions you ever make, and there’s no reason not to consider it. It’s not something to dive into lightly, though, and you’ll need to make sure it’s the right one for you and your family. Then there’s the fact you’ll have to follow the right process to make sure it’s the right decision for you and the pet. With the right steps, that shouldn’t be a problem.