Prepare your house for your pet's arrival. A special place should be designated for it to eat, sleep, and eliminate. Obtain any necessary accessories (eg, collar, leash, ID tag, crate, cage, aquarium and dishes) before you bring your pet home. For most pets, you will need to pet-proof your home just as you would child-proof your home to avoid accidents. Harmful cleansers, plants, electrical cords, and breakable objects should be kept out of reach. Open windows should be screened.
Roaming pets are prime candidates for fights with other animals, traffic accidents, and communicable diseases from other animals. Their life span can be expected to be considerably shorter as a result.
Most pets are strictly indoor pets and are perfectly content, as long as they have access to food and fresh water at all times. AVMA strongly recommends that for a healthier, happier pet you consider keeping your pets indoors only. If your pet must go outside, make sure you know where it is at all times, that the pet is old enough to manage on its own, that it is identified in some fashion (microchip ID or breakaway collar and tag), current on vaccinations, and not outdoors in extremely cold, hot, or inclement weather.
If you don't want your pet in certain areas of the house, start training it immediately to avoid those areas. When choosing where your pet will sleep, keep in mind some pets are nocturnal animals and will be active at night. Placing soft bedding materials in secluded corners will help your pet to feel at home.
-
January Newsletter: National Bird Day
Category: Newsletter Library
-
January Newsletter: Don't Forget to Vaccinate Your Pets this Year
Category: Newsletter Library
-
December Newsletter: Cold Weather Tips for Your Pets
Category: Newsletter Library
-
December Newsletter: Pets and the Holidays: What to Know before Feeding Your Pet Table Scraps
Category: Newsletter Library
-
November Newsletter: How arthritis can affect your pet
Category: Newsletter Library
-
November Newsletter: National animal shelter appreciation week
Category: Newsletter Library
-
Three Reasons to Always Microchip Your Pets
Category: Newsletter Library
-
Bad Breath Can Indicate Your Pet Needs Dental Care
Category: Newsletter Library
-
Happy Cat Month
Category: Newsletter Library
-
Beware of Ticks this Fall
Category: Newsletter Library
-
How to Tell When Your Cat Is Sick
Category: Newsletter Library
-
Vet Care Doesn't Have to Break the Bank; Pet Insurance
Category: Newsletter Library
-
Human vs Pet Medications: Why You Should Never Share Medicine with Your Pets
Category: Newsletter Library
-
Ways to Take the Stress Out of Your Pet's Next Veterinary Visit
Category: Newsletter Library
-
Signs on Heatstroke: Keep Your Pets Safe This Summer
Category: Newsletter Library
-
Why Heartworm Protection Is Necessary for All Pets
Category: Newsletter Library