New Pet Owner Guide: Setting Up the First Weeks Right
The six things to get right in the first weeks with a new dog or cat, from pet proofing the house to booking the first vet visit and getting a microchip.
A new pet spends its first fortnight learning the shape of a house and the people in it. Routines set now, feeding times, where the bed is, who takes it out on the lead, tend to stick. Routines left for later get harder to bring in.
A first vet visit within the first week catches problems a rescue or breeder might have missed. Basic supplies, a properly fitted collar, food the animal already knows, a crate or carrier sized for growth, save a trip back to the shop during the first stressful days. None of this needs to cost a lot. It needs to happen early.
Within the first week, even if the animal seems healthy. Early visits catch parasites, confirm vaccination status, and give a baseline weight.
No. Keep the food it already knows for the first week or two, then bring in the change gradually if you plan to switch, mixing old and new over several days.
The six things to get right in the first weeks with a new dog or cat, from pet proofing the house to booking the first vet visit and getting a microchip.