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 two weeks learning the layout of the home and the people in it. Routines set now, feeding times, where the bed is placed, who brings it out on the leash, tend to stick. Routines put off for later become harder to introduce.
A first vet visit within the first week catches problems a shelter or breeder might have missed. Basic supplies, a properly fitted collar, food the pet is already used to, a carrier sized for growth, save a trip back to the pet shop during the first stressful days. None of this needs to be expensive. It needs to happen early.
Within the first week, even if the pet seems healthy. Early visits catch parasites, confirm vaccination status, and give a baseline weight.
No. Keep the food it is already used to for the first week or two, then transition 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.