Adopting a pet is a big decision, and while it is a great thing that you are adopting instead of buying, there are a few important things you need to know about preparing to adopt a pet.
Of course, there all of the usual things that you will need to do, and we will be walking you through those, but there are also a few things that are a bit tricky with rescue pets, so it’s important that you prepare yourself for those as well.
Make sure that you are financially prepared
Adopting a pet often works out much cheaper than buying a pet from a breeder, but most shelters will still require that you pay an adoption fee. On top of that, there are all the other expenses when you first get a pet – like supplies, medical expenses, and more.
Then there are ongoing expenses such as your pet’s food. You thus need to ensure that you can afford to take care of a pet.
If you’re worried about how to pay for medical emergencies, have a look at the best providers for pet insurance.
Get your home ready
You can’t exactly bring a pet into your house without getting your home ready, as this can lead to some serious disasters. Your pet could escape or injure themselves, or they could end up chewing things that are lying around the house.
You should, therefore, pet-proof your house. Ensure that your pet can’t get out, put away anything that could hurt them or that you don’t want them to play with, and also go through your garden to see if there are any plants that could harm your pet. You might also want to look into installing a doggie door if your pet is older so that they can easily enter and exit the house.
Find out about any medical steps you need to take
Sometimes, shelters will vaccinate, sterilize, and chip the pet before rehoming them. Other times, this responsibility will fall on you.
It’s important that you find out which medical steps you need to take, especially since pets who are up for adoption are often malnourished and may need extra medical treatment.
Also talk to a vet to find out which food would be best for your pet, so that you know whether something like raw dog food is a good idea or should be avoided.
Prepare yourself emotionally
As you can imagine, getting a new pet is always exciting for the owners. Unfortunately, however, that’s not necessarily the case for the pet. Pets who grow up in shelters are often traumatized and it may take them a while to warm up to you, so you need to prepare yourself for the fact that they might be a bit scared of you in the beginning.
However, just try to be patient, as this is also something that will aid you in the future when you train your pet.
