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Bringing a pet home isn’t something you just do. You’re signing up to care for and be responsible for another living being, fluffy and cute and entirely dependent on you, and that takes time and commitment! As such, you need to make sure your home is perfectly ready for the new arrival. 

However, it can be a bit tricky to keep in mind everything you need to do before you bring a pet into the house, and that's where our list below comes in. Here are the top things you need to do to make sure your home is ready to receive any kind of pet. 

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Clear the Floor

If there’s something on the floor, pick it up and put it away! No puppy or kitten or rabbit is going to know if something is dangerous to chew on so you’ve got to do the hard work for them. 

Go around each room in your house systematically and make sure the floor is clear of clutter and potential debris - a stray bit of tape in the carpet could mean a trip down to the vet very early on! Even wires that run along the back of the sofa or behind the TV need sorting through and being closed off - you can buy a cable box or two to help with that. 

Create a Private Space

Any pet that comes to live with you needs to have some space of their own. After all, you’d hate to have nowhere to go when you needed some time to yourself! And the same goes for little puppies and kittens - even horses will want a horse shed to retreat into for bedtime or during hot and cold days! 

As such, you need to make up a private space your pet can call their own. Somewhere they can’t be bothered, and is ‘out of bounds’ if they go into it. Such spaces can be as simple as a bed in the corner of the living room, or if you’ve got a cat, a tall cat tree they can climb to have some privacy. 

Secure Your Garden

If your pet has access to your garden, that garden needs to be secure. Make sure fence posts are pushed deep into the ground and your dog cannot dig under the barrier. Similarly, fix any holes as soon as you notice them. 

Even for cats, who are able to climb literally anything, fare off much better if they have an enclosed space to explore within the confines of your backyard. A catio, for example, is a great way to let them out without worrying about where they go or what they get up to. 

If you want to add a pet to your household, you need to prepare for their needs well ahead of time. Whether it’s a puppy or a kitten, a rabbit or a horse, there are plenty of common prep steps you’ll need to tick off before you open up your doors.