Are you ready for a family pet?
Kids nagging you for a dog or cat?
By Practical Parenting
June 23 2016
Adopting a pet is an exciting and memorable time for you and your family with many emotional benefits for toddlers, such as reducing stress and providing unconditional love and comfort. Follow these tips from Hills Pet Nutrition to ensure the adoption experience of your furry friend goes smoothly for all involved.
1. Find a reputable animal welfare shelter or rescue group such as the RSPCA
2. Make sure the animal has been behaviourally and medically checked
3. For cats and dogs, ensure they are vaccinated, desexed and microchipped. Microchipping is crucial to help ensure you can be contacted if your new pet cat or dog goes missing
4. Before adopting, take your family along to meet the dog or cat you hope to adopt to make sure everyone gets along
5. Carefully consider if your current pets will be comfortable with a new pet being introduced to the home and ask the shelter about the possibility of introducing them to test their comfortability with each other
6. Once you take your new pet home, provide a safe place for them to go to escape noise and children. This will help them relax into their new environment
7. Never leave any kids alone with your dog or cat, and always supervise interactions
8. Children will be enthusiastic when a new pet is brought home, so teaching them how to gently pat and stroke your new cat or dog is really important
9. If your kids are small, choose a dog which is not likely to be too boisterous and knock them over
10. Lastly, but most importantly, a pet is for life, so always choose a pet you can provide a home to forever
