When most people start to think about bringing home a new pet, they think about all of the things that the pet will need. If you are getting a new bird, you will need bird perches along with food and water dishes for the cage. If it is a cat, you will need to think about what you are going to do for a litter box and if you are bringing home a new dog, one of the big things is whether or not you will need a dog poop composter. The problem is that most people spend so much time getting ready to bring the new pet home that they forget to prepare the house for a new pet. Listed below are many of the preparations you need to make if you are getting ready for a new family member who has four legs.
The first thing you need to do is make sure your new pet will not have access to dangerous products that you probably have around your house. This includes thinks like house cleaners, insecticides and anti-freeze. Do not just put these items someplace you think is safe, put them somewhere you absolutely know the new pet would not be able to access. You may think that the cabinet under your sink is safe, by many pets can easily learn how to open cabinet doors. The next thing you should do it check your houseplants. It may be surprising for you to learn that many common houseplants can be poisonous to animals. Make sure that your pets will not have access to the plants. This should include being aware of where dead leaves will fall.
Another common item that most new pet owners do not consider is electrical cords. Obviously, it is not possible to remove them, but you should try to hide them out of the way whenever possible. Electrical cords can cause two different problems. One is that if they trip over it, lamps, radios and even TVs can fall to the ground. The other possible issue is that your new pet could try to chew on the cords. This could possible electrocute your new pet so you should keep cords hidden away as much as possible.
Many people recommend that you actually crawl around on your floor on your hands and knees to see what kinds of things you can get into. You would be surprised to find out how many people forget to put the trash can in the closet before they bring home a new dog. However, they discover their error the first time the contents of the trash can end up all over the kitchen floor.
The other place that you need to look at is on your tables, especially end tables and coffee tables. If you find anything on these tables that may be interesting to your new pet, it needs to be removed. This includes thinks like pins and needles, medicine and gum. However, you should take the next step and remove anything larger that looks like it could possibly be eaten.
