If you’ve just lost a pet, you understand the pain never gets easier. It’s common to experience grief so significant that you never want to get another pet in your lifetime. However, these feelings tend to change as time passes. If you’ve recently lost a furry companion and are considering adopting or buying another pet, you’ve come to the right place. Today, Cats Breed discusses how to know when it’s time and provides tips for welcoming your pet to its new home.
Ensuring It’s the Right Time
First of all, you’ll want to know for sure now is the best time to welcome a new pet into your life and home. Pet owners commonly experience so much grief that they vow to never have another pet for the rest of their lives. But it’s just as common for pet owners to immediately go out and find another pet.
When it comes down to it, you and your family are the only ones that will know when the time is right. Understand that bringing a new pet into your life will never erase or taint the memory of your departed pet, but it will require you to make adjustments and go through the bonding process again.
Try not to make a quick decision, and ensure everyone in your family has a say. You’ll also want to consider any surviving pets in the house; come up with a plan for introducing the new pet to the whole family (including other pets). Ultimately, you want to allow yourself and your family time to process your grief without hindering your ability to move forward.
Check Your Stress
Before bringing a furry companion, evaluate the stress levels in your household. You might be surprised how much your own stress can easily impact your pet. For example, if you’re dealing with excessive work-related stress, think of ways to manage it. Finding a career, such as in the IT field, that allows you to work from home can help. If you’re interested in pursuing an IT career, check this out — an online program can be completed in a few months. This will enable you to better manage your stress and your pet’s well-being.
Cleaning and organizing your living environment is also an excellent place to start. Adding house plants, cooking healthy recipes, and making a space for exercise can also make a big difference.
Prepare Your Family
Just because your family has decided to get a new pet doesn’t mean all of you are ready for it. Hold a family meeting to discuss any changes you’ll need to make in terms of pet-proofing your home and training your pet. And remember how critical routine is for animals.
You’ll need to devise a plan for feeding times, potty times, playtimes, training, administering prevention treatment, grooming, and other responsibilities. The more thoroughly you prepare, the less frustration and confusion your family will experience as you start this exciting new chapter.
Pet-Proof Your Home
Finally, pet-proofing is crucial when bringing home a pet. Granted you may not have quite as much work cut out for you since this isn’t the first animal you’ve welcomed. But don’t forget how different it is to keep a puppy or kitten safe and healthy than it is a full-grown pet.
Think about convenience and safety at every step. All the gear and equipment should be laid out so that it’s easy to train, potty, and feed your pet. And you’ll want to cover all the essentials, such as removing loose cords and wires, blocking off poisonous substances, and ensuring your gates and fences are doing their jobs.
If you’ve recently lost your beloved pet, remember that bringing home a new furry companion will not change the bond and relationship you had with your departed pet. Allow yourself to grieve your loss and prepare for this next chapter. Implementing the tips above will help you start strong, but keep learning other ways to process your grief and get your home and family ready for your new pet.
For help determining which cat breed is right for you, visit Cats Breed today!
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