Coming back home to a warm welcome by your furry friend is an indescribable feeling that most of us have experienced. Our pets give us unconditional love and care and in return it becomes our duty to ensure that they have a comfortable life inside our house full of treats, toys and naps. Having a pet is just like having a small baby, it brings along a number of challenges. You need to be prepared well in advance to handle them so that there is no discomfort for your pet as well as you.

For most people, getting a pet means just going to the pet breeder and collecting the pet like a parcel. But that’s definitely not the case. Your pet’s going to be a huge part of your life and will probably stay with you for the rest of their life. If you get the necessary job done before getting your pet home, it might save you a lot of money as well as time. Here are the 7 most important things to take care of before welcoming a pet home.

1. Install Pet-friendly Flooring

Your four-legged buddies can unknowingly cause damage to your flooring with their sharp paw nails. This is especially true when it comes to carpets. Their nails may get caught in the carpet and encourage them to pull out the threads. Having carpets is definitely not a good idea if you have pets at home as they can attract and store within them a lot of allergens and pet hair. This isn’t good for the health of your pet as well as your health. On the other hand, hard flooring such as wood or tile is a great alternative as it is scratch-resistant and can be easily cleaned and maintained in case of minor accidents.

2. Make Sure Your Furniture is Pet-Friendly

Finding scratches all over your wooden furniture is a sight that you wouldn’t want to watch after a tiring day at work. To prevent this from happening, you need to have furniture that is pet-friendly. Even better to have separate furniture for your pets especially cats, so that they can shift their focus from your belongings and take out their energy on their stuff. While cats need scratching trees to keep them occupied, dogs are more interactive with squeakers and stuffed toys.

Also, see to it that the fabrics you use on your beds and sofas are washable, and dark-coloured so that they do not easily get stained. Make sure that the mats are rugs aren’t the one’s that get easily worn out. They need to match the fur of your pet so as to efficiently hide the shedding. Wash the sofa covers, pillow cases and bedsheets regularly as pets love to get on them all the time with their dirty paws.

3. Cover Up All the Cords

Electrical cords attract your cats and dogs like magnets. However, it is needless to say that loosely hanging wires and open sockets pose a danger to your furry angels. You need to take the necessary safety measures for your pets by installing cable protectors. They can easily keep the cords out of sight and prevent your pets from getting their nails tangled in them.

4. Get Rid of Toxic Indoor Plants

If you like to have small indoor plants in your house, it is important to check if they are not harmful for your pets. Some plants such as lilies, aloe vera are deadly for your cats and dogs. Similarly, there could be many more so make it a point to do a little research before getting any indoor plants. And if you have them already, get rid of them or shift them outside before you get a pet.

Other than indoor plants, any other items that pose a threat to your pet’s health such as floor cleaners, soaps, detergents, medications, syrups, etc. should be away from their sight and secured in cabinets or shelves out of their reach.

5. Build Fencing Around the House

If you live in an independent house, investing in a quality fencing would give you the needed peace of mind when you own pets. Having a fencing will keep them from running away outside without their leash, when they see other pets pass by. If you have big breed dogs, having a fencing becomes especially important to prevent your pets as well as others. This will also make sure that you do not have to constantly keep an eye on your pets.

6. Dedicate a Space for Eating & Sleeping

A designated area for your pet to enjoy their meals and take relaxing naps is equally important. Just like human babies, even small puppies need adequate amount of sleep. So, see to it that the area you choose for them to rest is quiet, clean and free from any distractions.

Sweep and mop the area regularly so that there are no mosquitoes or flees around. Wash their beds, pillows, blankets and soft toys every once a month. Refill their water bowls and keep them at the same place so they know where to head when they are thirsty. A treat dispenser can also prove to be a good investment to keep your occupied and their tiny little tummies filled.

7. Ensure There’s Enough Space to Roam Around

Just like humans, pets do need sufficient amount of space to stretch themselves and move their muscles. The space that you would need, completely depends on the breed, their age and their size. Putting a big breed dog in a small apartment wouldn’t be fair for the dog as well as you. The house should have plenty of space or either a backyard for the pet to roam around, run and play freely. Cats are virtually fit for any sized space but dogs on the other hand require ample space to themselves. So, if you have a small space, having a dog isn’t a good idea.

By taking these small but important measures, you ensure that your house is completely in accordance to how it should be when you have a pet home. This also means that you do not have to spend the time fixing the damage caused by pet-accidents, that you should rather spend playing and enjoying with your little angels that grow up within no time.