First cat or dog?

• A bed and somewhere warm and safe for your puppy/kitten to relax and sleep.
• FOOD, raw is alway best, but start slowly.  Continue what they are used to then after a couple of weeks move to raw!  Come into one of our stores or call us for advice on how to do this.
• A food & water bowl, Lickimats are great!
• Treats, great for training and rewarding.  All our treats are 100% so even better for them..
• Toys, puppies and kittens love to play, providing a range of toys keeps their little minds busy.  For puppies chews and chew toys will help with their teething.
• Collar and lead for puppies and collars for kittens. Ensure your collar is the right fit for your puppy and don’t forget to Include an identification tag.
• Poop bags and training pads – Poop bags and training pads make clean up easier..
• Grooming products – Shampoo, conditioner, brushes and nail clippers will keep your puppy looking and feeling great.
• Crate training for puppies is essential as going to a new space/home can be very overwhelming so their crate is a quiet, safe place to go.   Also helps with house training.
• Source a great holistic vet.

Puppy/Dog

1. Set up your dog’s space

• Set up a space with a bed, crate or blankets.
• Provide water, toys and a feeding area.
• Keep puppies in one room for the first day or two
• Ensure the room is quiet, secure, a comfortable warm temperature and well-ventilated.

2. Dog-proof your house

• Remove hanging wires, cords or electrical cables that your dog or puppy could chew or get tangled in.
• If you do not want something chewed, put it away!
• Keep all toilet lids closed to prevent the dog/puppy from drinking from the toilets or falling in.

3. Let your dog explore the house slowly

• A small house can seem big to a new dog, especially a puppy.
• Do not allow your dog/puppy to have free roam of all areas in the house straight away.
• Allow your dog/puppy to explore the house slowly, initially using a lead.

4. Taking your dog outside

• Take your dog to the garden on a lead for short regular visits.
• Supervise your dog outside for the first week or two.
• Dog-proof your fencing; you need to make sure that your dog or puppy cannot get under or over the fence.
• Praise and reward your dog or puppy when he/she toilets outside.

5. Introducing your dog to the family

• A new environment and new people can be overwhelming for a dog or puppy.
• Ask family and friends to keep the house calm and quiet.
• Never force attention on your dog; let the dog decide when he or she is ready and wants to interact with you.
• Avoid everyone cuddling or playing with your dog at once, this will be overwhelming and scary.

Kitten/Cat

1. Make the room ‘cat comfy’

• Set up the room with water, food, toys, litter tray, scratching post and somewhere for the cat/kitten to hide.
• Many cats prefer to drink water when it is away from their food dish. Avoid the use of combined food and water bowls.
• Provide a bed or comfy blanket to help your cat/kitten settle.

2. Litter tray position

• Put the litter tray in a private area at least 1.5m away from food, water and bedding.

3. Cat proofing

• Remove any dangerous wires, curtain cords, or items your cat/kitten could chew or get tangled in.

4. Let your cat explore the house slowly

• After 2-3 days in one room, slowly introduce your cat/kitten to the rest of the house.
• Do this room by room to avoid overwhelming him or her.

5. Keep your new cat inside

• Adult cats: keep inside for a minimum of 3-4 weeks (maybe longer for timid cats)
• Kittens: keep inside for a minimum of 6-8 weeks. Kittens should be supervised outside until they are old/big enough to protect themselves.

6. Introducing your cat to the family

• Do not force too much attention on your cat/kitten, especially at the beginning as this will be overwhelming and scary.
• Avoid introducing the whole family at once.
• Let your cat explore his or her new room and meet other family members gradually.