Preparing your home for a new pet: a checklist

The decision to adopt is usually emotional, but the first week is logistical. The more practical questions you close before arrival, the calmer the adaptation will be — for the animal and for you.

Home safety

This is the most important block, because the cost of a mistake here is highest.

• Windows and balcony. Insect mesh does not hold a cat — you need proper metal cat-safe screens. This is the leading cause of injury in city cats.
• Cables — into trunking or up out of reach. Puppies and kittens chew everything.
• Household chemicals, medicines, small objects — behind closed doors.
• Plants. Lilies are lethal to cats; dieffenbachia, monstera, azalea and peace lily are also toxic. Dangerous plants are best removed from the home entirely.
• Foods animals must not have: chocolate, onion, garlic, grapes and raisins, xylitol, cooked bones, alcohol. Off accessible surfaces.
• Washing machine and oven — build the habit of checking before switching on. Cats climb in.
• A bin with a lid.

Minimum kit for a dog

• A harness and lead. For the first walks a harness is safer than a collar — a frightened dog slips a collar in a second.
• An ID tag with a phone number.
• Two bowls, ideally on a stand.
• A bed in a quiet spot, not in a walkway.
• Food — the same brand it had at the shelter, for the first two weeks.
• Chew toys: a rope, a rubber treat-dispensing toy.
• Puppy pads for the first days.
• An enzymatic cleaner — ordinary cleaners do not remove the smell, so the animal returns to the same spot.

Minimum kit for a cat

• A litter tray. The rule: number of trays = number of cats + 1. Size: one and a half times the cat's length.
• Litter. For the first weeks, use the type the cat is used to.
• A scratching post, ideally two: one vertical, one horizontal.
• A high spot — a shelf, windowsill or cat tree. Being able to look down matters more to a cat than toys.
• A carrier. Leave it open in the room so it is not associated only with the vet.
• Bowls: keep water away from food, cats dislike drinking next to their meal.
• A wand toy. Avoid laser pointers — hunting with no catchable prey builds frustration.

Zoning: create an "adaptation room"

Do not open the whole flat at once. Set aside one room with water, food, a toilet, a hiding place and your scent. The animal will claim it within days and start asking to go further on its own. This dramatically reduces stress and prevents most toilet problems.

Agree the rules within the family

Inconsistent rules are far harder on an animal than strict ones. Decide in advance:

• Is the bed and sofa allowed? One answer for everyone.
• Who walks in the morning, who in the evening, who cleans the litter tray.
• Is feeding from the table allowed? If even one person does it, the rule does not exist.
• Which command words you use, so the dog does not hear three variants from three people.

Before you go to collect the animal

• A carrier or a secure harness — even for a short trip.
• A pad and wipes for the car.
• Water.
• Write down at the shelter: what it was fed, when it was last vaccinated and treated for parasites, any behavioural notes.
• Plan a vet visit within the first week — but not on day one.

One more thing: do not schedule travel, renovations or big gatherings for the first week. The best gift for a new pet is a boring, predictable week.