Congratulations on your new fur baby!
At PetO we completely understand that bringing home your new bundle of joy is a very exciting time (many of us have been counting down the days and even the minutes!) but at the same time it can also be a little daunting.
Your heart melts when you see those cute little eyes looking back up at you, suddenly you realise you are officially a pet parent and that’s where the fun begins!
At PetO we understand that many new pet parents will have lots of questions. What to feed? Which toys? Toilet Training? Just to mention a few! Here’s a guide that will help settle your new furry family member.
Nutrition
It is important to feed your new puppy or kitten a nutritional diet from the start. First find out what food they are currently eating and initially it’s better to continue the same food if possible. If you wish to then change, do so gradually over a period of a week by mixing both foods to avoid any tummy upsets.
We have a wide range of premium wet and dry puppy and kitten food depending on your new pet's preference! Looking for a scientifically developed diet? Try Hill's Science Diet or Royal Canin. Or if you prefer a more holistic diet, try Black Hawk or Savourlife - you may never know what suits your new fur baby best until they try a few types.
Here’s some examples:
Puppy
Kitten
Treats
Who doesn’t love a treat! Treats are great to have on hand especially for training puppies. Positive reinforcement works really well with most dogs, and you may even be able to teach them a trick or two!
Here’s some ideas for treats:
Kitten Treats
Puppy Treats
Toys
Bonding with your new fur baby through play is important and lots of fun! Puppies and kittens are bursting with energy and very inquisitive so toys will keep them occupied in between naps and feeding times.
Here’s some suggestions for play time (including some snuggly toys for your puppy):
Puppy
Toys and treats are what every puppy dreams about, so why not combine both! Here are some ideas of interactive toys that you can fill with treats. Or why not give your puppy a Yours Droolly “Fill me up” dog. You can place an item of your clothing in the toy which may calm and relax your puppy at bedtime.
Kitten
Kittens love to explore, why not buy your kitten a cat tunnel. Hours of fun to hide, jump on or run through! Or how about our Orb Tower, perfect for the kitten that loves to hunt, chase and have fun! A scratcher can also be a great way to keep them entertained and divert their attention away from your expensive couch!
Clean up & Toilet Training
We all know that our new fur baby may have a few mistakes along the way until they learn where to do their business. Toilet training will need to start as soon as your fur baby arrives home, that way these mistakes will be limited.
It is important to clean up their little mistake straight away with a product that will remove the stain, odour and remove the pheromones from the area, especially for puppies to prevent them re-marking the area again.
Here’s a couple of products that will help with cleaning up and even something that may reduce the odour you sometimes get from cat litter trays:
Puppy Toilet Training
Training pads are a great way to help with puppy toilet training. We even have “Wee Wee Pad Trays” that will even keep the pad locked in position. To help attract your puppy to the pad, use “Skip to my loo” which replicates the pheremones found in doggy tiddle which hopefully means you’ll only have one pad to throw away when you get home….and no other mess!
Some pet owners prefer a doggy pet loo, ideal for balconies or small yards. Great for puppies or dogs to use and easy to clean too! Ideal for when you go away, your pet can pack their loo too!
Kitten Toilet Training
We have a range of litter and litter trays to help settle in your little fur baby. We know that everyone has their own preference when it comes to litter so we have extensive range to pick from including clumping, crystals and recycled paper.
Here’s a few options:
Chewing and Scratching
With puppies and kittens comes some mischievous behaviour that can sometimes result in your best shoes being chewed or your new couch being scratched! In most situations they will grow out of this behaviour, but there are some products that may help along the way:
Puppies
Kittens
Sleeping
Whether you’re looking for crates & carriers, cosy beds or cool mats we have it all!
All puppies and kittens will have their own preference of where they want to sleep (usually on our bed!). You may want to crate train your puppy from the start, a great idea and a crate will provide your puppy with a safe hiding place too (away from the world and a chance to chew on their favourite treat).
You kitten will love to play hide and seek and we can help with their hideaway games with some great enclosed beds, you’ll never know they are there!
Here’s some sleeping options:
Puppies
Kittens
We have lots more cute, cuddly, practical, yummy products online for your new edition to the family click through to peto.com.au for lots more ideas and solutions.
There’s one last thing that we always recommend for your new fur baby and that is 100’s and 100’s of cuddles! Although we already know that was first on your list!!