Pet Fostering: Pre-Adoption Tips
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Pets are incredibly fun to play with and can also be your emotional support system. They are fantastic companions and can support you when you’re anxious or depressed. Taking a furry friend home can be an incredibly rewarding experience. When you opt for adopting or fostering a pet, you are not only providing a home to an animal, you are going to change their whole life in a positive manner with your decision. If you have made your decision already then you need to be prepared for the responsibilities that come with fostering. As millennials say, pet ownership is like training for your children, it is a long commitment which includes feeding them, bathing them, making sure of their safety, and keeping them healthy. There is a lot to know before you get a pet so let’s get you prepared for that.
Understand Your Role
Before you start your journey of pet fostering, spend an ample amount of time understanding your role as an animal parent. It is the process in which you need to take care of the animal by providing food, love and shelter with proper medication if needed, on a temporary basis before they file their permanent home. Pet fostering is more than just a duty; it requires you to have an open heart and willingness to help an animal who needs proper care and attention.
Assess Your Lifestyle
Different animals have different needs in terms of love, care and attention they want. Before choosing for pet adoption or fostering, analyze your lifestyle and the amount of time you have for the animal. If you already have a pet at your home or you are quite busy in life, make sure to foster a pet that needs less time and attention and that you can accommodate without causing you much trouble.
Prepare Your Home
If you have decided to bring the pet home, you should prepare your home for the arrival of your pet. It doesn’t mean having a place in your home for a pet, it includes creating a safe and comfortable space where the animal can relax and feel at ease. You would also have to make sure that you don’t have any dangerous things at home, such as toxic plants or small objects that an animal could swallow. Take proper care of the latter by providing food, a cozy bed, water and proper medication etc. Giving them toys to play with will be even much better.
Get familiar with the Pet
As we have already discussed, different animals have different needs. It is important to take time to get familiar with the pet’s background, its nature, and the specific needs it may have. Knowing this information will help you care for the pet and understand it better. It is also important to meet the pet and spend time with it before bringing it home, to ensure that it is comfortable and doesn’t have any issue with already existing animals in your home.
Establish a Routine
Usually fostered animals have a hard time adapting to new environments, and accepting it as their home. To give them a feeling of belongingness you can start a routine for their feeding, exercise, and playtime schedule. It helps the animal to feel secure, settled and gives them a sense of belongingness in the new environment. A consistent schedule can help reduce stress and anxiety for the pet, especially during the per adoption period.
Communicate with the Rescue Organization
Communicate with the shelter from where you are fostering or adopting the pet. They can help you with important information regarding the pet, like its diet, playtime, and any existing medical condition etc. This information can help you prevent any challenges that can occur during the process of adoption. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them with your specific questions or concerns about your pet’s health, behavior, or needs. To conclude, pet adoption or fostering is a very unique experience in itself, which in one way or other is beneficial for you as well as the animal in need. We have discussed a few tips above and by following these pre-adoption tips, you can make sure that you and the pet that you are going to adopt become one happy family.
