New Year, New Pet?

Claws 'n Paws
Dec 29, 2022
11 min read

Updated: Feb 5, 2025

So often there is an influx of new pets over the festive season, with a surge in new puppies and kittens as the forefront of this list. While we don’t condone getting a new pet on a whim without doing the proper research and financial planning first, we do love the joy and excitement that a new family addition brings.

We compiled our top five list below, of things you need to know and have and do in preparation for your new pet, and once you have them in your arms!

Tip #1 – for resident pets at home

Bringing a pet home brings HUGE amounts of joy for the humankind but it is incredibly stressful for the resident furkids already at home and part of your family. See, not all dogs are social and like to share and not all cats are social and tolerant of other cats. This is possibly the most important step when prepping for a new pet, and then bringing this new pet home.

First, you’ll want to set up any new beds and structures (like crates for a new puppy and scratch posts and litter trays for new kittens) in the room you want your new pet to be.

Crates offer safe spaces for your pooch to sleep and decompress. It is not recommended to leave your dog in a crate unattended for hours and hours, but is is a useful tool to have that will allow your pooch to feel safe.

Having a crate trained dog is also highly beneficial should your pet need to recover from a surgical procedure that requires cage-rest, or little movement post-operation.

Scratch posts or poles aids with keeping kittens and cats' nails short. Raised cat-condo type scratch posts also offer elevated places for your kitten or cat to rest, nap and view the space around them.

We suggest setting one up in front of a window for them to look out of.

Scratch posts also assist with stretching and encourages your feline friend to pay attention to the scratcher and not your couch.

Setting up new equipment can be done a few days or weeks in advance and will allow your resident pet to not be spooked by sudden new furniture in areas of your home.

Also remember the 3/3/3 rule – 3 days, 3 weeks and 3 months.

It can very easily take up to 3 months BEFORE the resident pet likes the new floof. This is normal and is why we suggest taking it incredibly slowly. Cats are more prone to take 3 – 6 months before they really like their new kitten sibling, and this is okay too.

It is highly recommended that the new pet be kept apart from the resident pets for a decompression period (a period of calm and adjustment) so that the interactions between current pet(s) and new pet are closely monitored and always positive once everyone has settled. Having their own spaces, where the new pet can't bother them and vice versa, will allow for slow and safe introductions over a set period of time.

Once your new floof is home, and you have given the first few days as rest and decompress days, make sure to do short and safe meets with the other resident pets. Cats will not be very tolerant, so best to trade out blankets between them, use wet foods, treats and toys to slowly integrate over time.

Allowing them their own space, time and safe interactions will encourage a happy relationship going forward.

Tip #2 – quarantine, vaccines and health checks

As mentioned above, we recommend that new pets be kept apart from the resident pets at first. There are a host of reasons over-and-above the stress levels a new pet will bring to resident pets – with another obvious one being health and diseases.

While reputable breeders and most shelters vaccinate their puppies and kittens from 6 weeks or 8 weeks old, respectively, a single core vaccine is not enough to prevent diseases like Parvovirus in dogs or Calicivirus or snuffles (herpes) in cats before they join their new families between 8 – 10 weeks of age. We recommend 10 weeks old, due to behavioural and neurological development, but some institutions start rehoming and adoptions from 8 weeks old.

Keeping the new pet separate for a while will ensure that you protect your resident pets and your sensitive new little puppy or kitten. The vaccine protocol is a set of core vaccines that are done from 6 or 8 weeks until 16 weeks old, at 4-week intervals. These are NOT NEGOTIABLE and skipping these will result in your pet being unable to fight off diseases and illnesses.

We also recommend that your new pet go for a full health check within the first 3 days of coming home. This will allow the veterinarian to do a full body check and listen to the heart and lungs and ensure all is in order with your little bundle of joy. Most reputable breeders and shelters are up to date on health checks, but this is a second opinion from your own veterinarian, and it will also highlight anything that may have been missed by the breeder or shelter.

It is always easy to register your new puppy or kitten on your profile at your vet ahead of time. This will limit admin before your first appointment and make the check-in process smoother, since we are sure that your hands will be holding your new bundle, and not be free to write and fill in forms.

We suggest a clear separation for a minimum of 3 days once the new pet joins the home – especially if your resident pet is not the super social kind, or has lived alone for a long time and isn’t used to having another dog or cat around.

We also suggest a slow introduction over a few weeks, and for dogs – do not do this in your house. Front gardens or nearby open spaces where there are no set boundaries or risks of negative interactions occurring. Some dogs are resource guarders and doing an introduction at home, where the new puppy can approach toys, treats or food bowls etc, will be a recipe for a big bite and negatively impact their relationship going forward.

If you are unsure on the integrative steps to follow, make sure to contact an accredited animal behaviourist to assist with this journey!

Tip #3 – the food stuff

This sub-section is not long enough to go in-depth on how important food is for your pet, but we have summarized it. Choosing the correct type of nutrition is the absolute foundation to your new pet’s health, wellness and longevity.

This is not as simple a "one-size-fits-all” bag of commercial pet food from a shelf in a supermarket or pet store.

We are advocates for fresh, full and balanced foods for pets. Especially since the secret to a healthy immune system lies in the gut, the microbiota and its processes – feeding a highly processed food for an extended period of time will cause illness in your pet’s adult and senior life stages.

Types of pet foods available:

Commercial food (dry, biscuit-like texture. Called pellets or kibble)
Raw food (raw meats and animal products. Ensure it is DAFF registered)
Cooked foods (cooked balanced meals with fresh ingredients. Ensure it is DAFF registered)
Hybrid diets (80/20 rule – commercial to fresh, fresh to raw etc. A mix of two different food types - best formulated by an animal nutritionist)

To choose the right food for your pet, you need to consider a few things first.

Budget – what are you able to spend on food per month?

Remember, a commercial diet on its own is often lacking in moisture, oils and things like phytonutrients and good quality ingredients – which means your pet has a higher chance of developing allergies and dry skin issues, gut intolerances and related issues – so this budget should accommodate things like omega 3 fish oils (EPA and DHA rich) and a pro/prebiotic to ensure that it will support the skin and gut.

We are strong advocates for a bit of fresh food, if you cannot do full fresh or raw, so suggest including a section for this if you opt for commercial pet foods.

Cooked food diets are not as simple as chicken, rice and vegetables. This diet is lacking in almost everything. Opt for a pre-made option, or have a diet formulated for your pet by an animal nutritionist if you want to do home-cooked food. These types of fresh foods are also freezer friendly and can be stored up to 6 months after manufacturing.

Raw food is also a great, moisture rich option. These need to be stored in a freezer and used within 6 months of manufacture date as well. This is to maintain ingredient integrity and to prevent things like freezer burn.

For any and all pet foods, you need to ensure that they are adequately tested and registered with DAFF (Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) in South Africa - for our South African readers.

Our food brands and recommendations:

Our favourite raw food brands are Doggobone and Raw Love
Our favourite cooked food brands are Happy Hounds, Bismark’s Bistro and our own custom diets
Enrichment or Hybrid feeding is also an option. (80/20 rule can be followed for 80% commercial and 20% fresh foods. See our article here for more information)

Treats – snacking and treating is a big part of the early stages of puppyhood, as most force-free and positive reinforcement trainers suggest using treats as a reward system. Treats and chews are also super important to keep your puppy active, healthy and busy – ESPECIALLY when they start getting their adult teeth.

Our go to for treats is single ingredient treats that are meat based. We love;

Liver biltong (bite-sized for training too)
Chicken biltong
Beef meat twists
Chicken necks
Dried fish
Denta-trac (dried esophagus)
Peanut butter lollies
Stuffed hooves
Stuffed Kongs with Greek yoghurt, blueberries and meaty bits
Prepared Lickimats with Greek yoghurt, blueberries and peanut butter

Shop here to find most of these treats for your pet.

Chewing is such an important activity for all pets. It is both a calming and enriching activity.

A tip to keep in mind as well, is that there is no point in feeding super healthy and fresh food if you ply your pet with processed, unhealthy snacks and treats – which is why we recommend single ingredient, meat-based treats. It must pass through the same gut and microbiome in the gut, so it will affect your pet’s digestion and stools.

Overall, we say that feeding the right food is an investment into your pet and their wellness. Feeding the correct food will ensure a healthy pet - both inside and outside.

Tip #4 – the insurance stuff

Pet insurance is a lifesaver.

No literally, it is a lifesaver for those unforeseen, huge and scary medical bills.

Having pet cover is a not negotiable to us here, and here is a few reasons why. Puppies, especially during 4 – 10 months of age, are actual little demons (said with the most love!) and are prone to believing they are invincible.

This results in things like leg breaks and fractures or swallowing a foreign item (like a sock or utensil) which causes a foreign body blockage or intussusception. These are big and expensive surgeries and having pet cover from Day 1 will ensure that (waiting periods considered) there is funds available to have these lifesaving procedures.

As a pet owner, pet insurance will ensure that you have access to specialists and private vet care year-round, which includes cover for these huge and scary surgeries and procedures, along with spaying and neutering, annual health checks and vaccines, dental cleaning and radiology etc.

We remind all pet owners, when enquiring about insurance from the providers, to make sure to read the fine print and list of exclusions.

Our top recommendations for pet insurance here in South Africa are;

OnePlan Pet Insurance
MediPet
Dotsure
OutSurance for pets
CatSure for cats / Dogsure for dogs

While some pet owners may argue that there are welfares that do the some of same surgeries at a fraction of Private Practice costs, we urge you to remember that welfare is for truly underprivileged and unemployed people, or pensioners on state pension, that really love their pets but due to jobs and/or circumstances, cannot afford private care. It is not a resource to be abused by pet owners that can afford to use a private veterinarian.

In conclusion – we recommend that you get the insurance cover for your pet. It will save you stress and grey hairs when an accident happens, and it’ll probably help save your pet’s life. You can start most policies from 8 weeks old, so we recommend adding your new pet before you bring them home – if they come home after 8 weeks old.

Our HQ pets are on insurance and it was a great buffer when little Willa (the most loved demon HQ puppy) broke her leg on a Friday afternoon. Snapped clean through both bones.

We love our pet insurance!

(photo of Willa)

Tip #5 – the trainer and training stuff

Pet training is a huge controversial topic amongst the generations, but today’s science supports positive, force-free and safe training protocols and methods. Things like dominance, alphas and omegas, prong collars and shock collars are considered “old-school”, “harsh” and “aversive” methods of practise and are highly discouraged.

Using negative methods instils fear and fear responses in your pet and damages your relationship long-term.

Making use of positive, force-free methods ensures that your pet builds a great foundation, positive habits and happy desire to work WITH you. It also encourages a healthy and happy relationship between pet and owner – with no fear and distrust.

Selecting the correct puppy school is very important.

Puppies should be in a class from around 8 to 10 weeks until 16 weeks. This is called their socialisation phase and it is so important that puppies attend a well-managed and interactive class during this time.

Find a class that offers the following;

Practical application – the usual work like sit, down, leave it, leash manners and general pet-keeping practises
Desensitisation – safe and controlled exposure to new things like ball pits, shallow water, noisy toys etc
Social time – play time with puppies their own age for dog-on-dog skills and development

Puppy schools that offer these, in small groups of 6 – 8 puppies per class, is a great way to give you puppy safe and positive exposure to all the important things.

Puppies need to have at least TWO vaccines to join a class – and they are TOO OLD to join puppy class after they have had all their vaccines, so do not wait until then to enroll them. Two vaccines are enough to start class, as all puppies attending have also had two vaccines, and the equipment and sanitary controls are in place to ensure that no germs spread.

We like to argue and say that puppy class is a not-negotiable part of pet ownership and highly encourage you to join a class with your puppy. Not only does this encourage a positive relationship with your new puppy, but it also works towards having a behaviourally stable dog long-term and helps you understand them and their emotional needs better.

If anything, remember that training isn’t only in class – but at home! Consistency and routine are key for a happy home life as well.

Last, but certainly not the least,

Enjoy the cuddles and kisses and play time and messes and sleepless nights! Puppyhood and kittenhood fly by so quickly, and it is such an exciting (and short) time in a pet’s life. So much growing, learning and development happen and then BOOM! It’s all gone, and they are adults for the rest of their years.

Having a new pet is such a joyful experience, and we know it carries a ton of worries and responsibility, so we do hope that these top five tips help you a bit more than most!