What Supplies do you Need for a New Pet?

There are two distinct camps of pet owner: the cat person and the dog person. Finding common ground between these two species of people is- well, there are many analogies I could make here, some relevant some not so relevant. If you can think of analogies, please, put them in the comments and start them like this:

"Finding common ground between cat people and dog people is like..."

But back to this article, the original question was, "What should I buy in preparation for homing a new kitten?"

Well, when getting ready to receive any new pet or animal into your home, you should be ready for some changes. If you're a new pet owner, there will probably be more changes to your home and life than to a person who is adding to an existing family of pets.

So, when buying or adopting any type of pet you will need some basic items: food, a pet bowl, collar, and requisite toys.

Food for your New Pet

Depending on your pets' make and model, or their species and age, you will need to determine what the best food option is for your pet. An old, over weight dog is going to need a different food option than a younger, more active sport dog.

When it comes to cats, the same logic applies is your cat old? Is your cat a fat cat? These are all things that should impact your choice of pet food.

Pet Bowls

When it comes to pet bowls, you can use just about anything that will hold food and water. Please color and decorate your pet's bowl to your (or their) taste. Perhaps the more important thing to consider is keeping things in a routine for your new pet: feed them at the same times of day so they are used to that, but also keep their food/water in the same area.

Collars (and tags) so they don't run away

These are very important because they will hold your contact information if your pet is lost, but also, if you take your pets in to the vet for shots, they will usually give you a tag for your collar that indicates last vaccinations.

Toys so they don's scratch or eat your couch

Often overlooked, but to the detriment of household items like chairs, couches, Xbox controllers, violins- puppies chew things and kittens scratch things, and adult animals will exhibit the same tendencies if they have not been properly conditioned. So, the best thing to do is get a toy they can scratch/chew and avoid frustrations with your new animal. We've got cat toys and toys for the pups, too.

We have many different varieties of pet food online, from wet cat food to large breed puppy food, you can search through our in-stock selection and make your choices. We do have an extended variety and selection of foods at our stores, so if you don't see what you are looking for you can come into one of our stores and ask an employee which is the best option for you.

Treats to Help them Learn and Play

Now with puppies, the better species, at least for this writer, we have many toys online some of which we personally own and use, like these. And dogs, or the atypical cat, will do tricks if trained correctly, so be sure to get a good system for positive rewards- we use these at my house (treats).

So, what do we have for cats and kittens at North 40 Outfitters? If you do happen to fall on the cat side of things we have these weird cat houses- cat people call them cat furniture. Check them out here. They are a little jungle gym for your cat and also serve as great scratching posts.

It's true, cats are more self-sufficient, I will give them that you can leave them alone when you have travel plans as long as they have access to their pet bowls, litter boxes, food, and water. But dogs will reward you with walks, games, tricks, loyalty, and devotion.

What will a cat give you? A look? Of course, I am being slightly incendiary here, but in the great cat VS dog debate, I am firmly in the dog camp.

Interested in pet supplies? We've got a bunch up online for cats & dogs and we are always getting more into our stores. Visit us online or come in and check it out!