🏡🐾 Vet Guide 2025: Helpful Tips for Welcoming a New Pet Home — By Dr Duncan Houston

Bringing a new companion into your household is exciting—and setting things up right makes all the difference. In this 2025 vet guide, I’ll walk you through key steps—from home prep and introductions to bonding routines, stress prevention, and safety measures—to ensure your pet’s transition is gentle, joyful, and healthy. Ready for that happy beginning? Let’s go! 😊

1️⃣ Prep Your Space Before Arrival

• 🏠 **Designate a safe zone**: Set up a quiet room or cozy pen with cage, bedding, food, water, toys, and a litter pan if needed.
• 🧹 **Ferret-/rabbit-proof**: Hide cords, seal small openings, elevate dangerous objects.
• 🧺 **Pet-proof essentials**: Include chew toys, comfortable hideouts, non-slip surfaces, and substrate suited to species.
• 📦 **Have essentials ready**: Stock food, hay, litter, treats, grooming tools, and a first-aid kit.

2️⃣ Bringing Them Home: Step-by-Step

• 🚗 **Quiet transport**: Use secure carriers with familiar bedding scents.
• 📍 **Settle their zone first**: Unbox in a calm environment, turn on a soft light, let them explore.
• 🎯 **Let them come to you**: Sit quietly nearby; offer treats—avoid sudden movements.

3️⃣ Establish Routine & Confidence

• 🕒 **Set consistent schedule**: Feed, clean, and play around the same times daily.
• 🧘‍♂️ **Short handling sessions**: Keep initial interactions brief, calm, and positive.
• 🍃 **Quiet bonding time**: Provide calm presence—reading aloud, gentle talk, or quiet companionship.

4️⃣ Watch for Stress & Adaptation Signs

• 😟 **Stress behavior**: Hiding, lack of appetite, tremors, or excess scratching.
• 🐾 **Minimal elimination**, refusing treats, or pacing may indicate worry.
• 🔍 **Provide extra comfort**: Add hidey-beds, lower lighting, soothing bedding like Purrz.
• 📲 **Reach out via Ask A Vet** if signs persist beyond 48 hours.

5️⃣ Bond Through Gentle Interaction

• 🧩 **Interactive play**: Use age-appropriate toys—hunt toys for ferrets, tunnels for rabbits, foraging boxes for rodents.
• 🍲 **Head offering**: Let them sniff your hand before petting or picking up.
• 💬 **Use calm voice cues**: Soft, positive talk supports trust building.
• 🎁 **Reward comfort**: Treats, praise, or cuddle moments reinforce affection.

6️⃣ Keep Them Comfortable & Safe

• 🧼 **Maintain clean habitat**: Spot cleaning daily, full refresh weekly.
• 💧 **Check water & food daily**, ensure fresh fill and safe storage.
• 🌬️ **Provide ventilation** and warmth without drafts.
• 🪑 **Allow hiding options**—small pets feel secure when retreating.

7️⃣ Introduce Pets & Family Calmly

• 👃 **Scent exchange**: Swap bedding between current and new pets pre-meetup.
• 🦮 **Supervised neutral introductions**, leash dog/cat nearby under calm control.
• 🎯 **Short sessions** initially—build up gradually.

8️⃣ Enrichment & Routine Growth

• 🧠 **Rotate toys weekly**—try Puzzle feeders from Woopf and Purrz nesting pads.
• 🎯 **Add new hide-outs or textures** monthly to keep curiosity alive.
• 📚 **Learn preferences**: Observe what your pet likes and expand that enrichment.

9️⃣ Vet Visit & Health Check

• 🩺 **Schedule vet exam** within the first week.
• 📋 **Bring records**, diet notes, and observations.
• 💉 **Discuss vaccines, fecal, spay/neuter**, and behavior goals.

🔟 Troubleshooting Troublesome Signs

• 🔇 **Persistently silent or cold**: Ensure ambient warmth as timid pets need time to warm up emotionally.
• 🍽️ **Continuing refusal to eat**: Try enticing with hay, soft treats, or mixing familiar scents, and consult Ask A Vet.
• 😴 **Excessive hiding or listlessness**: Use comforting tools, extra gentle handling, and expert advice from Ask A Vet.

📌 Dr Duncan Houston’s Settling-in Checklist

• Safe, stocked safe zone ready pre-arrival
• Routines starting Day 1: meals, cleaning, play
• Daily brief bonding and short handling sessions
• Watch for stress signals—act early
• Use comfort tools: Woopf toys, Purrz bedding
• Vet check within 7 days
• Reach out to Ask A Vet for unresolved concerns

🌈 Final Thoughts from Dr Duncan Houston

Welcoming a new pet home can be magical—when done thoughtfully. By preparing safe spaces, gently building routines, and nurturing trust slowly, you set the stage for a strong, joyful bond. Support their adjustment with comfort, consistency, and care. You’ll be rewarded with a companion who feels loved and right at home. 🥰

Need customized transition support, behavior insights, or set-up advice? Download the Ask A Vet app or visit AskAVet.com. Add enrichment with Woopf puzzle toys and comfort with Purrz bedding to help your pet settle happily. 🐾📱