Congratulations!
Your newest family member has come home and now’s the time to settle into the business of getting to know each other. These first several weeks can be a very exciting time. Here are some helpful tips to make this new adventure a success!

Identification!
Enough cannot be said about the benefits of pet identification. Please place a collar and identification tags, with your address and phone nubmers on your pet immediately. Please have these ready for your pet when you pick them up from Central California SPCA.

Day One
Your new pet has just undergone a fairly stressful time during its stay at the animal care center. While we make every attempt to reduce the amount of stress on the animals in our care, the animal care center is in fact, often loud and chaotic. We recommend that your new pet’s first day at home be spent in peace and quiet. Essentially, your new pet should be given food and water according to our Surgery Annex instructions and be left to relax. Provide your pet with a clean, dry, and safe environment suited for rest. There will be plenty of time to visit later.

Rules of the House
As soon as your pet comes home, immediately show your pet the proper place to eliminate (pee and poop) and give them the opportunity to do so uninterrupted. Give them their own place to eat and drink away from other animals and children. Provide them with a bed of their own in a quiet place. Do not allow your pet free access to your home. Close off rooms or put up baby gates to limit your pet’s access to areas that may prompt undesirable behavior. This will help to prevent “accidents” from happening. Care should be taken to remove any personal items and hazards that a pet could encounteer. Electrical lines and blinds/drape cords should be concealed, loose items removed from the floor, plants placed far from reach, and chemicals and medications safely stored away. Only appropriate pet toys intended for pets should be offered. Make sure your yard is secure. Fences should be free of damage and inspected on a regular basis. Initially, your new pet should not be left unattended for long periods of time. When  you must leave your pet alone, consider crate training or leaving them in a small room such as a bathroom (better suited to cats and small breed puppies). Never leave your pet unattended in an area where they are at risk of causing destruction to your property or could become injured.

Children And Your New Pet
The Central California SPCA offers educational materials on dog bite prevention. The All Dogs Can Bite Education Program is available to all children. Contact the CCSPCA Education Department at (559) 233-0115 or education@ccspca.com. All pets have the potential to bite and/or scratch causing serious injury. Even smaller pets, especially puppies and kittens, as their teeth and nails are very sharp. All children and all pets must be vigilantly monitored at all times and should not be left alone together. Parents must carefully observe for signs of a potential problem. Children should not be allowed to play around an animal that is eating, sleeping or is deeply engrossed in any behavior such as chewing on a toy. Rough play with animals should be discouraged by everyone. No one should ever use a part of their body, such as a hand or foot as a toy. If a pet exhibits any of the following signs or combination of, remove them from the situation and consult a professional animal trainer and/or beavhiorist.

Things to Watch For
*       Growling
*       Baring of teeth
*       Staring to the point of refusing to break the glance
*       Stiff, frozen posture
*       Guarding food, people, toys, beds, etc.

Most often, problems can be easily remedied with proper education and training for the parents, the pet and the children. Pets can be instrumental in teaching children about responsibiltuy and how to humanely care for an respect all animals. Please use caution and remember to protect both the children and the pets.

Introducing Your New Pet To Ones Already In The Home
You may begin introductions after your new pet has completed its 14 day quarantine period. This can be a delicate process that sould be carefully monitored. Animals can be highly territorial by nature. Dogs should be leashed and allowed to first meet on neutral ground such as out on a walk or at a park. Cats should meet in a large area, such as a living room. The duration of the initial meeting should be brief and only last as long as everyone is able to maintain a respectable level of control (including  you). The mood should be relaxed and calm for all involved. If you are feeling tension, you could be inadvertently transferring your concerns to the very animals you are trying to encourage to become friends. As time goes by, increase the pet’s exposure to one another. Extra caution should be taken in the introduction of cats to dogs or very small dogs to larger dogs. Never leave any animals unattended until you are absolutely certain there will be no conflict! This can take weeks, sometimes months. In rare instances, some animals just may never learn to get along. Do not expect your pets to want to share. Items such as food, water, beds, toys, even you and other family members may prompt one or more of the animals in your home to behave possessively. If a pet(s) is guarding an item, ask the pet to move away and carefully take the item. Only give the item back when the pet can cease to behave inappropriately. You will likely have to repeat the process may times before the pet gets the right idea. Do not give treats to or feed pets side by side as this can cause fighting. The most important thing to remember is that this time of introduction is to be taken slowly. Over time, most animals work things out peacefully. Proper guidance from you is the key.  Use good judgment.

Follow Up Veterinary Care
All animals need yearly veterinary care. Please refer to your adoption papers for follow up vaccinations, deworming dates and any other scheduled veterinary treatments.