Where are you on the way home?
Eight stops from before you say yes to feeling at home. Every pet moves at their own pace, so use it as a guide, not a clock.
This stop is different for cats and dogs
Who's coming home?
Before You Say Yes
Before pickup day, settle five things on paper: a vet, a budget, who does what, a helper you can call, and time off for the first days. Write a name beside every job, including who scoops the litter box.
In one study, about two in three cats treated their person as a safe base, the same share as human infants.
Help write who does which job, and stick the list on the fridge.
Questions families ask
Each answer starts with the short version, then the steps, a corner for the kids, and where it comes from.
Cats
- The first days with a new cat: setting up the safe roomRead it
- Our new cat has been under the bed for two days. Is that normal?Read it
- How long should a new cat stay in one room?Read it
- How many litter boxes does a cat need?Read it
- How do I introduce a new cat to our cat or dog?Read it
- How do I read my cat's tail, ears and slow blink?Read it
- Kids and the new cat: calm, safe, togetherRead it
- Kitten, grown cat or breeder?Read it
- One cat or two?Read it
Dogs
- The first three days with a new dogRead it
- How long does a rescue dog take to settle? (and what 3-3-3 really means)Read it
- The first night with a new dog or puppyRead it
- Introducing a new dog to the dog or cat you already haveRead it
- How to read your dog, and tell if a dog wants to be pettedRead it
- Kids and the new dog: safe, happy, togetherRead it
- Puppy, grown dog or breeder?Read it
For grown-ups: Mixed Company. Homes with a cat and a dog, and people switching sides.
Inside the book
Our Welcome Home picture book
Something quiet is coming to our house.Something big is coming to our house.Something is coming to our house.
A read-aloud picture book in a cat edition and a dog edition. Every spread pairs a short story to read aloud with a corner for the grown-ups, and your pet's name runs all the way through. More about the book
Books that look like your own pet
Every Welcome Home book already carries your pet's name. Pictures that look like your own pet come later. Read more
Free to print, with your pet's name
Three favorites here. See all the printables, from the five decisions to the pet-proofing checklist.
Five decisions on one page: a vet, a budget, who does what, a helper, and time off. Fill it in at the kitchen table before pickup day.
Eight stops on one page, with your pet's name at the top. Stick it on the fridge.
Three gentle reminders, at three days, three weeks and three months, each with a line about that stop. They go into your own calendar, and we never see them.
Saves one calendar file. Nothing is sent to us.
Free printable Welcome Home Maps for cats and dogs, for your go-home folders.