Four one-page sheets and a set of calendar reminders, in the order you'll need them. They're made right here on the page. Nothing to sign up for, and nothing is sent to us.
Type your pet's name: it stays in your browser, and we never see it. Pick cat or dog and the sheets print for that pet only.
0Before You Say Yes
Before you say yes
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.
Ready for a pet? A kids' checklist
Eight tick boxes for a child to do with a grown-up, and a few guides to read up on together.
1Getting Ready
Pet-proofing, room by room
Six rooms, one sheet. Get down on your hands and knees and look at each room the way a pet will.
Your Welcome Home Map
Eight stops on one page, with your pet's name at the top. Stick it on the fridge.
2Coming Home
In the worksThe Arrival Kit
A door hanger for the quiet room, a visitors and sitters card, a resting sign, and a fridge sheet for the first weeks, printed for cat and dog families. See the shop
3The First Three Days
Milestones in your calendar
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.
Our kids' activity booklet, So You Want a Dog (or Cat)?, is in the works. See it in the shop
Printing works from the copy on your computer. Each sheet is US Letter, one page.
Before you say yes
Five decisions for your pet, settled at the kitchen table before pickup day.
A vetOur vet: Phone: First visit booked for:
A budgetOur monthly budget: We looked at pet insurance: yes / no
Who does what
A helperSomeone we can call: Phone:
Time offWe are home from to
Talking With Pets · Welcome Home · General information, not veterinary advice.
Your pet's Welcome Home Map
Eight stops from before you say yes to feeling at home. Tick each one. Watch the pet, not the calendar.
Talking With Pets · Welcome Home
Pet-proofing, room by room
Get down on your hands and knees and look at each room the way a pet will, before your pet comes home.
Lines marked Cats or Dogs are for that pet only. The rest are for both.
Kitchen
Trash can has a locking lid, or lives in a closed cabinet.
Cleaners are in a high cabinet or behind a childproof latch.
Counters are clear of food, medicine, cleaners and candles.
Nobody feeds the pet from the table.
Out of reach: chocolate, coffee, onion, garlic, chives, anything with xylitol, alcohol, raw bread dough.
DogsGrapes, raisins and macadamia nuts out of reach.
Living room
Cords are unplugged, covered or out of reach.
CatsBlind cords, curtain pulls and long drapes tied up and off the floor.
Deadliest plants out of the house and yard: lilies and daylilies (with a cat, even the pollen or vase water can harm the kidneys) and sago palm (it can cause liver failure in dogs and cats).
Other toxic plants moved out of reach or gone: azalea, tulip, daffodil, pothos, peace lily. Check any other plant on the ASPCA list. Harm ranges from an upset stomach to an emergency, so keep them all out of reach.
Windows that open have locks and screens.
Candles are out of reach and not easy to tip over.
DogsSmall toys and other small things picked up.
Bedrooms
Medicines are in a closed cabinet, not on a night table.
CatsHair ties, rubber bands and string put away.
CatsDrawers and closet doors closed, because kittens hide in them.
DogsShoes, socks and small clothes off the floor.
Children's small toys picked up after play.
Bathroom
Toilet lid closed.
Medicines and sharp things put away in a closed cabinet.
Toothpaste and bar soap out of reach. Toothpaste can hold xylitol, and dogs love bar soap.
Trash can has a lid.
Hair ties and other small objects in a closed drawer.
Garage and laundry
Antifreeze, rodent poison and insect poison shut away or gone. A small amount of antifreeze can be fatal.
Detergent pods, dryer sheets, fabric softener and bleach in a closed cabinet.
Cabinet and dryer doors kept closed.
CatsKittens hide in dryers, cabinets and laundry baskets: check before you shut a door.
Pets kept away from chemicals.
Yard
DogsFence has no holes to crawl through.
An in-ground pool has a fence around it.
Harmful plants out of the yard. Old rodent and insect poisons picked up.
DogsKeep the dog off a lawn that was just treated with chemicals.
DogsA young puppy is never left outside alone.
CatsA new cat stays indoors. For outside time, use a catio or a harness walk.
If you think a pet has eaten something harmful, call your vet or ASPCA Poison Control, (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply), right away.
Talking With Pets · Welcome Home · General information, not veterinary advice. Sources for every line: talkingwithpets.com/printables
Ready for a pet?
My name: Date:
Tick each one with a grown-up.
I can sit still and let a pet come to me.
I know pets need lots of sleep.
I can leave a pet alone when it is eating, sleeping or hiding.
I know a new pet is not for hugging, kissing or picking up.
I can give a pet space when it turns away, hides or tries to leave.
I can keep my small toys, shoes and socks up high, away from pets.
I know a grown-up stays with me whenever a pet is near.
I helped make our family job list.
For grown-ups: five decisions to settle before pickup day are a vet, a budget, who does what, a helper you can call, and time off.
Read up together
Puppy, grown dog or breeder? · How to read your dog · Kids and the new dog
One cat or two? · How to read your cat · The first days with a new cat
All free at talkingwithpets.com. Want to practice first? Our kids' activity booklet, So You Want a Dog (or Cat)?, is coming soon.
Talking With Pets · Welcome Home · General information, not veterinary advice. Sources for every line: talkingwithpets.com/printables