New pet & life changes
Choosing a puppy or kitten, finding a breeder or rescue you can trust, what to buy before they arrive, and how the first days really go. Written with vets, veterinary nurses and breed experts.
Buy the kit before you collect your puppy or kitten, not after.
Our puppy and kitten checklists are built for the gap between choosing them and bringing them home. Most people spend that time counting down the days, but it is the most useful time you get to prepare.
You should always view your chosen puppy or kitten with their mother.
Buying from a breeder in England means buying from the person who bred the litter, and a licensed dog breeder must show you the puppies with their mother. The same goes for kittens. Rehoming, through a rescue or a previous owner, is different.
Settling a puppy or kitten is measured in weeks, not one night.
The first 24 hours get all the attention, and they matter. But settling in carries on for weeks afterwards, which is how our first-year guides treat it. Judge how it is going over that time, not overnight.
New pet & life changes articles
New pet & life changes
First Night With a Puppy: What to Expect
The first night with a puppy has one job, and it isn't sleep. It's safety. Everything you do on the first night, the first few nights and the first few weeks should be motivated by your puppy feeling safe. Once they feel safe, the confidence, the trust and the bond follow, and the dog copes better. You can build in independence reliably later.
- Puppy
- Dog
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New pet & life changes
New Kitten Checklist: What to Buy and How to Prepare
Before your kitten arrives you need a top-opening carrier, two litter trays, shallow food and water bowls, the same food the breeder is using, and a bed or box to hide in. Then kitten-proof the room they will live in, which matters more than anything on the shopping list.
- Cat
- Kitten
New pet & life changes
New Puppy Checklist: What to Buy and How to Prepare
Before your puppy arrives you need a collar with an ID tag, a harness, a crate or bed, a car carrier, bowls, the food the breeder is using, and toys they can chew and work for. Buy the collar and harness early, so your puppy can get used to wearing them long before they need to.
- Puppy
- Dog
New pet & life changes
Bringing a Kitten Home: The First 24 Hours
Set up one quiet room before your kitten arrives, with the litter tray in a private corner, food and water apart from each other, and an obvious place to hide. Bring them home in a rigid carrier half-covered with a light towel. Then leave them alone to explore at their own pace, and expect them to eat nothing for the first few hours.
- Cat
- Kitten
New pet & life changes
Kitten Names: 200+ Ideas for Your New Cat
Luna and Milo lead the UK lists, and human names now dominate cat naming. Luna is chosen more than twice as often as any other female name. Short names of one or two syllables are easiest for a cat to learn, and there is no rush to decide.
- Cat
- Kitten
New pet & life changes
The Best Cat Breeds for First-Time Owners in the UK
For a first cat, a domestic shorthair moggy is usually the best choice you can make. Mixed parentage means the inherited problems that run through pedigree lines are far less likely, a short coat means no daily grooming, and temperament comes down mostly to how the kitten was raised rather than what it is.
- Cat
New pet & life changes
The Best Dog Breeds for First-Time Owners in the UK
The best dog breeds for first-time owners are the ones that forgive a few mistakes, among them Labradors, Border Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers and Greyhounds. There is no single right answer, though. The breed that suits you depends on where you live, how much time you have and what you can afford. Getting that match right matters more than any list.
- Dog
New pet & life changes
How to Look After a Kitten: A Complete First-Year Guide
A kitten needs four small meals a day at eight weeks and a full course of vaccinations by around twelve weeks. Neutering follows at five to six months, before they go outside. Most arrive already using a litter tray. The rest of the first year is feeding them properly, giving them somewhere to hide, and letting them build confidence at their own pace.
- Cat
- Kitten
New pet & life changes
Puppy Names: 200+ Ideas for Your New Dog
Luna and Bella lead the UK lists for female puppies, with Teddy and Milo neck and neck for males. A name your dog will actually learn is short, easy to say, and one you aren't embarrassed to call across a park. Expect it to take a few weeks to land, so you don't need to decide straight away.
- Puppy
- Dog
