New dog or cat checklist

How to use this checklist

Pick dog or cat, then work through the three phases in order. Items marked as optional apply only to some homes – for example, homes with other pets.

• Before pickup – supplies, a safe space, a veterinarian, and the records to ask for.
• First week – a quiet start, a routine, and the first veterinary visit.
• First 90 days – training, introductions, follow-up care, and permanent identification.

Every item links to its source. Where a recommendation comes from one organization, the checklist names it.

Before pickup: set up the home first

Have the basics in place before your pet arrives. The ASPCA publishes a supplies list for newly adopted dogs and a cat supply checklist in its general cat care guide.

Pet-proof before pickup. Best Friends advises looking at your home from a dog's eye level. Its tips for a new pet list toilet seats, electrical cords and outlets, houseplants, garbage cans, and food storage as hazards. The AKC adds cleaning supplies, which belong behind locked cupboard doors or up high.

Ask the shelter or rescue for copies of all medical records. Best Friends advises giving them to your veterinarian in advance. The AKC suggests asking about vaccinations, spay or neuter status, house training, and behavior with children and other pets.

First week: keep the world small

The first days are for rest and routine, not outings. The AKC advises against taking a new dog to many other places until the dog has adjusted.

Dogs. The AKC advises confining a new dog's space with a gate or pen in the room where you are. Start house training on arrival, with frequent walks outside and close supervision. Best Friends advises keeping a new dog on leash except in a fenced yard.

Cats. Start your cat in one room with food, water, a litter box, and hiding places. Best Friends notes a stressed cat may eat less, groom less, and hide. Let your cat come out when ready, and spend time in the room each day.

Book the first veterinary visit now. The AAHA advises a visit within one week for a new dog and within the first week at home for a kitten. Cornell advises that any new cat be checked as soon as possible. Keep the new cat apart from resident cats until that exam.

The 3-3-3 guideline for rescue dogs

The 3-3-3 guideline is a rule of thumb, not a fixed timetable. The American Kennel Club describes it as three stages for rescued dogs.

The AKC notes the experience may be shorter or longer, based on the individual dog's needs. Humane World for Animals cites the same three-days, three-weeks, three-months rule for a newly adopted dog or cat. Best Friends notes that some dogs adapt more quickly than others.

Litter boxes: how many and where

The general rule is one litter box per cat, plus one. The Cornell Feline Health Center states it directly, and Humane World for Animals gives the same rule. One cat means two boxes.

First 90 days: routines, training, and follow-up care

With the first week done, the work shifts to habits. Humane World advises setting and keeping times for sleep, feeding, play, walks, training, and litter scooping.

• Veterinary plan. Follow the schedule your veterinarian sets for vaccines, boosters, and parasite prevention. The AAHA notes kittens usually need a series of vaccine boosters and preventive care visits in the first year.
• Identification. The AVMA states that a microchip does not replace a collar with up-to-date identification and rabies tags. Register the chip and keep your contact details current.
• Training. Best Friends advises training classes with your dog and, if you hire a trainer, one who uses humane methods. The AKC notes puppies can attend classes once vaccinations have started.
• Dog introductions. Humane World advises a first meeting outdoors on neutral territory, each dog walked separately on a leash. At home, use a sturdy, tall baby gate at first.
• Cat introductions. Humane World advises swapping blankets and toys first, then a cracked door or baby gate, then meetings. Signs of conflict mean going back a step.
• Dog and cat. Best Friends notes this introduction can take days, weeks, or months. Keep them apart when you cannot supervise.
• Spay or neuter. For cats, the ASPCA advises by five months of age. For dogs, the AAHA lists it as a topic for the veterinary visit, if not already done.

When to call a veterinarian

Call your veterinarian with any health concern in the first weeks. Do not wait for the scheduled visit.

• Kittens: the AAHA advises a sooner visit if a kitten seems sick, is not eating, has diarrhea, is sneezing, or seems unusually quiet.
• Cats of any age: a cat that stops using the litter box needs a veterinary check-up first, according to Humane World and Cornell.
• Suspected poisoning: call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away.
• Medication: the ASPCA advises never giving a dog or cat medication that a veterinarian has not prescribed.