If you are about to bring a new dog or cat into your life, there are a few basic pet supplies your new pet will need. Besided the love, shelter and food you already plan to provide, some simple pet supplies will make both you and your dog or cat more comfortable.

Get Ready for New Pet
Being prepared before a new pet comes into your home will help make the first days less stressful. The following will make your shopping chores easier.

Feeding Your Dog or Cat
First off, you will certainly want dishes for pet food. While these don't have to be made specifically for dogs or cats, it is a good idea to designate certain dishes just for them.

Bowls made for pets do have some advantages. Many have rounded bottoms, and often these are the easiest for pets to eat from, especially if they are eating canned dog or cat food.

Some pet dishes have rubber feet or rings around them to make them "skid-proof", which is also a bonus. The round-bottom design makes the bowl difficult, if not impossible to tip over, keeping your floors much cleaner. Some bowls are designed specially for dogs with long ears, like cocker spaniels. These are deeper and narrower so the ears will hang on the outside of the bowl.

When choosing pet bowls, stainless steel or ceramic are preferable to plastic. Plastic can leach toxic chemicals as they age. Plastic pet dishes will get scratched up, and this gives bacteria a place to live and grow. They can also crack, and soft plastic can be chewed up.

Collar and Leash, More Than Just a Fashion Statement
A collar is vital for a dog, and desirable on any cat that may go outside. It is a place to attach a leash, another important article in your basket of pet supplies. The leash is how you will control your dog on walks and during training. Cats can also be taught to walk on a leash. You will find this useful if you ever choose to travel with a cat.

Be sure to attach an id to the collar, along with any rabies tags. You can get ids that you can write on yourself or you can order engraved tags. You can even get tags that look like jewelry, many of them handmade and one-of-a-kind.

Although I don't recommend letting your cats spend their days outside, if they will be outdoors unsupervised, a break-away collar may be a good choice for them. Cats tend to crawl through and under bushes and climb trees, and if a collar gets caught it can lead to trouble. The break-away collar is meant to do just that - when a certain amount of tugging occurs, the special clasp opens up, releasing the cat.

If you are getting a puppy, I strongly suggest you buy a crate . You can even carry your dog home from the shelter or breeder in the crate if it is portable .  Choose a size that will appropriate for the dog's adult size. It should be large enough for the adult dog to stand up and turn around. Many crates have a removable piece that allows you to make the usuable space smaller for a puppy, and move it as the dog grows.

A crate is the easiest way to housetrain a dog. For complete information on using the crate and quickly housebreaking your puppy, I recommend you get a copy of "Happy Housetraining".

Dog and Cat Beds
Another item you will want to provide is a bed for your dog or cat , other than the foot of yours. For dogs in particular, having their own bed also gives you a place to send them for a "time-out" or when you just can't have them around.

Older dogs and cats might benefit from orthopedic bedding . This is
usually made from "egg-crate" foam. You can also buy a piece of the foam at a hospital supply store and make your own.

Cats will often ignore any bed you buy for them and choose their own spot - usually your favorite chair or the middle of your bed. However, there are a number of cat beds available that play to the way cats like to sleep by providing small, snuggly spaces , or tent-like beds offering a cozy hiding place.

Dog and Cat Toys Enhance Life
Toys are the fun part of this list. Interactive pet toys allow you to spend "quality time" with your dog or cat while providing the animal with some exercise. These would include balls for dogs and wand-type toys for cats.

Chew toys are essential for puppies. They need something to ease the discomfort of teething and to satisfy the natural instinct to chew. There is really no substitution for a good chew toy. Giving the puppy something from around the house, like an old shoe, is not a good idea. For one thing, it may not be safe. More important, the dog will not be able to differentiate between "his" shoe and yours.

Squeaky toys can drive owners crazy, but they are good toys to leave for your dog when you go out. Many dogs enjoy throwing these toys up in the air and then pouncing on them. Just be sure your dog cannot easily chew the toy up and swallow the squeaker. Always supervise your dog when giving them any kind of new toy, and make sure that will be appropriate for that dog.

There are now some excellent toys on the market that allow dogs to problem-solve. These include treat balls and puzzle toys . These toys will keep your dog from getting bored, and excercise his brain as well.

Buy Pet Supplies First
If you are planning on getting a new dog or cat, remember to have all the necessary pet supplies on hand before bringing the animal home for a more enjoyable transition period.

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