What to Do When You Adopt a New Pet: Establishing Comfort Through Food

Written by Kelly Gredner, RVT, VTS (Nutrition) & Ashley Dunn, Customer Experience & Knowledge Manager

If you're wondering what to do when you adopt a new pet, the most important first step is simple: build a predictable feeding routine and give them a space that feels safe while they decompress. Everything else follows from there.

Making the choice to adopt a pet is a very rewarding experience. You're changing the life of that dog or cat that you have welcomed into your home, giving them a safe, warm, loving space to call their own.

Changing environments is stressful for most dogs and cats, so it's important to respect their stress, and do your best to work with them (and not against them).

One of the simplest ways to help a newly adopted pet feel safe is through food. Beyond nutrition, mealtimes create routine, build trust, and help your new companion form positive associations with both you and their new home.

Here are some things to keep in mind when bringing your new companion home:

Why a Feeding Routine Helps a Newly Adopted Pet Decompress

The single most useful thing you can offer a newly adopted pet in their first few days home is a predictable feeding routine, since predictability is what helps a stressed animal start to settle.

A large part of the decompression period for newly adopted pets is creating and sticking to a routine. Predictability helps nervous or stressed animals feel comfortable in their new home and creates a space of familiarity.

Feeding nutritious, tasty meals at consistent times each day helps create predictability. Unlike free-feeding or grazing, scheduled meals establish a routine your pet can rely on while also allowing you to monitor their appetite, an important indicator of health during the transition into a new home.

Over time, your pet begins to associate you with safety, comfort, and one of life's most important resources: food. Every meal is an opportunity to build trust.

Sitting quietly nearby, speaking calmly, and offering meals in the same place each day helps your pet learn that they're safe, and that good things happen around you.

Some of our tastiest meals are our best sellers! Try out  Italian Beef Pasta Dinner or Classic Pork Stew for enticing, flavorful options.

For our feline friends, try 🍁 Bento Box*!

Why a Safe Space Matters When You Adopt a New Pet

A safe space is one of the simplest things you can set up when you adopt a new pet, and it works hand in hand with a good feeding routine.

Choose a quiet, low-traffic area for your pet's food and water bowls, away from loud noises, foot traffic, or other animals. This becomes their safe space at mealtime, a spot where they can eat without feeling like they need to stay on guard.

If you're bringing a new pet into a home with other animals, feed everyone separately at first. Sharing space over food can create competition before pets have had a chance to build trust with each other, so separate feeding areas help everyone feel secure.

Over time, this safe space becomes a small, reliable piece of your pet's new world, a place where they know they'll always feel safe.

Why Diet Matters When You Adopt a New Pet

One of the first things to figure out when you adopt a new pet is what to feed them, since the right diet supports both their body and their transition.

What a dog or cat will want to eat in their home varies widely based on their past experiences, dietary and/or emotional. It can be tempting to offer lots of treats or cooked meats to encourage eating, but unfortunately, this is not nutritionally adequate.

Choosing a complete and balanced diet your pet enjoys sets them up for success, not just during those first few days, but for a lifetime of health and happiness.

Please note: If a newly adopted pet has a medical condition that requires a therapeutic diet, this is important to stick to. If appetite is a challenge, speak with the rescue or your veterinarian before changing foods.

In many cases, warming the food slightly or adding an appropriate topper can encourage eating while still supporting your pet's nutritional needs.

If your new dog requires a low fat diet, check out our  Thai Coconut Chicken & Rice Recipe or if they need an allergy friendly meal, try our 🍁 Kangaroo*! Cats can enjoy a meal from 'down under' too with 🍁 Wild West Kangaroo*.

Why Hydration Matters During the Adjustment Period

Hydration is easy to overlook during a stressful transition, but it plays a bigger role in your pet's comfort than most people realize.

Stress can reduce thirst, especially in cats and nervous dogs. Make sure fresh water is always available, and consider moisture-rich meals or healthy toppers, such as bone broth, to encourage hydration.

Proper hydration supports digestion, energy levels, and overall comfort during the transition.

All of Tom&Sawyer® meals are gently-cooked which means they are moisture & nutrient rich!

How Food Builds Positive Associations and Trust

Every meal is a chance to build positive associations between your new pet and their life with you, which turns routine feeding into real relationship-building.

Without seeming like training, following routines, creating a safe space, and feeding delicious food can build positive associations and confidence with not only you, but the home itself. Your pet's regular meals can also become valuable training opportunities.

Food can be used for training (and bonding!) through puzzles, games, and hand feeding. You can also use small portions of their regular meals (instead of extra treats) to work on things like responding to their name and practicing recall, making eye contact, and reinforcing/rewarding calm behaviours like sitting or going to their place.

Food can also help create positive associations with experiences that may feel unfamiliar or scary. For example, many rescues recommend feeding meals in the crate so it becomes a place of comfort and security rather than confinement.

The same approach can help your pet feel more relaxed around a new crate, bed, carrier or designated safe space, while also building confidence during other parts of their daily routine.

More mouth watering meal options would be 🍁 Chicken Cacciatore* for cats and  Turkey Gobbler Feast for the puppers!+

What to Do When You Adopt a New Pet, One Meal at a Time

Food is one of the most powerful tools you have for helping a newly adopted pet adjust to life in their new home. Every meal is an opportunity to build trust, establish routine, and help your new companion feel safe.

While settling into a new home takes time, patience, and understanding, something as simple as sharing a meal can become one of the strongest foundations for building your lifelong bond.

In the end, knowing what to do when you adopt a new pet often comes down to this: show up consistently, and let food be one of the ways you say "you're safe now."

*currently available in Canada only

+ A Note for Puppy Parents: Tom&Sawyer® meals are formulated to support adult dogs, and some are also suitable for extra small, small, and medium breed puppies with the use of our Puppy Booster. Because large breed puppies have distinct growth and nutrient needs, we recommend chatting with your veterinarian to confirm the best diet for your growing pup.

References:

1. American Kennel Club - The Decompression Period: Bringing Home a New Dog. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/decompression-bringing-home-a-new-dog/

2. American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) - American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. (2021). Position Statement on Humane Dog Training. https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AVSAB-Humane-Dog-Training-Position-Statement-2021.pdf

3. Fear Free Pets - Resources for Pet Owners. https://fearfreepets.com/resources/pet-owners/