Introducing a New Pet to Your Home
When you buy a new pup or kitten it is often a much awaited event for the human members of the family. However, for your other pets, the introduction of a new pet may be seen as a threat, a new toy or even something to hunt. It pays therefore to choose your pet with not only our own priorities in mind but also the likely effect of its presence on the other pets in the household.
Once you have purchased your new puppy or kitten you have to consider two main factors – ITS HEALTH!
The first consideration must naturally be your pet’s health and well-being and in spite of the temptation to show your new friend to everybody, the very best advice is that it should have nothing but peace and quiet in the first 24 hours. Try to encourage all family members to handle the new arrival quietly and gently and particularly if it’s quite young, allow adequate periods of rest by itself. Young animals should be fed small, frequent meals preferably consisting of the type of food they have been accustomed to eating prior to purchase. If vaccination and worming have not been carried out, these should be attended to immediately. Naturally any existing animals in the family should be currently vaccinated and healthy at this time.
IT’S ACCEPTANCE!
When introducing new pets to old you must consider the older pet’s nature. For instance, a mature female dog that is well socialized towards other animals will usually accept new puppies and kittens quite well. On the other hand, a strongly territorial and aggressive dog may not ever be totally trusted with a new kitten in its own yard. You should also take into account the possibility of conflict between various types of pets, for example, animals of the same sex may not get on as well as one of each sex. It may also be sensible to choose a new pet which is more likely to remain submissive to the more established member of the family. A less aggressive or smaller breed may be a good choice. Neutering a male dog ma reduce the conflict over dominance as he gets established.
How do you actually go about introducing two pets to each other?
In nearly all circumstances it is advisable to make sure that your pets met each other for the first time on neutral ground. In this situation they are more likely to behave in cautious rather than aggressive way towards each other. For example, a dog which lives in the back yard and chases any cats that intrude is more likely to accept a new kitten into the household if he meets it inside the house. If you’re concerned about safely you can put the older animal on a leash for better control but remember this sometimes will make some pets, especially dogs, more aggressive!
When introducing new cats it is nearly impossible to find neutral ground so it may be better to confine the new cat to a part of the house or yard where it can be seen by the original cat. The two cats could then be allowed to familiarize themselves with each other over a few days before allowing full access to each other. Remember that introductions between old and new pets may not always run smoothly, especially if both are adult animals, however careful planning, a cool head and gentle persuasion on your behalf will usually result in success.
