When we think of a cat and a dog we always think of the war that happens when one chases the other, but believe me, it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact most different types of pets can not only learn to live together, but they can actually become quite close along the way. The important thing to remember is that it is a process, especially when first introducing a new pet to a pet that has already made your home their home.
There are several different aspects that play into how well two animals will get along. These include the age, sex, and personality of each animal, as well as each animal’s need to have its own territory. An important thing to remember is that all pets should be up to date on their vaccinations when meeting for the first time just to be safe. Also be sure to have an area where you can take your new pet to have some quite time in their new home, away from your other pets. This will allow some time for your new pet to take in all the new smells and relax with you for a while. A bathroom or laundry room can be a great place but remember that puppies and kitties can get bored of something pretty fast!
You have to take time when getting two new animals acquainted with each other. Start out by holding your new pet and getting close enough to your other pet so they can see each other. Sometimes it’s easier to sit down holding your new pet in your lap while your other pet gets a good look. Be sure to encourage your new pet and give lots of loving to him/her to get them to relax. This will give your two pets some time to get used to each other. This is a process and you’ve just completed step one. Now with each passing day spend a little more time getting your pets used to each other, getting them closer and closer to each other. Eventually they’ll be playing by themselves and you’ll be fighting to get some attention from them.
Bring Home a Puppy to a House with a Cat
Always keep in mind that different animals have different behaviors. When you bring a new puppy into a house that already has a cat your new puppy might look at that cat as a big fluffy toy at first and might just get rewarded with a swat on the head. Your cat might hiss and swat or just run away until the puppy leaves, but this is normal. Each animal has to reestablish his/her boundaries and this can take some time. You never want to force two animals together when they aren’t ready, give them each their own space. This relationship will take time to build and will come more on your two pets terms than yours but chances are that sooner or later they will grow to love each other.
Bringing Home a Puppy to a House with a Dog
When bringing a new puppy into a home that already has an older dog you should definitely expect some tension at first. Your older dog will normally not like a new dog coming into his territory and it’s important to keep your two dogs apart at first. Bring them together only for short periods of time at first, when you can be on hand to supervise. You may also want to start off by feeding your two dogs in different rooms bringing the food bowls closer together as time goes by. One trick you can use is to give your older dog something to sleep with that has the puppy’s scent on it so he/she gets used to the smell. In the worst case scenario your two dogs will learn to live with each other and as your puppy gets bigger the two will get closer. In the best case scenario the two will become running buddies, inseparable, and leave you fighting to get some bed space.
Bringing Home a New Cat to a House with a Cat
When introducing a new cat into a household that already has an older cat expect to have the most problems out of any scenario. Cats are especially territorial creatures and they do not like new animals in their space. That doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to bring in a new cat to your already cat occupied house. Your cat is much more likely to accept a young kitten into its (your) house than it is an older cat of similar age and size to its self. Always be there to watch the first couple of meetings and be ready to break up any fights, but watch out for those claws! Most cats, over time, will learn to live with each other once they pass the initial confrontational stage and work out the pecking order of who the dominant cat is. With cats though its more up in the air than our other situations. They might just barely learn to live with each other spending much of the time separate and getting into an occasional fight or they might become best buddies. Many times it depends on the two individual cats and if their personalities can get along.
Are The Birds For You?
Birds are a different story, it is possible to integrate different kinds of birds and keep them in the same cage but it’s a much harder process. Birds are not aggressive animals in nature but if they feel threatened or scared they definitely have the tools to defend themselves and cause serious harm if not death to another bird. After you’re sure your new bird is healthy (usually about a two week waiting period) place the two cages side by side and see what happens. After a week or two if they seem to enjoy each other and spend time interacting or sleeping close to each others cage, try taking them out with yourself and a friend. If you still have no problems it might be time to purchase a larger bird gym where they can try playing with each other. Be sure to always be ready to break up any aggressive behavior by making a loud noise like clapping or spraying a water bottle at your birds. In the end your two birds will let you know if they enjoy each others company, you just have to pay a little more attention to the signs. Remember to never leave your bird(s) alone out of its cage with a dog or a cat around, these guys just wont get along. In fact if you have a cat lurking around the house you might want to invest in a stronger cage for your feathered friend, preferable one that isn’t on the ground level.
Furry Fuzzy Ferrets
If you’re a ferret lover and are interested in adding to your lone ferret remember that older males (it helps if they’re neutered) are always more accepting of a new friend than a female, but even the females can learn to get along. Be sure that like the rest of our scenarios you start off keeping your new ferret in a separate enclosure only bringing the two together under your supervision. After the first night or two you can switch the bedding of your two ferrets to help them get used to the others scent. With any luck in a couple of days you’ll need a larger cage because they’ll be best buds and won’t want to be separated. One thing to remember is to always keep a ferret separated from dogs and cats. That is one relationship that is a hard one to create (but can be done, I just don’t recommend it) because of your cats and dogs natural predatory instances. You should also keep your ferret away from your bird; a bird tends to look like a toy to a curious playful ferret.
Remember when introducing a new pet into a home that already has one it will be a process and expect some bumps along the way. Don’t get discouraged and don’t think that because a couple of fights break out that it’s impossible for your pets to live harmoniously. Before you know it more times than not you’ll catch your two buddies curled up together on the couch catching some sleep.
There are several different aspects that play into how well two animals will get along. These include the age, sex, and personality of each animal, as well as each animal’s need to have its own territory. An important thing to remember is that all pets should be up to date on their vaccinations when meeting for the first time just to be safe. Also be sure to have an area where you can take your new pet to have some quite time in their new home, away from your other pets. This will allow some time for your new pet to take in all the new smells and relax with you for a while. A bathroom or laundry room can be a great place but remember that puppies and kitties can get bored of something pretty fast!
You have to take time when getting two new animals acquainted with each other. Start out by holding your new pet and getting close enough to your other pet so they can see each other. Sometimes it’s easier to sit down holding your new pet in your lap while your other pet gets a good look. Be sure to encourage your new pet and give lots of loving to him/her to get them to relax. This will give your two pets some time to get used to each other. This is a process and you’ve just completed step one. Now with each passing day spend a little more time getting your pets used to each other, getting them closer and closer to each other. Eventually they’ll be playing by themselves and you’ll be fighting to get some attention from them.
Bring Home a Puppy to a House with a Cat
Always keep in mind that different animals have different behaviors. When you bring a new puppy into a house that already has a cat your new puppy might look at that cat as a big fluffy toy at first and might just get rewarded with a swat on the head. Your cat might hiss and swat or just run away until the puppy leaves, but this is normal. Each animal has to reestablish his/her boundaries and this can take some time. You never want to force two animals together when they aren’t ready, give them each their own space. This relationship will take time to build and will come more on your two pets terms than yours but chances are that sooner or later they will grow to love each other.
Bringing Home a Puppy to a House with a Dog
When bringing a new puppy into a home that already has an older dog you should definitely expect some tension at first. Your older dog will normally not like a new dog coming into his territory and it’s important to keep your two dogs apart at first. Bring them together only for short periods of time at first, when you can be on hand to supervise. You may also want to start off by feeding your two dogs in different rooms bringing the food bowls closer together as time goes by. One trick you can use is to give your older dog something to sleep with that has the puppy’s scent on it so he/she gets used to the smell. In the worst case scenario your two dogs will learn to live with each other and as your puppy gets bigger the two will get closer. In the best case scenario the two will become running buddies, inseparable, and leave you fighting to get some bed space.
Bringing Home a New Cat to a House with a Cat
When introducing a new cat into a household that already has an older cat expect to have the most problems out of any scenario. Cats are especially territorial creatures and they do not like new animals in their space. That doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to bring in a new cat to your already cat occupied house. Your cat is much more likely to accept a young kitten into its (your) house than it is an older cat of similar age and size to its self. Always be there to watch the first couple of meetings and be ready to break up any fights, but watch out for those claws! Most cats, over time, will learn to live with each other once they pass the initial confrontational stage and work out the pecking order of who the dominant cat is. With cats though its more up in the air than our other situations. They might just barely learn to live with each other spending much of the time separate and getting into an occasional fight or they might become best buddies. Many times it depends on the two individual cats and if their personalities can get along.
Are The Birds For You?
Birds are a different story, it is possible to integrate different kinds of birds and keep them in the same cage but it’s a much harder process. Birds are not aggressive animals in nature but if they feel threatened or scared they definitely have the tools to defend themselves and cause serious harm if not death to another bird. After you’re sure your new bird is healthy (usually about a two week waiting period) place the two cages side by side and see what happens. After a week or two if they seem to enjoy each other and spend time interacting or sleeping close to each others cage, try taking them out with yourself and a friend. If you still have no problems it might be time to purchase a larger bird gym where they can try playing with each other. Be sure to always be ready to break up any aggressive behavior by making a loud noise like clapping or spraying a water bottle at your birds. In the end your two birds will let you know if they enjoy each others company, you just have to pay a little more attention to the signs. Remember to never leave your bird(s) alone out of its cage with a dog or a cat around, these guys just wont get along. In fact if you have a cat lurking around the house you might want to invest in a stronger cage for your feathered friend, preferable one that isn’t on the ground level.
Furry Fuzzy Ferrets
If you’re a ferret lover and are interested in adding to your lone ferret remember that older males (it helps if they’re neutered) are always more accepting of a new friend than a female, but even the females can learn to get along. Be sure that like the rest of our scenarios you start off keeping your new ferret in a separate enclosure only bringing the two together under your supervision. After the first night or two you can switch the bedding of your two ferrets to help them get used to the others scent. With any luck in a couple of days you’ll need a larger cage because they’ll be best buds and won’t want to be separated. One thing to remember is to always keep a ferret separated from dogs and cats. That is one relationship that is a hard one to create (but can be done, I just don’t recommend it) because of your cats and dogs natural predatory instances. You should also keep your ferret away from your bird; a bird tends to look like a toy to a curious playful ferret.
Remember when introducing a new pet into a home that already has one it will be a process and expect some bumps along the way. Don’t get discouraged and don’t think that because a couple of fights break out that it’s impossible for your pets to live harmoniously. Before you know it more times than not you’ll catch your two buddies curled up together on the couch catching some sleep.
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