Amongst our clients, multi-pet households far outnumber households having only one pet. If you are considering adding a pet to your family, there are a number of tricks that will ease the adjustment of all concerned.
Personally, having only one pet would be out of the question for me. Without my three cats, two horses, nine sheep, two dogs, and flock of chickens, my household would seem very empty.
There are many reasons to consider another pet besides one’s own enjoyment. Many people add a pet to keep their single pet company if they are away from home a lot. Dogs in particular benefit from a companion if their owners are often unavailable for lengthy periods of time.
Some points to keep in mind when adding a second dog: puppies are generally well accepted by adult dogs, dogs of the opposite sex seem to get along better than dogs of the same sex unless both dogs are neutered, and in the end the dogs will sort out who is going to be boss. After establishing pecking order, they will get down to business of becoming fast friends.
It is easy to lavish all your attention on a sweet new puppy, but that is a good way to get off to a bad start. Dogs can be extremely jealous of one another so make sure all treats and hugs are divided equally. Also, monitor puppy and older dog interaction closely to make sure your pup is not driving your senior dog crazy with constant play.
Most importantly, do not leave the dogs alone until you are 100% certain they are friends. New dogs should be introduced slowly and on neutral ground. When all is going smoothly then proceed to your first dog’s territory, your car, yard, or home. Be sure to provide your new dog with his own bowls and bed as these are other potential areas of conflict.
Adding a cat to a home where the other pet is a dog is usually fairly easy. However, certain breeds of dogs such as husky, Akita, Samoyed type may instinctively chase and/or kill cats and kittens. Although I am sure there are homes where these dogs and cats do coexist, I do not recommend it. I know of many households where dogs and cats play happily together, groom each other, and are the best of friends.
When introducing a kitten to a large dog, be sure the dog will not accidentally step on it or play too rough. Full-grown cats can usually let a dog know when enough is enough. In any case provide all cats with an escape area where the dog cannot reach them if they need a timeout.
Adding a new cat to a household having another cat or cats comes with its own set of challenges and potential problems. These problems stem from the cat’s keen sense of territoriality. The degree to which a cat will defend his territory differs greatly. Neutering a cat will in many cases greatly diminish territorial behavior. Two intact cats will almost, without exception fight continuously, viewing each other as rivals or potential mates and no attempt at peace making on your part will be successful. Often even neutered animals will defend their territory until they have made their peace with the newcomer.
Each time I add a new cat to my household I follow this same successful process. I bring the cat home and close them in a room by themselves, allowing them to adjust to their new surroundings peacefully. This timeout stage also enables them to take on the scent of my home and animals. I cannot stress enough the importance of this step. As my animals discover the newcomer and sniff each other under the door, growls and grumbles are frequent.
After a couple of days all concerned are much less interested in each other and the new kitty has become familiar with the goings on of his new home. It is at this point that I open the door for supervised periods of time allowing introductions to be made by the pets themselves. I will soon know how our new family member feels about us and what kinds of adjustment behaviors I will be dealing with. The integration process usually takes several weeks to be complete. People’s biggest mistake is that they give up too soon. Neutered cats of the opposite sex or two kittens seem to adjust best to each other. Older cats usually accept new kittens well, too.
Like dogs, cats are very jealous of attentions paid to a new pet so be equal with love and treats. Again, until you are certain all are getting along well, do not leave pets unsupervised. A squirt gun full of water is helpful in breaking up squabbles and it will allow you to stop a fight without getting yourself scratched.
At the beginning expect some marking behavior; spraying, defecating outside litter box, or clawing of furniture. If cats are urinating and defecating inappropriately, try placing a dish of food near the area after a thorough cleaning. Temporarily cover clawed area on furniture with adhesive backed paper so cats will no longer be interested in scratching that area.
With a little patience and perseverance pets can be successfully added to almost any home and after a brief period of getting settled, you and your new pet will be rewarded with many happy years together. I need only look at my pets cuddled up together on the couch to know they enjoy each other as much as I enjoy them.
