Welcoming New Pets to Your Pet Family

Bringing home a new pet is always a fun and exciting experience, but there are some things to keep in mind if you already have pets in the home so you can make the transition as smooth as possible. In some cases pets can get acquainted with each other in a matter of a few days, and in rare instances some pets won’t ever get along with each other. But for most it takes about two to three weeks for pets to become fully acquainted with each other.

Keeping the pets separate for the first few days is a must. It can be very hard, especially with kids, because you want all the pets to start playing together right away as soon as you bring them home from the shelter, but keeping them apart for 3-4 days is a must. It’s always a good idea to create a special sanctuary, or safe area for the new pet, that has everything they will need. This is very important for reducing the new pet’s anxiety because they have not gotten used to their new surroundings yet.

It may  not seem like the pets are interacting at all, but even without face to face contact they can hear and smell each other and are well aware of the other’s presence. If you can keep the pets on separate floors of a home that works well, otherwise confining them to a specific room will do. It’s a good idea to make hiding spaces for your new pet, so they have places to go when they get scared. You’ll need to manage the interactions between the new pet and the others for at least the first few weeks to avoid any trouble.

One trick to start getting them more friendly with each other is to feed them on opposite sides of the same door; while it’s closed of course. Keep the bowls a good distance from the door at first and each day gradually set the bowls down closer and closer to the door. Eventually they will be eating right next to the door and they will associate the smell of the new pet with something pleasant, like their food.

Once they have passed that stage you can move on to introducing them to one another, but make sure it is in a general area of the home. Do not introduce them to each other in the sanctuary or safe area of either of the pets. They will feel like their safe space is being intruded on and will be more likely to feel scared or lash out at the other pet. Doing the meeting in a common area of the home like the living room will help calm the nerves for all the pets involved. 

Keep these first meetings short and sweet. Reward them with a treat for good behavior when they are calm, and if they show aggression just distract them and redirect their attention. For cats you can toss a toy in another room, and for dogs try calling them over to you and rewarding their attention when they come. Return the pets to their safe areas and try again tomorrow. 

It is important to repeat the process of face to face meetings every day. Try to end the sessions before either pet shows any sign of aggression and that will help them develop a friendship more quickly. When they start getting more comfortable you can allow them to be loose in the same common room, with the dogs leash still attached so you can grab it or step on it if anything bad happens. Also if it’s a cat make sure they always have at least one, if not two escape routes to a dog-free sanctuary to ease their nerves.