Almost nothing is more exciting for a family than adding a new pet to the household. However, adjustment to a new pet is not always an easy process – especially if your family already owns a pet. Sometimes, pets can show hostility or aggression towards one another, leaving the owner feeling relatively helpless, and eager to resolve the tension between his or her pets. However, there are some key steps to take early on in terms of facilitating a friendship between your cat and dog. By being clear about boundaries and by displaying equal love for all of the animals under your roof, you will be able to set your pets up for a lifetime of friendship and companionship.
Introduce your puppy to your cat
Canine-Feline Tensions: Where Do the Jealousies Come from?
Most cats are upset by the addition of a new pet to a household, whether it be another kitten, a puppy, or another animal. This hostility is driven by a cat’s innate sensitive personality, as these pets are especially keen on sensing favouritism for other animals. Dogs tend to be friendlier towards kittens and other pets, but sometimes poor relationships can form during the first few weeks of pets getting acquainted with one another. Pets in general do not like to share food, toys, or litter boxes with one another, as they like to feel in control of their own space. Cats tend to demonstrate a heightened need for personal space and caring attention to remain happy, yet dogs deserve just as much attention and care as their feline friends in order to develop healthy relationships with people and other animals.
Serving as an Observant Owner: How to Facilitate Friendship Between Your Cat and Dog
One of the best ways to prevent hostility between your pets is to carefully observe and document their behaviours with one another. Does one pet have a tendency to physically attack the other? Are there any threats, made through hissing, barking, meowing, or arched postures, that are made by one pet to intimidate the other? The most troubled pet relationships are the ones that are not monitored properly by the owner, since ignoring the problem simply allows it to continue to escalate, as it sends a message to your pets that this kind of aggressive behaviour is permissible under your roof.
Keep a record of these instances in a small journal, which is a practice that will help you to pick out patterns to report to a veterinarian if the tensions persist. Flowing these dangerous behaviours and understanding the situations in which they most likely occur is one of your key responsibilities as a pet owner. Remember that any atypical behaviour by one of your pets may be the result of a developing medical condition, which can lead to outbursts or impatience in your pet as the symptoms get worse. Of course, if any scratching, biting, or other injury occurs, be sure to bring both pets to the veterinarian to be checked for infection or transmission of parasites or disease.
Remember, however, that there is a big difference between mean-spirited aggression and play aggression – the former being dangerous for your pets as they become hostile and violent with one another, the latter as a necessary relatively safe behaviour that is crucial in helping your pets develop a friendship with one another. Play aggression is fun for pets extremely healthy, as it helps pets to maintain a strong emotional sense of well-being, allows them to learn how to set boundaries, and provides a medium that creates a long-lasting, positive bond between the animals. However, it can be extremely difficult to tell the difference between mean-spirited aggression and play aggression. For more information on how to recognize the difference, speak to a specialist at your local veterinary hospital who can indicate what to look for so that you can effectively monitor your pets’ budding friendship.
Separate Spaces, Equal Attention: Making Sure Each Pet Feels Loved – So That They Don’t Hate Each Other
Dividing your attention between two pets can be an extremely daunting task, especially since most family members and friends will be especially excited to meet the new addition to your household. Your older pet can certainly sense this excitement, and can feel rejected or ignored, leading to lashing out against the pet or the owner in the future. This can be mitigated by ensuring each pet feels that they have equal attention and space in your home. For example, separate bowls of pet food should be provided for each animal, and they should be located in separate areas with plenty of space in between them so that one pet cannot prevent the other from eating by blocking the food. Each pet should have its own bed, where it can comfortably relax without competition from the other pet. Furthermore, family members should take extra time to play with and cuddle each pet separately, so that both pets feel included and welcomed as part of the family.
This is a post by Ashley Williamson. Ashley is a freelance writer and a full time pet lover. When she is not working she likes to travel and do yoga. If you have any question feel free to leave a comment.