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Something people might not consider until looking
into getting another pet is how to introduce them into their
household if they already own a pet. You have likely heard the
common phrase, ‘you never get a second chance to make a first
impression.’ This is likely true about animals with other animals
too.
The Animal Humane Society’s website has a lot of great information
regarding introducing a new pet in this way. One of the most
important things you should do is make sure you take your new pet to
the vet before bringing them home. They also recommend keeping the
pets away from each other for the first couple of days, confining
the new animal to a room of their own. Allowing them to eat on
opposite sides of the door at the same time can also help them get
used to the smell of the other animal.
It is important to remember that every animal is different, and they
each have different personalities. If you and your pets tend to be a
bit calmer, think about getting an animal with a personality that
will fit in. If you have more of a busy household, getting a pet
with a big personality might work better for you.
The website for Countryside Veterinary Hospital has a
list of seven tips to help you introduce a new pet into your home,
several of them shared with the ones previously mentioned by the
Animal Humane Society. One additional suggestion they make is
allowing your pets to meet each other in “neutral” territory. While
they acknowledge that this can be tricky for cats, the suggestion
they make for dogs is “a local park or open field.”
They go on to suggest using positive reinforcement for all your
pets. If you train your pets next to each other, they will learn to
behave near one another, increasing the chance that they will get
along. Patience is also a very important part of this process.
Having a routine is another suggestion the Countryside Veterinary
Hospital makes. “Cats stressed because of household changes can
develop urinary issues, while dogs may exhibit destructive
behavior,” their website states. They recommend “walking, feeding,
and interacting with your pets at the same time every day” to help
maintain a schedule. This can help your pets feel safe and
comfortable in their environment, even if there is a big change,
such as a new pet.
One thing all the three sources referenced so far have in common is
that their advice is geared mainly toward either cats or dogs. What
if you have a different kind of animal and are looking to get
another? According to Pet MD, after cats and dogs, the next three
most popular pets in 2023 were freshwater fish, small animals (such
as rabbits), and birds.
According to The Spruce Pets, acclimating a new fish
to your aquarium can be a lengthy process. Doing this will require
you to put some of the water from your main tank into a smaller
separate tank. This is where your new fish will live for two weeks.
During that time, you are going to be looking for signs of illness
that could be passed from your new fish to your old fish. You also
need to consider things such as water quality and the Ph levels of
your water.
What about small animals such as rabbits? According to the United
Kingdom’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA),
the first thing you must do is neuter/spay both rabbits, especially
if they are a male and female rabbit. Then, similarly to cats and
dogs, you want to give each rabbit their own enclosure. Unlike cats
and dogs, however, these enclosures can be in the same room,
allowing the animals to be able to see one another. Again, like cats
and dogs, rabbits should be provided with a neutral space with
supervision to meet each other face-to-face. The goal with rabbits
is to get the pair to bond.
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The RSPCA says, “once the rabbits are spending one to
two hours daily without any problems, they can be introduced into
their living space,” but make sure to monitor them. You can stop
monitoring them once they are showing positive behaviors toward one
another in their cage.
Birds are a bit different, as, according to the
Veterinary Centers of America, “pet birds that are not raised with
other birds typically bond to their owners and are unlikely to want
to live with another, new bird.” If you do decide to get another
bird, however, like fish, the bird should be kept in separate rooms
to “quarantine” for a month to a month and a half. The rest of the
steps are very similar to that of rabbits. Keep them in separate
cages, but in the same room, move the cages closer together, and
eventually put them in the same cage, but monitor them.
Most types of pets, it seems, have a similar process
when introducing an additional pet to your home. Not all animals
have the same process, though, and so it is important that you
understand exactly what you should do to increase the likelihood
that your new pet will get along with your old one. Make sure to do
some research of your own if you are considering a second, third, or
any number of new animals in your home.
[Matt Boutcher]
Sources:
1.
https://www.pewresearch.org/
short-reads/2023/07/07/about-half-
us-of-pet-owners-say-their-pets-are
-as-much-a-part-of-their-family-as
-a-human-member/#:~:text=Most%
20Americans%20(62%25)%20own
,who%20have%20more%20than%20one.
2.
https://www.animalhumanesociety
.org/resource/thinking-about-adding
-another-pet-your-family#:~:text=
Keep%20your%20pets%20separated
%20for,with%20eating%2C%20
everyone's%20favorite%20activity.
3.
https://mycountrysidevet.com/
7-tips-to-smoothly-introduce-a-
new-pet-to-your-household/
4.
https://www.petmd.com/
general-health/most-popular-pets
5.
https://www.thesprucepets.com/
acclimating-aquarium-fish-1381257
6.
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceand
welfare/pets/rabbits/company/
bonding#:~:text=Provide%20a%20barrier%
20between%20their,may%20last%20about%
20seven%20days.
7.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/introducing-a-new-pet-
bird#:~:text=Gradually%20move%20
the%20cages%20closer,be%20seen%20as
%20a%20threat.
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