A Second Pet Can Be Twice as Nice

Many people who work all day, leaving their pet home alone, feel good about adopting a second pet for the family. If you can afford the added expenses of another pet, it can add twice the love and fun to the home. except in rare cases, a second cat is good for the resident cat in providing valuable companionship. Before bringing the new pet home, it is important to have the resident pet up-to-date on immunizations, and the new pet checked for parasites, inside and outside the body.

Introducing Cats to Cats

It is easier to introduce a kitten than an adult cat to the resident cat because the resident cat will be less intimidated and fearful of a kitten.

Follow these steps when introducing a kitten:

• Supervise the first meeting of the cat and kitten.

   

• Take the resident cat to a private place and give him intense, one-on-one attention (holding, playing, treats, etc.).

   

• When they are together, give more attention to the resident cat than the new kitten. It is important to devote patience and support for the resident cat in his adjustment period.

   

• If two adult cats are desired it is recommended that you get two neutered males or one spayed female with one neutered male. Two females are discouraged because of their strong territorial instincts.

Introducing a Cat to a Resident Dog

We suggest following these steps for introducing a new adult cat:

• Place the cat in a separate room with his food and litter box for the first twenty-four hours. This allows the animals to communicate without actual contact. If there is no aggression between the animals (hissing is to be expected), allow the animals to have face-to-face contact. This should only be done with supervision and the dog should be on a leash. This allows the cat to explore the house and scope out his escape routes without the dog overwhelming him.

   

• On the following day, the dog can be taken off the leash provided there was no aggression on the previous day. Be sure to praise the dog for ignoring the cat and try to distract the dog with a toy or attention.

   

• Make sure to keep the animals separated for at least the first week when no one is at home. Be patient it can take 4-6 weeks for the animals not to show any signs of aggression.