Reducing Pet Stress When Introducing a New Pet to a Resident Pet
Introducing a new pet to resident pets is highly stressful for pets. All animals, including our pets, are territorial and hierarchical. This means pets experience stress when they perceive their territory is being threatened or invaded by a new animal.
When forced to share space one pet will want to dominate. It is stressful and takes time for pets to adjust to sharing their space and negotiating dominance. There are many steps pet owners can take to reduce pet stress and help ease the adjustment for new and resident pets.
General Information to Reduce Pet Stress When Introducing New and Resident Pets
Remember that the well being of your resident pet is your primary concern and responsibility when deciding if or what kind of new pet you might consider adopting.
Do your research about how the type of pet, breed, personality, age, activity levels and prior experiences of new and resident pets may affect their ability to get along. Carefully consider decisions about bringing a new pet into a home with resident pets.
Check with your vet. Are both your new and resident pets in good health, neutered, free of communicable diseases and parasites, and current on recommended vaccinations? Neutering will help reduce territorial behavior. Healthy pets free of disease and parasites will feel less pet stress during the introduction and adjustment phase and will avoid the risk of transmission.
Have realistic expectations that your pets may not become best friends.
Recognize it may take a very long time for pets to begin to tolerate each other and get along. Cats are especially territorial and dislike change, and older established pets will be slower to adapt.
Recognize that some pets are more social than other pets.
Whenever you are not supervising the pets in the first few weeks, keep them in separate rooms even if there are early indications they will get along.
If early introductions are not going smoothly seek help from a professional animal behaviorist or trainer. The longer a problem exists, the harder it is to correct.
Reduce other pet stressors. Maintain the resident pet’s schedule, and make sure pets are getting adequate exercise, a healthy diet, and extra grooming, petting and attention from owners. To learn more about these areas of pet care, click on… Health, Exercise, Nutrition
Introducing a New Cat to Resident Dogs or Cats
Let them become accustomed to each other’s scents by exchanging towels or small blankets that have been in each others’ beds.
Confine the new cat to a room with water, food, a bed, litter box and toys. Feed the new cat close to the inside of the door and the resident pets close to the outside. This will help them become accustomed to each others’ scents and to make positive associations with the other animals’ scent. You can gradually move the dishes closer to the door and eventually prop the door ajar so that the pets can see each other.
Practice obedience commands if there is a resident dog, especially “Stop,” “Stay,” and “Sit” and reward him with praise and treats, so you will have more control over him when he encounters the new cat.
Reverse living areas. After a few days, when the new cat is comfortable, let him out to explore the other areas while confining resident pets to the new pet’s room. This gives all the pets the opportunity to become familiar with each others’ scents in a less threatening way.
Supervise controlled meetings where all the pets are on leashes or harnesses on opposite sides of a room. Get the assistance of friends or family members to hold leashes. Provide treats to pets. Keep the visit very short. Be watchful for aggressive behavior and end the visit as quickly as possible if it occurs. Gradually try longer and closer visits.
Avoid aggressive and/or fearful encounters. Start over again slowly if there is any sign of aggression or fear.
If introducing a new cat to a resident dog, let the cat go and keep the resident dog on a leash so the cat can explore the dog at his own pace.
Continue gradually by giving them longer leash lines. If things are going well let go of the leashes but keep their leashes on to make it easier to prevent or stop any aggression.
Use plenty of positive reinforcement and don’t punish. This will allow all pets to have positive associations with the time they spend together.
Whenever you are not supervising the pets in the first few weeks, keep them in separate rooms even if there are early indications they will get along. Some dogs have intense hunting instincts and may attack the new cat. They may never be able to be alone together.
Provide separate litter boxes, food and water dishes and bedding for each cat in the household to reduce stress from territorial instincts. Cats are territorial and need their own separate private spaces.
Cats will have territorial disputes, even if they normally get along, but supervise them and prevent minor territorial disputes from escalating into dangerous situations. They may always need separate living areas.
If cats feel stress from their territory being threatened, they may start peeing and pooping to mark their territory. Seek professional help from an animal behaviorist quickly before this behavior becomes a habit.
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Aggression, Biting, Scratching
Question: My cat bites and scratches me sometimes for no apparent reason. I think I'm petting her gently.
Answer: Kittens or young cats (6-12 months) can be playfully
aggressive so be patient but on guard with them. Pet your kitten gingerly because he may turn around and bite you on the hand. Kittens would be engaged in this type of play with their siblings if they were still with them. Play aggression in kittens is normal and gives them opportunities to practice social and predatory skills. Justaccept it, wear shoes and long pants when you are around the kitten to prevent ankle bites and scratches, and take parental pride in his great motor skills. If you treat your kitten well, and discipline him gently for youthful aggression, your cat will naturally grow out of it around 12 months.
In adult cats it may be difficult to know the difference between playful and true aggression so be intolerant of all aggression, biting and scratching. A cat may make a playful pass with retracted claws, but it can quickly escalate into a claws extended scratch or bite. Cat bites and scratches are both painful and easily susceptible to infection.
If your adult cat bites you while you are petting or grooming him you should move away slowly. It’s possible you petted or brushed your cat where he has a wound or infection or in a sensitive area. You can try again later to see if your cat has visible skin wounds or infections, and if so, make an appointment with your vet. It’s also possible that your cat decided it was playtime. It’s best not to encourage or tolerate aggression. Don’t let your cat to play with your hand or any body parts or clothes. If your cat does bite or scratch you, move away slowly while saying (not yelling) the word “No”.
If your cat’s play is too aggressive you can try providing more play and exercise opportunities as a healthy outlet. Indoor climbing towers, scratching posts, fake mice, feather toys, balls, cardboard boxes and paper bags are all better victims than you for your cat’s play aggression. Try playing with your cat by using a toy at the end of a stick such as a feather dancer toy, or gently tossing toys. Never punish a cat physically. If you hit or hurt the cat, try to block him or run away from him, he may think you are escalating the aggressive play and will become more aggressive too, or may switch from play to real aggression out of fear and stress. You may hurt the cat or frighten him so that he will always keep his distance from you. This is an opportunity to modify your cat’s undesirable behavior in a positive way so you and your cat can enjoy a more peaceful and enjoyable relationship.
established pets will be slower to adapt.
cat where he has a wound or infection or in a sensitive area. You can try again later to see if your cat has visible skin wounds or infections, and if so, make an appointment with your vet. It’s also possible that your cat decided it was playtime. It’s best not to encourage or tolerate aggression. Don’t let your cat to play with your hand or any body parts or clothes. If your cat does bite or scratch you, move away slowly while saying (not yelling) the word “No”.