Much like humans, animals have some very different personalities. Some animals can get along with certain animals more than others. Others, may clash. I have found that Stiles has some weird personality quirks. He gets along well with our family animals with are much smaller than him. But when it comes to animals that are larger than him, we have a BIIIIIIG problem. I think Stiles feels he needs to assert his dominance. I adopted him from a shelter a long time ago so I’m not entirely sure of his history. He may have had a bad experience with with a larger dog sometime in his life. I STILL struggle with trying to get them to get along, so I went to Karen from the Kokomo Humane Society for some tips!
Note From The Director
Happy Friday! We are in the middle of our Valentine’s Adoption event right now. All the love for half the price! Our adoption fees for all animals are cut in half all the way to Valentine’s Day, February 14th.
While there are many people coming in to adopt a first pet, there are at least as many adopting a new furry friend to add to their other pets. This makes this week’s topic of pets getting along for the week so perfect!
Introducing a new pet to the family is not a difficult thing to do but it can take patience depending on the temperaments of the pet you are adopting and those of your current pets. We always recommend if possible when adopting a new dog to have the two dogs meet first to see how they get along. You won’t get a totally accurate picture as they will just be meeting for the first time. Love at first sight isn’t necessary but hate at first sight is a clear indication that maybe you need to keep looking for a better fit. If the dogs are indifferent to each other it doesn’t mean that they won’t be snuggling up together in the future, it just takes means that it takes time to make a new friend. Whether or not your current and new dog meet before adoption it is still a good idea to take some care on introducing the new family member to your home. I think it works well to take everyone for a walk outside before you bring the newbie inside. It lets the dogs meet in neutral territory and they also tend not to be as focused on each other if they are walking and sniffing. They are still aware of each other but not fixated, then when the walk is over you can walk them into the house together and it feels more natural.
Feeding time can be a trigger point that you need to be careful of. Don’t put the bowls side by side, better to have them across the room from each other so neither one is watching the other eat. If you have to put one bowl down one at a time, make sure to feed your current dog first. Same goes for treats and affection, as time goes on you won’t need to worry about that so much but initially you don’t want your first born to feel slighted by the newcomer. That jealousy alone can create tension between the new pets that will interfere with them becoming best buds. So make sure to lavish attention on the any current pets, dogs or cats so they feel secure during this transition.
When bringing a new cat into the home you also want to take care to introduce them slowly. We recommend that you separate current and new cats for up to two weeks. They will still get used to each other because they can smell each other and interact through the closed door. After a couple of day you can trade their beds so that they can really get familiar with each other’s scent. After a week or longer you can let the new cat out to meet the other cat or cats. If there are dogs in the home make sure that you have a cat tree or other place for the new cat to go to feel safe and comfortable if they don’t want to interact with the other pets. With a multi cat household the current rule of thumb is to have one litter box per cat plus one extra. I admit I only have one per cat but I do make sure to clean them daily and my cats are ok with just having two. It may seem like a lot of extra work but taking the time to get everyone acclimated slowly and carefully will really pay off in the end. A harmonious home is a happy one!
Rocky & Stone our adoptable pet this week
Rocky and Stone are one and a half year old brothers who have been at the shelter with us since June. They are a bonded pair and love each other very much. What better cats to adopt on Valentine’s Day than these two adorable, playful and funny guys? They are living in the Cat Café colony and entertain everyone who comes to visit. We aren’t quite sure how they haven’t been adopted yet as they are such great cats. Maybe they’re just waiting for that perfect person or family to recognize them. During our adoption event their adoption fee is just $30 for both boys! This includes their neuter surgeries, vaccines, microchips and a free wellness exam for each. They have already been neutered so they are ready to go home and be your Valentines.
