Pets - Make that a Double!
My-Dog.info > Getting a Dog or Puppy
If you love your pet, you may get the urge to double your fun
by adding another dog or cat to the household. Here are a few
hints to keep in mind so that the newcomer fits in with the
resident pet or pets.
As a general principle, dogs adapt to a new addition much
better than cats. This has to do with the social instincts of the
two species. Dogs are social animals. Cats, on the other hand,
seldom associate with other members of their species except for
the purpose of breeding. Cats, both the large wild species and
the house cat, spend a great deal of their time making and
defending territory.
In most but not all cases, if your main reason for adding a
second pet is to provide some company for your dog, he or she may
welcome the playmate. If you're thinking of getting some company
for your cat, think again!
When two dogs are placed in the same environment, they will
assign everyone in the house-animals and humans-a position on the
pecking order. If one of the two dogs is content to assume the
subordinate role while the other is dominant in the pecking
order, then conflicts are likely to be avoided.
If both animals try to attain dominance, as is often the case
with two mature males, conflicts are inevitable. Resolving such a
conflict can be a lengthy and difficult process. In general, it
involves trying to establish a gap between the dogs on the
pecking order. This can be done by showing a preference in
feeding, grooming, and attention to the one that appears to be
more dominant.
Introducing a new cat into a house already occupied by a cat
causes problems in most cases. You may never convince those cats
to be "buddies" but you may be able to convince them to
tolerate one another. Exposure of the two cats to each other for
short periods, while keeping them at a distance is the best way
to begin the process of getting acquainted.
Reprinted with permission from www.animalhealthcare.ca
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