Bringing a new animal into an established household, whether that's just a place full of humans, or a place where a few humans and another pet or two live, is actually pretty stressful. This article called "Foreign Land," describes it perfectly: "Imagine when you were old enough to leave home, getting on an airplane and arriving in a foreign land. The people you will be living with are a completely different species of animal. They don’t have your instincts, they don’t think like you think, or speak your language, or even use their senses in the same way. Pretty much everything your mother taught you doesn’t apply.
"That may be what it’s like to become a pet in a person’s home.
"When a dog comes to live with you, he needs to establish a
hierarchy – are you the pack leader or is he? Since many pet owners
aren’t even aware the dog is evaluating this, the owner may
unknowingly signal that she’s a subordinate. The dog then has to
become the pack leader – which can cause some serious
misunderstandings. It’s kind of like if you got a new job and you
thought the guy in the next office was your assistant, and you
treated him as such, only to find out later he’s your
boss."
This, of course, makes me think hard about the type of dog I adopt,
and the age of the dog. An older dog will likely be
'trained' or set in his ways a bit, and I have read that
you CAN teach an old dog new tricks, but do I WANT that
responsibility? It's a Catch
22, for me.
The article goes on to talk about cats, but I've introduced many a new cat to Wabby, and it's a bit easier. I separate the cats just enough so they know about each other, and gradually let them see and smell and get familiar with the "idea" of another cat around. Then, short meetings...and eventually, they either make friends or keep a wide berth. Their choice.
This good advice has me remembering the importance of creating cat spaces in our home. Here;'s what Petcentric says, "A cat is a solitary animal wired to hunt. In your home, there is no need to hunt – unless you have a rodent problem. Mice or not, she is always ready for them, viewing anything that moves as possible prey. A cat likes things her way, and will try to get the owner to do what she wants her to do. She finds that the home has wonderful surfaces to scratch and is flabbergasted that the owner gets noisy about that. She learns these things must be done when alone." Scratching posts and climbing toys are essential for cats!
"Our pets are very different creatures," the article concludes, "which is why most behaviors favor understanding your pet rather than punishing for 'bad' behavior. Most of the time, your pet is doing what he was made to do. He just doesn'tyet understand what he should be doing instead."
So, make sure you're boss -- by setting guidelines and limits with proper focus. Ask your vet for help and read a book or two. There are so many resources today that both pet and pet parent should be able to create that loving, gentle environment to nurture love and affection all the way around.
Do you have any insights to share on how to accomplish the task of introducing a new dog or cat into your household? Do share!
