Do You Want To Introduce a New Pet At Home? Here's The Basic Advice

Among those of us who love animals, especially if we have a weakness for dogs or cats, it is very common for us to live with more than one pet in our home to, on the one hand, enjoy double love of all the love that we They give away day by day and, on the other hand, so that they can share play, friendship and also that they never feel alone.

However, in many cases,  incorporating a new member into the family when we already have a faithful companion of fatigue, is not always an easy task . So, to avoid tense situations, it  is essential to follow a series of infallible guidelines  that allow our pets to adapt to the new scenario as quickly as possible. Do you want to know how?

Next, the veterinary team of the Nacho Menes Hospital  gives you all the keys to get away from all kinds of situations. We present you the 3 most common:


How To Introduce a New Dog Into Your Home
When we already have a dog in our house, it is normal that when adding a new canine member to the family we have doubts about how to make the presentations correctly between them so that everything flows in peace and harmony. So, in order to make our dogs remember their first encounter as a happy event we need to put the following tips into practice:

That they have similar ages between them. For our dogs to share common activities it is important that there is not too much age difference between them and that they have a vitality and related interests. So the new dog should be approximately the same age as the one already living in the home.

Observe how the dog that we already have behaves. Although it is usually a sociable pet, it is important to make sure before and see how it reacts in front of the new canine companion.

Take into account the personality of the new pet . This is a very important factor when choosing your new friend. Establish the first contact outside the home. It is best to do the presentations in an open space, where they do not feel trapped and there are many stimuli, such as a park.

Keep a safe distance . In this way they can get to know each other without forcing contact, getting used to their smells, sounds and making eye contact without tension and with time.
Once at home wait until they are relaxed. It is important that they are calm when the first meeting between them takes place.
Always stay close. The objective is to avoid possible confrontations.

That they have their own space and toys . If each dog has its own corner in the home and enough toys for each, many fights are avoided.


When a new cat enters the house it takes an adaptation period so that the rest of the cats find their place without problem. To achieve this, the key is to do it progressively. We show you some steps to follow to ensure that the presentations are carried out successfully.
Help yourself with a carrier.  Through the carrier, both cats are prevented from fighting when they meet for the first time. To ensure a safe adaptation to change it is important to establish contact and approach with the carrier during the first four or five days.

Prepare a room for the new cat.  This is only a first step so that, upon arrival, you feel safe when you meet all the members of the family and especially the cat that already lives with us.
Take the new cat in your arms.  After the transport phase, the following five days it is advisable to take the new feline member in your arms so that the house cat approaches, smells, touches and gets used to its presence little by little.
After 10 days, the cats are ready to meet without the mediation of the carrier or our arms.
Let them have their own container for water, food, and litter tray.


Introduce Dogs With Cats
Although legend and literature have always proclaimed the opposite, the truth is that dogs and cats can become great friends, living together peacefully. So when a dog arrives at a house where a cat already lives, it is preferable that, at first, the dog only have access to some of the rooms so that the feline can investigate on their own and gradually approach their canine friend and at your own pace. As the cat is an animal with a more solitary and territorial character than dogs, it is essential to avoid uncomfortable situations due to jealousy or other reasons by means of some tricks:

Locate them first in different parts of the house . In order for them to get used to their respective smells and to sniff the trail we must pass them from one room to another.
Let them get used to eye contact.  It is important that they first look through glass without touching.
Finally put both pets together in the same room. Always under our supervision.

Having the pleasure of enjoying two or more pets is an inexhaustible source of daily joys and satisfactions. Therefore, when welcoming a new pet it is very important to be prepared so that, from the first day, you feel at home.
Also, don't forget to undergo a complete veterinary examination to guarantee a healthy and happy life with your new friends and family.