Would you like to switch to the accessible version of this site?

Go to accessible site Close modal window

Don't need the accessible version of this site?

Hide the accessibility button Close modal window
Accessibility View Close toolbar
Somerset Veterinary Hospital

1322 Berlin Plank Rd.

Somerset, PA 15501 US

814-443-1323

Open mobile navigation
  • Home
  • New Patient Center
    • Online Forms
    • What to Expect
    • Veterinary Resources
    • Payment Options
  • About Us
    • Meet Our Doctors
    • Meet the Staff
    • Hospital Policies
    • VIN Member
  • Services
    • Overview
    • Dentistry
      • Dental Cleaning Process
    • Surgical FAQs
    • Cremation Services
    • How to Videos
    • Pharmacy and Medications
      • Prescription Refill Form
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Us
  • Shop our Online Store
  • Veterinary Topics
    • We Help Your Pet With
      • Chronic Conditions
      • Digestive and Oral Health
      • Diseases and Viruses
      • Pests and Parasites
      • Orthopedics
    • Today's Veterinarian
    • Choosing Your Pet
      • Birds
      • Cats
      • Dogs
      • Ferrets
      • Rabbits
      • Reptiles
        • Lizards
        • Turtles
    • Living With Your Pet
      • Bringing Your Pet Home
      • Providing Care
      • Travel
      • Saying Goodbye
    • Finding Your Pet
    • Newsletter Library
      • Tips for Pet Owners
      • Fun with Pets
      • Equine
      • Visiting the Vet
      • Unbelievable Pets
      • Seasonal Topics
      • Pet Dangers
      • Nutrition & Food
      • Recognizing Illness
      • Cats
      • Keeping Pets Healthy
      • Fleas & Parasites
      • Behavior & Training
    • Video Newsroom
      • Health Topics
      • Technology and Science
      • Other Interests
    • Client Survey
    • Pets4Kids
    • Feline
  • Home >
  • Articles >
  • Newsletter Library >
  • Tips for Pet Owners >
  • Introducing a New Pet to Your Current Ones

Introducing a New Pet to Your Current Ones

  • Created in Newsletter Library, Tips for Pet Owners
girl_eating_watermelon.jpg
Pet Proofing Your Home

Introducing your new pet to your current one is only a single part of the equation relating to taking a new pet home. You also have to make sure your new pet is comfortable in your home, which is a foreign environment to the animal. Like humans, animals can experience high levels of stress when placed in a foreign environment.

Pet proofing your home will alleviate some of the stress new animals feel in a foreign place. To do so, use childproof latches on the cabinets and doors that your new pet can easily access, to help prevent them from prying open dangerous cabinets and drawers. Place cleaners, chemicals and medicines on high shelves. Keep trash containers covered, closed or inside a latched cabinet. Move dangling cords and wires out of reach. Finally, keep an eye out for any tails, paws or noses when you scoot your chair or shut a door, to keep from accidentally hurting your pet.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask your vet.

Are you considering adding another furry companion to your family? If so, have you thought about how your new pet will interact with your current ones? Introducing a new pet into the family is always exciting, but it’s important to make sure that the pets you already have are prepared for the new addition. This will help ensure a smooth transition.

Determining Your Approach

Animals are like people in that each one has his own temperament. Most likely, you already have a strong understanding of how your current pet behaves around strangers, deals with stress and handles uncertainty — as you do with any member of your family. Use this information to determine the best approach to take when introducing your new pet to your current one. For instance, if your current pet does not like sharing his toys, make sure each of your pets has his favorite toy handy during the introduction, so the two pets are not competing for the same toy during the transition.

When choosing which introduction approach to use, you should take other factors into consideration as well, such as the breed, age and sex of your pets. All these factors inform how one animal will react to the other. For example, a 9-year-old cat that has never shared her home with other animals might never acclimate to sharing her home with a new pet. In contrast, a kitten that has been separated from the rest of her litter might welcome another animal to keep her company.

Examples of Introduction Techniques

Again, there are several techniques you can try when introducing a new pet to your current one. Use your knowledge of your current and new pets to choose the one that’s right for your furry friends. Here are a few techniques you can try:

  • Confinement. Keep your new and current pets in different rooms for several days or even a couple of weeks until they acclimate to each other’s scent. Make sure that each animal has a place to go to the bathroom (e.g., a litter box), a food bowl and a water bowl, in each room. Feed each pet on either side of a closed door, again, in separate rooms. Put their food bowls close enough to the door to allow each animal to smell the other. Continue feeding them in this manner, slowly moving the bowls closer to the door each time you feed them. Eventually, you can open the door, so the two animals are eating side by side. If they are able to eat calmly while standing next to each other, they should be able to get along. Another option is to keep each pet in an animal crate that are placed next to each other, giving the animals time to get used to each other’s scent.
  • The Switcheroo. While keeping your animals in separate rooms, swap the blankets that each of your animals uses. Another option is to gently rub a cloth on one animal’s cheeks and put in under the food dish of the other. When the animals eventually meet, their scents will be familiar to each other.
  • Neutral Territory. If possible, introduce your new and current pet to each other in a neutral space, such as a park (that you don’t usually frequent) or a neighbor’s yard. Using a neutral territory for your introduction will make your resident pet less likely to view your new pet as an intruder. If you are introducing two dogs to each other, make sure that each dog is on a leash and handled by a separate person.

Understanding Your Animals’ Cues

Animals use body postures and sounds to communicate their feelings. For instance, if one dog crouches with his hind end in the air and his front legs on the ground, he is inviting the other dog to play. This is a positive sign and typically elicits friendly behavior from the other animal.

However, if the hair on the back of your dog or cat is standing up, that animal is reacting aggressively, and you should calmly distract the animals until you can move them away from each other. Likewise, any growling or hissing sounds from either animal indicates aggression and stress.

It is important to remember that not every animal will be compatible. If your introduction does not go smoothly the first time, try again, slowly, at a later date. If several introductions still do not work, contact your veterinarian for help. He or she can provide useful information or resources to help your new and current pets make a smooth transition.

Sources:

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/10/26/preparing-household-for-a-new-pet-dog-or-pet-cat.aspx

https://icatcare.org/advice/understanding-your-cat/social-structure-cat-life

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/introducing_new_cat.html

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/introducing_new_dog.html

  • We Help Your Pet With
    • Chronic Conditions
    • Digestive and Oral Health
    • Diseases and Viruses
    • Pests and Parasites
    • Orthopedics
  • Today's Veterinarian
  • Choosing Your Pet
    • Birds
    • Cats
    • Dogs
    • Ferrets
    • Rabbits
    • Reptiles
      • Lizards
      • Turtles
  • Living With Your Pet
    • Bringing Your Pet Home
    • Providing Care
    • Travel
    • Saying Goodbye
  • Finding Your Pet
  • Newsletter Library
    • Tips for Pet Owners
    • Fun with Pets
    • Equine
    • Visiting the Vet
    • Unbelievable Pets
    • Seasonal Topics
    • Pet Dangers
    • Nutrition & Food
    • Recognizing Illness
    • Cats
    • Keeping Pets Healthy
    • Fleas & Parasites
    • Behavior & Training
  • Video Newsroom
    • Health Topics
    • Technology and Science
    • Other Interests
  • Client Survey
  • Pets4Kids
  • Feline

Featured Links

Click to find out more

  • Services

    We strive to provide complete care for our patients. Learn more about all the services we provide.

    Learn More
  • Make An Appointment

    We will do our best to accommodate your busy schedule. Schedule an appointment today!

    Schedule Now
  • Online Forms

    Our patient forms are available online so they can be completed in the convenience of your own home or office.

    View Forms

Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

9:00 am

7:30 pm

Tuesday:

9:00 am

5:00 pm

Wednesday:

9:00 am

7:30 pm

Thursday:

9:00 am

5:30 pm

Friday:

9:00 am

5:30 pm

Saturday:

9:00 am

12:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed

Closed

Location

Find us on the map

Testimonials

Read What Our Clients Say

  • "The staff at Somerset Vet Hospital have been taking care of my "Sophie" for 11 years. They are such caring and wonderful people."
    Karen L.
  • "Thanks for providing great care for my little Tortie, Tallie when she was suffering from her skin allergies. You prompt care and tender kindness was wonderful. Being new to the area I feel very fortunate to have found your practice! Thanks!"
    Nancy
  • ""Doctor Robert Henry, We want to thank you for literally - SAVING OUR BEAUTIFUL DOBERMAN'S (Precious) LIFE. Your excellent diagnostic skills accurately diagnosed our Doberman's condition. Your protocol in treating him have made for a healthy, happy, loving and playful dog. We can never forget what you did for our dog. We cannot thank you enough"
    Kathy & Roger
  • "I came here 6 years ago when they were the only ones who would see my sick pup, and they were the best! They helped my girl get better and provided her years of loving service until we lost her to lymphoma last year. They still take care of my other babies and do an excellent job of doing so! We're patients for LIFE! Thank you guys for ALL you do :) With Love, Gina & The Crew Mountain Pride Pits."
    Gina
  • "I just wanted to take a minute to say how very grateful I am for the entire team at Somerset Veterinary Hospital. I recently had a cat and two kittens spayed/neutered, and they all came through the procedure wonderfully. Dr. Penny is THE BEST!! The vet-techs and front desk girls are always super nice and helpful. I feel good knowing that my 'family' is in good hands when being treated. Thank you all for all you do!!"
    Thomas B.

Featured Articles

Read about interesting topics

  • Identifying Dementia in Senior Dogs

    Have you noticed changes in your older dog's behavior? ...

    Read More
  • Keep Your Pets Safe From Toxic Household Items

    Do you know which household items can sicken your pet? ...

    Read More
  • Preventing Obesity in Cats

    Even one extra pound could affect your pet's health. Find out how you can keep your cat slim and trim. ...

    Read More
  • Pet Dental Care - Tips to Manage Your Pet’s Oral Health

    Do you know how to keep your pet's teeth and gums healthy? ...

    Read More
  • Learn How to Master Walking Your Dog for Walk Your Pet Month

    Does your dog need a little help walking on a leash? ...

    Read More
  • Bringing a New Pet in the Home in the New Year

    Are you planning on adding a pet to your family this year? These tips will help you prepare for the arrival of your furry, feathered, or finned friend. ...

    Read More
  • Cold Symptoms in Dogs

    Could your sneezing, sniffling dog have a cold? ...

    Read More
  • Cold Weather Pet Safety

    Do you know how to keep your pet safe this winter? ...

    Read More
  • Keep Your Pet Safe During the Holidays

    Keep Thanksgiving day safe for your pet by following these tips. ...

    Read More
  • November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month

    Do you know the symptoms that can occur if your pet has cancer? ...

    Read More

Newsletter Signup

Sign up for more articles

Connect With Us

  • Copyright © 2021 MH Sub I, LLC dba iMatrix.
  • Admin Log In
  • Site Map