How to look after your pet's teeth
90% of cats and 80% of dogs suffer from some form of dental disease.
Read more5 August 2018
The dynamics of any family household is bound to change when you add a new personality to the mix. We all know it can be a shock for an only child to be confronted with a new cute member of the family. Suddenly they have to compete for their parent’s love and attention and they may not initially welcome this change. It’s much the same for domestic pets who are not accustomed to sharing their master’s affection. A period of adjustment is inevitable for both pet parties but you can increase your chances of a smooth transition from a single to multi-pet household by choosing a good match. Consider factors like age, personality, temperament and energy levels if you want your pets to get along. For example an energetic young pup is unlikely to be a good fit with an old and slow moving feline that is easily irritated. If you’re going down the adoption route, ask the previous owners if your potential pet has had much interaction with other animals and if they tend to get along with them. If possible, introduce your pets to each other at a young age as socialising animals when they are young is a lot easier then introducing them as adults.
Even if you do your homework and are confident that you’ve chosen a good pet match, conflict can still erupt between your animals. Here are some tips to minimise conflict:
If you come from a big family or maybe have a few kids of your own, you will understand the importance of routine to ensure day to day life runs smoothly and all hell doesn’t break loose (although it inevitably will at times!). The following is a simple checklist for creating a bullet-proof routine:
If you have an early morning meeting and can’t take your dogs for their scheduled walk or if one of your pets get sick and needs to be taken to the vet, have provisions in place to handle these situations if and when they arise. If you have neighbours with pets, maybe propose an agreement where you help each other out with walks and feed times. Or ask a friend or family member who lives nearby if you can call on them in emergencies.
It’s easy to get carried away in the excitement of growing your pet family. But it’s vital that you first make sure you are in a position to care for more than one pet. If money is an issue, crunch some numbers to check whether you can finance another pet, factoring in pet food, accessories, vet bills, insurance and any other expenses you anticipate. If you are time poor or juggling multiple commitments, do some mock up scheduling and see if it’s feasible to fit another pet’s needs in your life. Space is another important consideration, particularly if you are housing different species who fight like cats and dogs (pun intended) they will need separate areas of the home to occupy for time apart. Large puppies with excess energy will also not fare well in small spaces, particularly if there is not an adequately sized backyard for them to run around in. Remember to consider what’s best for the whole family so if you are already bursting at the seams or if it’s going to place too much of a strain on your time and financial resources, hold off until you are in a position to accommodate multiple pets in your household.
1. Miller, Pat, ‘Dog-On-Dog Household Aggression’, Whole Dog Journal, April 2010, last udated June 5, 2018, https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_4/features/Dog-Fighting-Behavior-Aggression_16214-1.html
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