You’ve Got A Friend In Me: Tips to help your rescue animals get along
So, a furry friend has finally found their fur-ever home in yours - congratulations! It's a very exciting time and you want to make sure that your new companion settles well into their new environment.
It can be tricky bringing home a rescue animal in a home where there are already other pets in it. These animals have personalities and experiences before our care that shape the relationships we have with them. Often, we forget the impact that a pet who has long been a part of your home (cats and dogs specifically) could have on the new animal and the process of settling in.
Before you start expanding your family, consider these tips and tricks that can help your furry friends become BFFs (best furry friends - yes!).
Tips for introducing a rescue cat or dog to the home
The last thing we want is a turf war. If you bring home another dog, it can help the relationship for all involved if they meet in a neutral location first, like a local park that your resident dog has not visited. This way, they are less likely to view the other as an intruder or a threat. Each dog should be on lead. It can also help if your partner or friend can help you introduce them separately.
Resource guarding can be an issue between dogs and cats, and can lead to serious issues down the line if unaddressed. It’s important to never allow the resident animal and the new one to sleep on the same blanket or basket, or eat and drink from the same bowl. This can help avoid fights and can be reviewed after things settle down a bit.
Just like us, positive reinforcement works with pets. Of course you’d want your animals to have friendly experiences with each other from the get-go. When greeting, walking, or sniffing each other, it can be helpful to give them positive reinforcement through calm verbal words of encouragement or rewarding them when they are being calm. You are a key part of helping your animals coexist peacefully, and your attitude as the ‘pack leader’ makes a difference.
Fairness, where applicable, does not go unnoticed by our furry friends. This applies particularly to dogs, where walking them side-by-side is important. Exercise uses up their energy anyway, which correlates with their motivation to fight amongst each other. But, walking together symbolises their position ‘in the pack’ with you, and gives them a common goal instead of each other.
Signs they DO want to be BFFs
This isn’t to say your rescue animal won’t get along with yours at home. Signs that animals get on well include regular touching, seeing them resting or sleeping near each other, implying trust. Additionally, coexisting with two or more cats when they aren’t fighting is usually enough to know they’re saying, “We get along just fine”.
What if they still fight?
We know that barks, scratches, and bites do happen from time to time between our pets. Some occasional conflict is normal when younger pets irritate older resident pets. One takes food or toys from the other, or one feels left out from the family's attention. Age and illness can also play a factor in our pets behaviour.
Our Animal Care Program has been designed by experienced trainers to help teach you about animal care and behaviour.
Get in touch to find out more about the program. Our programs welcome people of all abilities who are interested in learning about animal behaviour basics and other aspects of the animal care industry. We cover topics such as training, health and nutrition, enrichment, and grooming.