Your little furry friend isn’t just a pet… they’re family! In essence, he, she, or they (if you have a few) have become your children. Since you love them so much, there may come a time when you want to adopt another. Regardless of whether you want a new cat or dog, you’ll have to introduce your current furry baby to the newest addition. It’s extremely important to think about how your pet or pets will handle and adjust to the new companion roaming around the house. Whether you’re introducing a cat to a cat, dog to a dog, or dog to a cat, you should think about staging a proper introduction.
Bringing home a new pet is an exciting time, so you’ll want to make sure the transition goes smoothly for both you and all the pets involved. For some pets, this can be an unsettling experience, so we wanted to share some tips with you on how to introduce a new pet into your home so you can become one big, happy family!

• Before even bringing home a new pet, see how your pet acts/behaves around other cats and/or dogs. You’ll want to test this in a safe and neutral environment (front yard, park). If your pet is exhibiting any aggression, you may not want to bring that type of pet into your home.
• Consider the age difference in your pets. If your new pet is young and rambunctious, an older pet may not be too fond of its energy.
• When you bring home the new pet, put them in a crate or in a separate room that is out of sight from your other pets. Your new pet will slowly explore his/her surroundings and get his/her scent around the room.
• After a few days, you can swap beds or toys, so both your current pets and your new pet can get accustomed to each other’s scent.
• Let your new pet roam the house for 15-20 mins a few times throughout the day so his/her scent can now be everywhere around the home. While you do this, put your current pet in a closed off room or put them outside.
• A good sign of when your pet is ready to meet the new pet is when he/she isn’t bother/running around to smell the new scent.
• When your new pet and current pet meet, reward them with treats and praise when they display friendly interactions.
• Make sure to give each pet his/her own belongings (toys, food/water bowls, bedding, etc.).
• When introducing two dogs, do it away from the house, so your current dog doesn’t get territorial. Let them meet and interacts. Pay attention to their behavior. If they have low tails between their legs and low flat ears, things aren’t going well and you should separate them. If this does happen, try to get them used to each other’s scents again before reintroducing them.
• When introducing two cats, keep their food bowls apart for a while and slowly bring them closer as they get used to each other. Always make sure each cat as plenty of space to escape to or hide in.

If your dog or cat is still having trouble adjusting to the new pet, Ark Naturals sells Happy Traveler, which is a natural calming formula that can help your anxious pet.

Ark Naturals makes natural products that allow pets to enjoy a better quality of life, which helps owners feel rest assured that they have cared for their pets in the best way possibly by choosing natural alternatives for dental, joint, grooming, calming, skin, digestion, and overall wellness care.

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Courtesy of ArkNaturals.com