Introducing a New Pet

Bringing a new pet into a home where another animal already lives can go smoothly, or it can go badly. The difference is almost always in how the introduction is handled. Here is what works.

1. Give the new pet a separate space

Before the new pet arrives, set up a separate room with food, water, a bed, and a litter box or pee pad. The new pet stays here for the first few days. This gives both animals time to adjust to the scent and sound of each other without a face-to-face encounter.

2. Swap scents

Rub a cloth on each animal’s cheek and place it near the other’s food bowl or bed. Scent is how animals identify each other. Getting used to each other’s scent before they meet makes the first meeting less threatening.

3. Meet on neutral territory

The first face-to-face meeting should not be in the resident animal’s favourite space. Use a room neither animal claims, or meet outside. Keep dogs on leashes. Let them approach each other at their own pace.

4. Keep first meetings short

A few minutes is enough for the first meeting. End on a calm note before either animal gets anxious. Gradually increase the length of supervised meetings over several days.

5. Feed them within sight of each other

Once they are calm in the same room, feed them at the same time, at a distance. Gradually move the bowls closer over several sessions. Eating in each other’s presence builds a positive association.

6. Do not reward bad behaviour

If the resident pet growls or hisses, do not pick them up and comfort them. This rewards the reaction. Stay calm, redirect their attention, and separate them if needed.

7. Let them set the pace

Some animals become friends in days. Others take weeks. Some never become close companions, and that is fine. The goal is peaceful coexistence, not a bond.