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New addition to the family
Submitted by Kirbydo on Jan 31, 2007
George has been with me since
before he was born...he is now eight going on nine years old...it
there anything I can do to help him adjust to the new additions to the
family...namely the new puppy and the soon to be second puppy?
Thanks!!
Answer:
Dear Kirbydo,
It’s great that you want to help George become more comfortable with the new changes. Cats can be very resistant to change, but hopefully the introduction will go smoothly for you. I do have a few suggestions for you about how to make George most comfortable.
The main thing you want to focus on, are that this is George’s home, and you don’t want him to feel like an outsider. It is a good idea when bringing any new animal into the home, to have a separation period. A time during which George can get accustomed to the smell of the new animal, but not have to worry about a face to face confrontation.
When the new puppy comes home, keep him in isolation, and allow George run of the house as usual. After a few days, you can bring the puppy out into George’s turf, but keep the puppy in a carrier – so George can meet him face to face, but there is no danger of being chased, licked, or otherwise offended. This way, George can get away if he needs to, and the puppy can’t follow. Let them spend time together this way. Once George is able to tolerate sitting near the dog in the crate, then it will be time to release the dog. This may take weeks, it may take one hour – it all depends on George!
Give the puppy lots of treats when he is calm around George, and vice versa. The main goal is to not allow the puppy to chase George. It starts a vicious cycle in which the puppy thinks he is playing a fun game, and George is terrorized. If chasing starts go back to the crate introductions – the cycle must be stopped or the puppy will keep chasing. The only way to stop it, is to train George not to run by getting him used to the dog while dog is still in crate.
There are a couple of products you can try, which are reported to have a calming effect on cats. I always recommend these when a cat is about to be placed into a stressful situation. One product is "Feliway" - this is a synthetic feline pheromone that has a calming effect on about 50% of cats. Another product I like is called Rescue Remedy. I recommend rubbing some on George’s gums about 15 minutes prior to a planned introduction. The key to success is keeping George calm and happy when he is around the puppies, and giving the puppies treats for calm behavior around George. Remember – rewards go a lot further than punishments when training animals. Anytime you punish the puppies, there is a risk of them associating that punishment with George and being even less likely to treat him well.
Monitor George closely for any signs of stress – diarrhea, loss of appetite, changes in urination habits. If any occur, do bring him to a vet right way.
You may find that things go better than you anticipate - your cat may not be threatened at all by puppies, and the puppies may just leave George alone. The important thing is to go slow, reward good behavior, and stay calm! If things don't go well - you can always start the process over with another week of separation and then re-introduce.
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