Introducing New Additions to the Household

First up in the Spotlight, we want to say a belated Happy Birthday from all of us on DOT to Buckey of Bits and Pieces who turned a happy 15 years last Friday!

If we have any newbies to the site here please leave a comment to introduce yourself and leave a link so we can get to know you!

So over the past month we have introduced a kitten into the house. And some have wondered how to introduce a newcomer to older established pets in the home, whether it be another dog or a kitten. While I am no expert at this I can tell you what has worked for me and I am sure others can chime in with their comments to offer advice from their experience as well.

First, have patience, and a lot of it. While you may think the new additions is adorable, others in the home may not. Time is needed for all to make a successful adjustment.

Second, do not put the new addition right in to the mix with your current pet(s). Have a separate room, gated or closed door at first to allow the new addition to get acclimated to a small area at a time and your older pets to get used to new noises and smells of the newcomer.

Third, supervise. Only allow the new addition around the older one when you are right there to reinforce good responses or correct any negative responses. This protects the new addition as well as keeps the older pet from becoming overwhelmed. And keep the encounter short with building longer exposure as time and reactions permit. When the visit is finished put the new addition in their safe zone. This builds their confidence and reassures the older pet by permitting personal space and affection from you.

Forth, slowly expand the territory the new addition can explore. Baby gates are a wonderful item for this process as it allows limited exploration while permitting exposure to existing pets through the gate. In time you will be able to fully integrate all pets together. This also assists with potty or litter training too. (For puppies this in no way takes the place of crate training!)

I hope some will find this information helpful and look forward to reading comments and suggestions from you all as well.

Happy DOT's,
Tina, HoneyDew and Sampson too.