What can you do to raise your cat and dog together?
If you’re a dedicated pet owner with a heart for cats and dogs alike, you’re probably wondering how to raise your cat and dog together. Is it possible? What can you perform to help them get along? Read on to learn more!
Consider Your Pet’s Age and Maturity
It feels natural to bring home a kitten and puppy simultaneously. Perhaps you dream of watching your fur babies run through the yard as best friends. Instead, you receive an energetic puppy chasing a terrified kitty. It’s crazy! A grown cat or dog might have the socialization skills to handle a pup or kitten. However, a kitten’s desire to play might awaken a pup’s primal prey drive, resulting in disaster. So, take note of your pet’s maturity and age, and modify your expectations accordingly.
Keep Your Dog and Cat Separate
Another way to raise your cat and dog together is to keep them separate for the first few days of bringing your new dog or cat home. Consider this as baby steps. Although they cannot see each other, your pet pals can smell and hear each other. Fortunately, this approach can help them get used to one another before they meet face-to-face.
For example, feed your dog and cat on opposite sides of the same door every morning and evening for the first few days of their life together. Try to sneak a special treat into both of their food bowls. In addition, this trick helps your pets connect happy things, like food and treats, with their new fur sibling.
Always Supervise Your Pets
Despite how close your dog and cat seem, keeping them separate is crucial if you’re not home to supervise them. This might feel disappointing after the work you’ve done to learn how to raise your cat and dog together, but safety is always first.
If you need assistance, contact the team at Alexander Animal Hospital to help you walk through the highs and lows of raising your cat and dog together.
Support Your Pet’s Wellness at Alexander Animal Hospital
Alexander Animal Hospital is a full-service animal hospital located in Severna Park, Maryland, serving the Severna Park, Pasadena, and Arnold Areas. Our goal is educating clients on the needs of their pets and understanding the importance of individualized veterinary care in order to strengthen the human-animal bond between owners and their pets.
We understand you have a choice when deciding on the care for your pets, and we strive to provide you with unparalleled services including wellness exams, vaccines, lost pet microchip ID, dental care, surgical services, digital radiography, and in-hospital laboratory services and diagnostics. Other highlights of Alexander Animal Hospital are the separate cat and dog waiting and exam rooms, as well as after-hours on-call emergency services.
Please take a look around our website and then give us a call at 410-777-8678 to set up an appointment. We’re social! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for all the latest updates!