Tis the season for giving gifts! And some of you may be thinking of giving the gift of a safe and loving home to a new pet! Perhaps you’re planning a trip to the shelter to find a new dog or cat.  Or maybe you’re acquiring a bird or fish or something more exotic. Whatever little life you’re planning to change, there’s an important factor to consider: if you’ve always been a one-cat home or have older, established cats, it’s important to consider their comfort when bringing a new pet home.

We’ve put together a series of tips to help you introduce your cat(s) to a new pet.

Set Yourself Up for Success

When bringing a new pet home, you can set yourself up for success by considering your older pet’s condition and needs. Does your older kitty companion love lying in the sun all day, and/or perhaps suffers from arthritis? An energetic kitten may not be the best choice for a new pet.

In fact, Dr. Karen Becker (at Mercola’s Healthy Pets website) suggests that you consider getting a dog when you have an older cat at home. “Cats get along best if they’re adopted together as siblings, or are introduced at a young age,” she says. “After that, things get dicey.”

Of course, you should still look for a dog with a character that’s compatible with your current cat’s needs.

Gotta Keep Them Separated

When bringing a new pet home, you shouldn’t give them free run of the house right away. Instead, both for their comfort and that of your older kitties’, keep them limited to a small part of the house. You can gradually introduce them to your entire home, and your other pets, over time.

One of the recommended first steps to introducing pets is to have them smell each other through a closed door. That way, they have time to grow accustomed to each other’s smell in a safe and restrained manner. (This is a tactic meant for cats and dogs, and not so much other types of pets.)

Feed Them Together

Eating food is generally an enjoyable experience, right? It better be, considering how our cats yell and demand their meals at WTF o’clock on the regular. Use that enjoyable, safe experience to help your older cat get used to your new cat or dog.

Try feeding them near to each other. Start off by placing the food bowls at a suitable distance on either side of a closed door. Over several feedings, slowly move the bowls closer together until your pets are successfully and calmly eating their food immediately on either side of the door. This positive reinforcement will help them grow accustomed to each other.

Create Escape Routes & Safe Spaces

When you do introduce your pets face to face at last, make sure your established cat – and the new pet – have access to plenty of escape routes and safe spaces. You can do this be selecting a room for the introduction with a lot of clear space in the middle and open doorways the kitties or dogs can escape through if they’re scared.

Around the perimeter, provide some vertical spaces as well. If you have any cat trees or shelves, your established cat has a safe space to retreat to that keeps them in the same room – allowing them to observe the newcomer without necessarily having to be immediately up front and personable.

Play With Them Together

Once they’re able to coexist in the same space without any raised hackles or flung hisses, you can continue the positive reinforcement through play. Get out a couple of fishing line toys, or bring out some catnip mice. Play with them both, giving them equal attention, so they continue to build their understanding that they’re both safe, loved, can can be happy together.

Remember, a key part of keeping your established pet happy when introducing a new pet is to pay them plenty of attention. It can be tempting to get all wrapped up in “New Pet Energy,” but that’s unfair to your loyal kitty companion and can leave them feeling insecure. Be sure to give them lots of attention and love as they get to know the new pet in your lives.

For even more tips, check out the Humane Society’s resources on introducing your new cat to other pets.

Not Introducing a Dog or Cat?

Introducing Birds

This can naturally be a risky proposition, but it is often possible to train your cat to accept a bird in the house. There is a long, cautious training process involved, however – start with a large, sturdy cage with a cat-proof lock, then introduce your cat to the bird when the bird is comfortable with it (and your cat is responding calmly – no Sylvesters allowed). You can explore this process in more depth with this post at Baxter’s Backyard Blog.

Introducing Rodents

This is a naturally risky introduction as well. Generally, you’ll want to keep your cat and rodent separated, whether they be mice, hamsters, rats, or something else. Once your new rodent pet is comfortable with your home, you may be able to introduce them in highly controlled and observed situations. That said, you’ll never want to leave them together unsupervised. You don’t want to recreate any Tom and Jerry cartoons! Read more on this topic at Yummypets’ magazine.

Introducing Fish

Given fish live in water, your new fish pet will be insulated from your cat at all times. However, if your cat is too interested in the fish’s tank, there are some defensive measures you can take. You should start with a solid lid that the cat can’t get off the tank. Invest in a heavy tank that won’t topple, and put it in a secure location that the cats can’t reach. If possible, put the tank in a separate room your cats can’t access. You may enjoy letting your cat watch the pretty fish, but don’t leave them unsupervised.

Now you’re informed and ready to give yourself the perfect gift – a new furry (or feathery or scaly) life to love, and a harmonious household to celebrate them and your older pets in. Enjoy the holidays!