New Pets: Tips and Tricks for Travelling and New Introductions

There’s nothing more exciting than bringing home a new pet.

 

Big, small, tall, short, barks or purrs. This new addition is your next family member and we’ve put together our best ideas to help your first day go the best that it can.

 

The safest ways to travel your pet

 

Your first journey might be a little nerve racking. You don’t know how your new pet is going to react and they’ll be nervous because they won’t know what's happening. However, with a few things organised beforehand, you’ll only have to concentrate on getting from A to B.

 

It’s important to have any animal correctly restrained when transporting them as to not invalidate your insurance. If an insurer is aware that you could have been distracted by an unrestrained pet, they may not cover you if an accident happens.

 

If you’re bringing home a cat or kitten, you’ll probably already have bought a cat carrier. This is the best way to keep your pet calm and safe during its journey. You can make it comfortable with cushions or blankets and even include something that has a similar scent to what they’re used to. It’s also a good idea to take spare bedding for any stress related accidents and you can always cover the carrier with a blanket to keep things extra calm in there.

 

If you’re bringing home a larger dog and you plan on having them in the boot of your car, check your car's manufactured luggage guard. Often these aren’t robust enough to restrain a dog if something did happen. Many companies make purpose built dog guards, or even better, consider putting your crate in the boot instead.

 

If it’s a little dog or a puppy, consider a small pet carrier or a harness. Walking harnesses aren’t designed to restrain pets in cars, so it’s important to make sure your harness won’t injure your pet if you have to stop suddenly. It may be tempting to keep them on your lap in the front seat, but this puts them closer to the airbag. It can also be  potentially distracting to the driver and very hazardous if someone lets go of them.

 

If you’re doing a long journey, don’t forget to consider making pit stops on the way home.

 

If it’s a first time travelling or an animal known to not particularly enjoy being in a car, don’t forget some extra towels in case of car sickness.

 

Introducing an animal to a new home

 

Before getting your new pet, establish where the boundaries are. It’s less stressful on an animal if they don't have to learn too much in one go.

 

With a cat you’ll be advised to keep them in the house for a period of time anyway. For their first arrival, select one room that they’ll stay in for the first 24 hours. Once they’re showing interest in you and other family members and they know they’re safe, then it’s time to let them explore the rest of the house.

 

With a puppy or dog, you’ll want to be able to take them outside to relieve themselves. Consider making a kitchen area they’re safe place. This is somewhere you’re likely to spend a respectable amount of time and therefore becomes a comforting place for them. You may have dog-proofed your garden already but it’s important to keep them on their lead until they know where they are and who you are.

 

 

Introducing them to other pets

 

It’s beneficial to do their space introduction on their own. Once settled choose a neutral location to make any animal introductions.

 

Dog to Dog

 

By introducing dogs in your home, there’s a potential chance of causing territorial aggression. To avoid this it might be worth going for a short walk together so there are other things to enjoy, taking the pressure off an initial face to face meeting. Keeping both of them on leads will insure you have control of the situation and as everyone begins to relax they can come in closer contact with one another.

 

Cat to Dog

 

Dogs can be known to fixate on cats. No matter who the new addition is to the family, take the dog for a nice leg stretch beforehand to alleviate some energy. Ensure that your cat has a safe place at all times so if they wish to get away they can. Keeping the dog on a lead, bring them into the same room. It’s not necessary to point out either pet, it’s likely your cat will spot the dog before the dog spots the cat. Let the cat work in it’s own way and repeat this exercise over a few days. Eventually your cat will suss out how much interaction they want to have with your dog. Supervision is key!

 

Cat to Cat

 

Once your new cat has settled into their space and is comfortable around you, allow both cats to be aware that they’re in the same household. This can be through a window or a controlled gate. Once they know of each other, with the help of a friend open the door between the rooms each cat is in. Observe how they react. If they remain relaxed and calm, offer some tasty treats or just some pleasant strokes. Once you’re confident that they’ve adjusted to one another, then it’s time to let them be in each other's company.

 

For the best success in introducing pets to one another, keep dogs on leads to maintain control, choose calm environments, ask friends for support and take it slowly, increasing meetings daily.

There are many different views and interpretations of training and how effective different methods can be. We do not claim to be experts in this, we are however fellow pet owners and so speak from experience. Anyone experiencing really challenging behaviour in their pet should seek professional advice. We hope however that these point and tips will help the vast majority over those early day hurdles and lead to a happier and more harmonious family and household life for hoomans and pets alike.

 

Wishing everyone the best of luck and congratulations on your new addition!