Minnesota Valley Humane Society

Animal Behaviorist Annette DesLauriers from Alpha Academy was able to dispel some myths and discuss solutions to common problems associated with having multi-pet households. Her stories were insightful and informative.

Cats
It’s a fact--cats do not need a companion. They are not direct descendents of pack animals like dogs are. They are descendents of the African Wildcat, which means they like solitude. It just isn’t lonely for a cat to be alone. So, stop fretting if you believe your cat is lonely. It probably isn’t.

However, if you do decide to take that step into a multi-pet household, you should consider the sex of the cat. Expect problems if you bring a female adult cat into a male cat’s territory. As in the human world, the males tend to “mark” their territory. Obviously, they haven’t heard of the feminist movement yet.

It’s best to bring a female cat in to a house with another female cat.

But always keep in mind, sometimes toleration is the best you can expect when bringing another pet into the household. They may not become best buddies.

Cats and Dogs
How about mixing the species? It can work. The best scenario is to bring a kitten and puppy together. The young always tend to get along better. They will have the same type of energy and be learning and growing up together.

How about dogs and cats? Well there are some things to remember when mixing the species.

Let’s just say, some dog breeds have pretty strong prey drives. These breeds – retrievers, labs, terriers, sight hounds such as greyhounds and whippets – may pose more of a challenge if you bring a cat into the picture. And male dogs could pose a greater challenge, since statistically they tend to be more aggressive. It would be best to have an outgoing, dominant cat if you have a large dog. It makes things a little bit more equal.

It really comes down to communication between the sexes, oops, I mean the species. The problem is dogs and cats don’t always understand one another’s body language. Sounds like a problem us humans have. Dogs don’t understand hisses. Cats and dogs postures are also different. The stare however, as a dominance challenge, is understood across species. How appropriate…. it seems to work in the human world, too.

Dogs with Dogs
The best case scenario – if you already have a dog – is to bring in a dog that is younger, smaller, and of the opposite sex. The reason is you are introducing a dog into the dominant dog’s territory. The older dog must have top priority for dominance. If we humans try to interfere with this, conflict may result. You must support the dominant dog. The puppy should not be dominant. Don’t protect the underdog. If you do so, the older dog may feel it has to challenge. So simple things like who to feed first are important. Feed the older dog first. It may help keep the peace.

However, keep in mind the best part about bringing a puppy into an older dog’s house is he can teach the younger dog.

The key to aggression prevention is this: exposure to others and to new situations and environments when a dog is young. It’s not the best idea to bring a puppy to a household if the other dog is geriatric. This may result in a very difficult situation. A puppy could become dog-aggressive if raised with a geriatric dog who beats up the puppy. Extreme opposites are not a good idea, i.e., young vs. old. It will become even more challenging if the older dog is sickly. Similar to a wolf pack, the younger dog could challenge for its place as alpha dog.

As in all cases in multi-pet or soon to become multi-pet households, it’s best to look at the breed and history and know the individual pet.

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