5 Tips For Keeping Multiple Pets At Home
If having a cat or a dog is already causing a lot of doubt for a person, having multiple pets in the house can be a challenge. Many factors must be taken into account, such as the existence of potentially incompatible species, generally those that in nature have a predator-prey relationship.
In this article, we are going to offer 5 tips for having multiple pets at home and avoiding many of the problems that arise from this situation.
Having several animals at home… How many?
Faced with this question, we could think “as much as we want”, but this is not the case. In many locales there are regulations for the number of pets a person can keep in the home. Therefore, find out about this before increasing the number of pets at home.
So our first piece of advice is not to have more pets than the county where you live in is allowed in order to avoid problems with neighbors and authorities.
Try to choose compatible species
Theoretically, certain species will not be compatible with others due to their prey status. This is the case of birds and rodents, which can live in states of chronic stress. However, there is evidence that these animals can live in harmony with their “predators”, especially if they were raised together from infancy.
Many people think that cats and dogs can’t get along, but actually the opposite is true. It is easier for a cat and dog to live happily together than for two cats.
This is because the territorial meaning of these animals is different. Dogs live in family groups and often accept new members. On the contrary, cats form matrilineal colonies and do not allow the incorporation of other cats, especially if the cat that already lives in the house is a female.
Give a correct presentation
It is very important to make a correct presentation according to the species we want to live together. Future coexistence will depend a lot on how the relationship begins.
- In dogs, it is desirable to choose a neutral and silent space with few stimuli. Dogs must know how to get to know another dog. However, not all dogs know how to do this, which can be a problem. First, we must learn about calming signs in dogs and make sure our pet performs them correctly.
- The presentation of two cats can take approximately one month. Therefore, we must be patient enough and have enough space at home to perform this presentation.
- For a dog and a cat to live in the same house, it is only necessary to ensure that the dog does not want to eat the other animal. It is interesting that the dog has a curious attitude towards cats. So you realize that he doesn’t look for them to hunt them, but to find out what they are. The adjustment period after an introduction between an adult dog and a cat can be long, but they will eventually do well. Among puppies, they will likely start playing almost immediately.
- It is not recommended that cats and birds coexist, due to the predatory instinct of the former. Furthermore, we cannot condemn birds to live in cages. They need to be able to go out daily and relate to the environment. Despite this, each individual, regardless of the species, has its own way of behaving: it is unique, so there will be cats that get along perfectly well with birds, even more if they are of medium size, like some parrots.
Environmental enrichment adapted to each species
Enrichment is critical to the psychological health of our pets. In many cases, this enrichment has the function of imitating the natural environment of the species or allowing the individual to perform the behaviors inherent to his species.
For dogs, the most interesting enrichment is the olfactory enrichment. Working with smells will mentally exhaust our dogs, which will make them happy and much more receptive to living with the rest of the pets in the house.
Cats must be exercised. It’s really interesting that they have places to hide when they don’t want to interact with other members of the household. Also, if they have tall furniture to observe their surroundings, they will feel much safer.
Birds – especially parrots – and rodents should have toys and biteers in their cages. However, they need the option of being able to go out every day.
It is very important that each animal has its enrichment. If one of the pets starts to develop abnormal behaviors, coexistence may not be healthy and the balance created in the home may be destroyed.
Economic stability to have multiple animals
Having multiple pets at home is a high financial expense. The annual veterinary expenses of a healthy animal alone can exceed 500 reais. If, unfortunately, the animal becomes ill, these expenses will increase. In addition, birds and rodents must be attended to by veterinarians specializing in exotic fauna, which is an addition to the bill.
To keep our pets healthy, food must also be quality food. Cheap foods and snacks tend to cause liver and kidney problems in all species, which will shorten their lives.
