My First Day – Meeting the Cat!
This picture popped up as a memory on mom’s FaceBook today. It was taken 3 years ago – I can’t believe how time flies…it doesn’t seem like it was that long ago when I came home from the shelter! It was the day after mom came and got me outta that place, and that morning after I had a good night’s sleep in my comfortable new home, mom introduced me to Ayla the cat. Can you see Ayla relaxing in the background on the tub? She was still keeping a careful eye on me because she wasn’t sure whether she could trust me or not, which I understand – I guess I was pretty scary to her at first. But, mom showed me how to stay calm around Ayla so that Ayla could trust that I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. Ayla and I are pals now!
You can have a peaceful household with multiple pets!
Mom says that a lot of pets are returned to shelters shortly after being adopted because they didn’t get along with the existing pets in the house. I wouldn’t have known how to behave around Ayla in a way that created her trust in me unless mom showed me how to. Dogs and cats don’t always just naturally get along well. Oh sometimes they do, but it’s not a given that when you bring a dog or cat into a new home with existing pets, it will be a seamless transition for everybody. It takes careful introductions, and most importantly, the existing pet needs to learn that the presence of the new pet is a positive thing for them too! Otherwise, they may not be very happy about sharing their home with the new stranger. I guess that’s what I was to Ayla at first. I’m really glad mom made it a positive experience for Ayla so she would like me!
Just like Mom helped me learn how to behave around Ayla, and helped Ayla become comfortable around me, she’s helping other people create positive relationships between their existing pets and new pets. If you are thinking about getting a new pet but don’t know how to ensure it will get along with your existing pet, maybe mom can help you too! Here’s how you can reach out to her:
If you are in the Louisville, KY area, mom would love to help you in person, but if not, no worries – she can also help you via Skype consultations! You can have a happy multiple pet household just like I have…where everyone can live “The Life of Riley!”
Ayla & I now have a new friend who lives with us – her name is Tara! She was afraid of me too at first…but you can see she’s not now! (That’s me in the background looking at Tara. I really like her too! Ayla, well that’s another story…maybe mom will tell you about it later!)