This is the final part of the three part series “Introducing a New Pet to the Household.” You can find Part 1: New Dogs here and Part 2: New Cats here.

Do you love the multi-pet, multi-species lifestyle?

Me too! There is nothing that makes me feel as happy as hanging out with a pile of animals on my lap (and chest, and head etc). I love having a cat purr in my ear while I toss a ball for one of my dogs. I am just crazy that way.

One downside of having a multi-species household, though, is that it can make new pet introductions a bit more challenging. The slight tendency towards chaos that is the multi-species house is exactly the opposite of what you usually want for introducing a new pet.

These multi-species introductions are a bit different than the same species introductions.

They are more fluid. I find it works best to observe and let the introductions flow as each animal gets comfortable with the new one’s presence.

It is more about recognizing how each pet is handling the change, and then actively stepping in to smooth over problems. I think the key is knowing when a pet has had enough and needs some space, and helping them get that before they become too stressed. You want to avoid fights, preferably before they happen.

Here are a few tips to help you integrate your new pet into your multi-species lifestyle!

Pick the right new pet, if you can.

You don’t always have a choice in which homeless pet tugs at your heartstrings. Ideally, you will choose a pet that will fit with the rest of your Tribe. You can’t always tell what a pet is really like, though, when they are under the stress of being in a rescue or adoption facility.

When I adopted Crazy Bug from the humane society, she seemed like a calm, relaxed and well behaved little thing. Until we got into my car, when she became a frantic, trembling, nervous ball of energy. The first 24-48 hours of her introduction I was not sure if I would be able to keep her.

Bug was an escape artist who bolted away the second she had a chance. She could climb fences, go under them and even through them. She had no inside manners at all, and would launch herself up to your plate of food. If the other pets wanted any attention from us, she would push and knock them out of the way.

When she didn’t get her way, she would hump one of the other pets…and she could not be safely crated, as she panicked and broke out the first time I tried.

Still, with firm ground rules, persistence and training everything worked out for us.

I can’t imagine the Tribe without her. It took 6 months, but she is safely crate trained and most of her shenanigans are under control.

In choosing a new pet for your multi-species household, it is good to consider the personality, age and health issues of your current pets. Try and choose a new pet that fits into the group you have.

If you have a very dominant dog, be careful of picking another dog (especially of the same gender) that is also showing strong dominant traits.

If your cats are all seniors (especially if they have health issues), an eight-week-old kitten that is a firecracker might not work out so well. You may have better success with an older kitten or adult cat with a more placid temperament.

It just depends. There are no hard-and-fast rules with this kind of match-up.

Start with the same species introductions.

Following my tips in part 1 & 2 of this series, introduce your new pet to the household and help them settle in. Focus on same-species introductions. Obviously, your new pet will hear/smell/see the other pets in the household as well. However, don’t force these cross-species introductions.

Once the new pet is introduced to the members of the same species, you can start the rest of the introductions. I usually start these with a baby gate in between the groups, or use a leash. Make sure the new pet can retreat from the situation if it becomes too much!

Using pheromone products, like Adaptil and Feliway, on all the dogs and cats in the household is a great idea. Pheromone collars and diffusers generally last 30 days, which should get you through the most stressful period.

Household set-up can make things easier. Here is how I manage my house.

My house is set up with the multi-pet, multi-species mindset. There are areas where the dogs are not allowed to go, so that cats can have their downtime. I use baby gates to manage different areas as needed.

All of my dogs are crate trained, and since the crates are located in our living room, my dogs often choose to retreat to them when they are not feeling social. I try and minimize the stress of having so many animals in one house. I also make sure each pet gets plenty of one-on-one time.

To reduce stress over food, and to ensure that everyone is getting their portion, I feed my dogs in their crates.

The cats are fed in three different areas (no free feeding in my house- we do meal times), and you might be amazed at how quickly cats will learn which area is their dinner table!

Your pet’s should never have to compete with each other for your attention. If you, like me, have one that is especially attention-hogging, you will have to manage it and teach them that the behavior is not acceptable.

Crazy Bug knows I will ignore her if she is being too pushy, for instance. If she tries to force herself onto my lap she promptly ends up on the floor. Lap time is at my discretion, not hers.

I have one very shy cat that just can’t handle the dogs as a group. VJ enjoys the dogs one-on-one, but is too intimidated by their pack behavior to join us in the living room. He prefers to hang out on the other side of the baby gate.

So I make sure he gets plenty of attention, and that there are times when the dogs are in the house one-at-a-time, so he can say hi.

Final thoughts.

You don’t have to live in a house of crates, boxes and baby gates to have multiple pets of different species (it just makes it easier). Your pets will adjust to their environment. Each Tribe does things a little differently, and there is no one formula that is guaranteed to succeed.

Have patience, give everyone some personal space, and try and intercede before things go terribly wrong…that would be my best advice for anyone living the multi-species lifestyle.

How do you manage your multi-pet, multi-species household? Do you have any good tricks or tips for making it work? Comment here or on our Facebook page and we can chat about it!