Adjustment Time / Play Time. A key to having a happy relationship with your pet is to give it time to adjust to its entirely new world. This is especially true of puppies or kittens. Mistakes and accidents are bound to happen so be patient. Cats and house rabbits are by nature very clean and will use a cat box with very little training. Make sure, by the way, that the box is cleaned daily otherwise a fastidious cat may elect to go elsewhere. With a dog, take it outside on a regular basis to relieve itself. Don’t make it painfully wait for too long a period. After a while a dog will usually let you know when it is time to go out. Both dogs and cats love to play so indulge them. Some owners can be bothered but this is the wrong attitude to take. Dogs love to run and fetch and they especially like their walks with their owners. Cats like to chase things around the house. You can get something as simple as a string or rolled up piece of paper. Or there are plenty of cat toys you can purchase. A word about disciplining your pet. Do it with your voice, not with your hand or other object. That is just plain cruel and the pet doesn’t understand. Your pet does not need to be beaten into submission. Again, be patient and spend time each day loving, playing with and interacting with your pet.

Introducing a New Pet To Those You Already Have. Keeping in mind that animals are territorial and that there will probably be some resistance, the proper way of introducing the new member is to do it gradually. Hopefully you have a small room where the new household member can temporarily have to its own – to feel secure in that space. Then you let the new pet get to know the others, and not the other way around. Those you already have need to feel secure that they are not being pre-empted. The first meetings will probably be awkward and a little hostile. You will always need to be there to offer reassurance all around. Give the situation time. And, keep in mind that there is almost always an “alpha” dog or cat or leader and things will eventually sort themselves out.