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Can cats and dogs live together in peace? Could your cat get along with another cat?

Whether you’re blending households with a roommate or partner who’s bringing a pet or adopting another animal for your current menagerie, you will have to figure out how all these creatures will share space. You may need to play guidance counselor for your furry friends, and we’ve got some tips to help you get started.

When You Can Choose Your New Pet
If your current pet is an older one, consider how it will feel about having a young puppy or kitten underfoot. Youngsters can often make an older pet feel young again. On the other hand, if your current pet is a real curmudgeon, you might want to avoid a young animal that may make it crankier. In either case, don’t leave old and young pets alone together until you see how they get along together.

Consider how different breeds might get along. If you are looking to adopt a new pet, you might be successful in choosing its characteristics and temperament based on the new pet’s breed. Also, if possible, make a point to spend some time observing the new animal before you adopt. It’s a good idea to try to match energy levels and easygoing natures to difficult ones, though the truth is that chemistry between animals, like people, is fairly unpredictable.

If you bring together two or more dogs or cats of different sexes, make sure they are all spayed or neutered so you don’t end up with a litter on your hands!

Making Introductions
Whether you are inheriting pets from a new roommate or a significant other or bringing a newly-adopted pet into your household, the way the animals meet could have a lot to do with how they end up getting along. For dogs, meeting in a neutral location, such as a park that neither one has been to before, is a great way for them to get to know each other without territorial disputes. Be sure the dogs are each on a leash and handled by a different person, in case they have to be separated.

Watch the animals’ body postures. If there is teeth-baring, deep growls, or stiff-legged stances, separate them, encourage them, and then reintroduce them. Once the dogs are in the same space, use plenty of positive reinforcement with each one to encourage them to get along.

With a Cat in the Equation
Cats, typically temperamental, can become even more so around dogs or other cats. Before introductions happen, keep the animals in different, but nearby, rooms so they can get used to the smells and sounds of the other. After a few days, let them share space in small bursts to see how they get along.

You may discover that a cat ends up claiming a certain part of the apartment for its own, at least initially. Keeping the dog’s bowls and the cat’s bowls, litter box and scratching post in separate places should help give your persnickety kitty the space it needs.

No matter what combination of pets you try to unite under a single roof, make patience and gentle support your priorities. Your new animals will need to adjust to new humans and a strange apartment, as well to their peer critters, so give them a chance to be scared and uncomfortable while they settle into their new home. In most cases, with time, animals that initially can’t stand to be in the same room together end up becoming good friends – or they at least learn how to tolerate each other.

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When you’ve got a pet, you benefit from the unconditional love that your furry friend showers on you. Research shows that besides making you feel warm and fuzzy, the love you experience as an animal owner can actually lead to better health for you, too. Read about these benefits here in these tips for healthier living with a pet in your apartment.

Health Benefits of Pets for All Ages
As a source of unconditional love and comfort, pets just make us feel good. When we dote on these lovable buddies, our brains release powerful mood-enhancing chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, which make us feel calm and happy. Some of the benefits of living with a pet include lower blood pressure, an immunity boost, and a healthy dose of social interaction.

Fido, the Fitness Coach
One reason why life with pets leads to healthier living is that pets encourage us to get up off the couch and get physical. It’s easy to forget about exercise or make excuses not to go to the gym, but when your beloved pet is demanding playtime, it is hard to say no. Whether you’ve got a cat who likes you to toss her feather toy across the floor to chase or a dog who begs you for walks, spending time with pets helps you get healthy amounts of physical activity, as well. In this way, Fido or Kitty can become your unexpected fitness coach.

Allergy Fighters
There’s also research to indicate that living with pets in an apartment can help children overcome sensitivity to allergies. While the traditional school of thought was that allergy-prone families should avoid having furry pets, current studies show that children who grow up in homes with pets end up decreasing their chances of developing severe allergies or asthma. It turns out that exposure to these animals helps children develop a stronger immune system against allergens.

Friend (or Date) Magnets
Regular social interaction is another cornerstone of healthy living, and owning a pet is a shared experience others enjoy relating to. Dogs are like friend magnets because they are cute and are such great conversation starters. It’s nearly impossible to take a dog to the park without having someone ask to pet the animal or inquire about the breed. These social exchanges can mean a lot when you are looking to make new connections with people, say, after a move to a new city. And if you’re a little on the shy side, walking a dog can really help you break out of your shell.

Pets and Unconditional Love
Because dogs and cats encourage physical activity and social interaction, it’s not hard to see why life with pets can lead to healthier living. For the chronically ill, these benefits are just the tip of the iceberg. For those who may be dealing with a health crisis, living with a pet can be a big mood booster. That’s because caring for a pet takes the focus off of one’s own troubles. In fact, studies show that AIDS patients who live with pets are less likely to suffer from depression, and those with high blood pressure who live with pets are more likely to remain calm in high-stress situations.

Pets, then, are like powerful non-prescription medicine — not to mention that having a snuggly pet curl up next to you nightly can make you feel loved and needed. It seems amazing that something as simple as scratching your dog behind the ears can make you feel so good, but the simple truth is that living with pets is a meaningful way to help improve your overall sense of health and well-being.

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