How to Introduce a New Pet

This topic was submitted to me by one of my followers. It can be really hard to get a new pet used to your family, and your family used to the new pet! Here are some helpful hints to get you started.
If you have other pets, make sure to introduce your new friend slowly. It can be a really good idea to keep them separated, but allow them to see and smell each other, for a short period of time. Cats especially can have a hard time with a new dog or cat so make sure you help your feline by giving him or her an adjustment period. If you are adopting from a shelter, you might see if the shelter will let you bring your whole family, pets included, for an introduction on neutral ground. This way, the current pets may feel less territorial and not feel like their home is being intruded. A very important thing to keep in mind is that you need to give the current pets the same amount of attention as you always have! If you spend more time with the new pet and less time with the current pet(s), there may be jealousy that develops. This will be counter active to what you are trying to accomplish.
Pets will attempt to establish their own hierarchy, or "who is the boss" situation. You should keep this in mind when the new pet wants to go for a walk, or eat their dinner. The current pet may try to nip, bite, hiss, or growl at the new pet to let them know they are stepping out of place. It can be a good idea to walk them separately for a little while until they get used to each other. You also may want to feed them separately to prevent anyone from guarding their food, or eating all the food so there is none for other pets. If you are introducing cats, make sure there are extra litter boxes around the house. Some cats who are trying to be more dominant may guard the litter box. A good rule of thumb is one litter box per cat in the house, plus one. So if you have 2 cats, you should have 3 litter boxes.
When introducing a new pet and you have children or babies, the most important thing you can do is NEVER leave them alone! Always, always supervise kids and babies around pets. Even the nicest pet can be just fine around kids but the minute the pet feels slightly threatened, it may bite or snap at a little hand or face. Babies make noises and jerky movements that a cat or dog can perceive as a prey animal sometimes. Babies have no defense against cats or dogs. Be sure your baby is in your arms or in a safe place where the pet cannot reach it. Children often get excited around new pets and may accidentally hurt them, the pet does not know they don't mean it and may try to defend itself. Planning, patience, and caution are the keys to a successful introduction of a new pet.