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Show Pets can be friends By CHERIE HUBER According to Lynn Bradak, president of Wasatch Humane, if ; your dog; or cat is getting into trouble with you because of chewing, chew-ing, scratching and other such activities,' ac-tivities,' that may be a signal that your pet is lonely and needs a companion'. com-panion'. However, choosing and In-' traducing a new pet to an established estab-lished one must be done very carefully. Bradak has some tips to help you choose a companion for your companion. "There is no real rule of thumb to go by; Your experience with your present pet is the best guide. Whether you choose a small kitten or puppy or an adult animal, how "you introduce the" animal sets the V. K, , 1 - --, forth,"she says. "The normal transition tran-sition period for pets under six months of. age is three to seven days, while older pets may take as long as a month to adjust" Go slowly and don't push. Jealousy is the biggest problem, according ac-cording to Bradak. She says you can help your pet to understand that this new pet is not a replacement , and he is still first in your and your family's heart Bradak also warns that not all petsiwill lhare their home.witfi an-; omerpetlf;yotf jor your'pets arej,, having adjustment problems you can call Wasatch Humane for counseling at 451-5565 or 773-3764. 773-3764. Bradak says many wonderful animals are waiting for adoption into loving, caring homes. Wasatch Humane has a list of possible adoptions. tone for what is to come. You can't just plop them down in front of each other and expect everything to be wonderful." Bradak recommends this method. Bring the new pet into the house and place it in the bathroom with food and water. Allow the present pet to sniff under the door, giving constant assurances to the pet After a period of time, from two hours to overnight, trade places. Put the present pre-sent pet in the bathroom and new pefrout-imtherhouse. "This way' ;th(5y get toXTchOw,1 each, - others' scents, territories, etc. without a face to face confromntation." Bradak also recommends that you give your present pet a lot of love and reassurance. Gradually allow both pets time together with supervision. "In the beginning there will be some challenging like growling, hissing, barking and so ' 1 : . i .,.m,Am I ' I, i I o Lynn Bradak, president of Wasatch Humane! said that animals - need love and security just as much as children do. Introduce new pets to each other carefully to avoid jealousy. Jawni Huber and her kitten Dinky have no relationship problems. ' |