Can they be friends? Unravelling issues of social tension in the home

Multi pet households are common and yet harmony within them is not always easy to achieve. When pets don’t get along caregivers can struggle as they try to see things from each pet’s point of view, while in other cases tension can occur between caregivers as they take sides in support of their favourite pet. This presentation will use the three scenarios of a multi-cat, a multi-dog and a cat and dog mixed household to consider some of the problems that can occur and how to approach them. Species differences in relation to the social requirements of dogs and cats will be discussed and the way in which these can influence both inter and intra specific relationships will be considered.

• Understand social behaviour differences between dogs and cats
• Consider the impact of feline social behaviour on harmony within multi-cat household
• Appreciate the potential for tension in multi-dog households and the factors that affect it
• Consider ways in which harmony in mixed species households can be encouraged