by Shauna Zamarripa

Created on: November 03, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2008

For most families, having a new pet is akin to having a baby. There are a lot of adjustments that need to be made by the existing family members in order to successfully incorporate this new addition to the family. The same can be said when you are introducing a new pet to your baby.

It's a marathon not a sprint
You can't expect that your baby and your pet will have a blissful relationship from the moment they lay eyes on one another. The introduction of your baby to your new pet needs to be smooth and steady. Starting out with limited amounts of supervised time with the baby and your pet will be the best way to gauge how to successfully move forward, and will provide the perfect setting in which to lay ground rules for later behavior.

If your baby is in a crawling stage, it's important to keep your pet on a short leash. You don't want your curious toddler to become a play toy for your puppy, or potential prey for your cat, so making sure that your pet knows the baby is the "alpha" is important. At the same time, it's important that junior knows not to pull on whiskers, tails or jump on your pet, as this could startle or injure both of them.

To pet or not to pet
Show your baby how to handle your pet. Sit with your baby on your lap and have him touch your pet. Encourage soft, gentle strokes to keep the baby from hitting or getting overly excited when the puppy or kitty comes around. This slow introduction of time spent with one another, will encourage the pet to come around your baby and will also encourage your baby to handle your pet appropriately now and for years to come.

Playtime
Show your baby how to play with your pet. Toddlers love to mimic you, so when you are playing with your new pet, keep your baby nearby. This will encourage playtime for the whole family and make the adjustment much easier. Playtime should be fun for the whole family.

Attitude
It's important that you exhibit a calm attitude when your baby is around your new pet. Your attitude will set the tone for both of them, and the more calm your baby is around your new pet and visa versa will be the easier that they adjust to one another without any major catastrophe.

In conclusion, starting early and always supervising the time your baby spends with your new addition to the family will help to foster a loving environment and can transfer your love of animals to a new generation. Every pet and every baby will adjust at a different rate to one another; so keeping the tempo slow and steady will help you make necessary adjustments to their time together.

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