Cats and lizards don’t must be enemies and pet lizards have even been identified to type robust bonds with their feline siblings. In reality, isn’t unusual to see photos of cats and Bearded Dragons cuddling!
Whereas these species could be pals, forging a friendship will rely fully in your pet’s personalities and the way you go about introducing them. Some cats merely don’t like lizards and that may’t actually be modified, however the way you introduce them can have a big effect on their relationship.
When you plan introducing your pets there are just a few widespread errors that folks make that may set your pets up for failure. Nevertheless, if you understand how to keep away from them, you’re one step nearer to constructing a interspecies friendship.
If seeing your cat cuddled as much as your new lizard looks as if one thing you need, preserve studying!
5 Errors:
- Introducing your pets with out a barrier– In case you are hoping to introduce your cat to your pet lizard for the primary time, you need to all the time make that introduction via a barrier. This barrier will make the preliminary encounter rather a lot safer for each pets. Maintaining your lizard in a glass enclosure or behind a display screen door will assist forestall a adverse encounter. In case you are introducing your pets and one thing goes flawed, for instance your cat might lunge at a brand new lizard when it strikes, then the barrier will forestall the cat from making direct contact and presumably hurting lizard.
- Not understanding your pet’s conduct– One of the best factor you are able to do earlier than introducing your cat to their new reptilian sibling is perceive their conduct. Realizing what your animals seem like when they’re harassed, indignant, calm or aggravated may also help you establish how profitable the encounter goes. When you introduce your cat to your new Bearded Dragon and your cat is hissing, growling, and displaying stiff physique posture, it’s seemingly very uncomfortable with the brand new animal. However, in case your Bearded Dragon’s beard is popping black, they’re head bobbing or hissing they’re seemingly harassed and uncomfortable as nicely. In case you are introducing your cat to a Leopard Gecko, you may even see them gape their mouths and wave their tail if distressed. Studying these cues may also help you cease a adverse encounter earlier than it turns harmful.
- Leaving them alone together- One of many greatest errors you may make is leaving your cat and lizard alone collectively. Even when it appears they’ve shaped an in depth bond and revel in one another’s firm, leaving them unsupervised can flip harmful rapidly. Whereas it’s unlikely your cat will likely be harmed, your lizard could be severely injured and even killed by an indignant cat. All interactions between your cat and lizard must be supervised. With supervision you may rapidly step in and cease a nasty scenario from getting worse.
- Forcing a relationship– In case your cat doesn’t like your new Bearded Dragon or vice versa, there isn’t a lot you are able to do to alter that. If in case you have correctly launched your pets they usually simply don’t appear to love one another, don’t power their relationship. Attempting to forge a friendship between your lizard and cat when each members are unwilling is a recipe for catastrophe. Forcing interactions will seemingly solely stress out each pets and trigger tensions to rise inside your family. In these circumstances, will probably be finest to maintain your pets separated. This may occasionally imply they must be in separate rooms fully. At all times take heed to what your pets are attempting to inform you, and if they’re saying “I don’t like this” you need to respect them and hear.
- Not giving your pets their very own house– Most animals are territorial and be extra aggressive in the event that they assume different animals are infringing on their territory. Due to this, you might discover some stress when you introduce animals in their very own house. For instance, bringing your new Leopard Gecko into your cat’s favourite cat tree might make your cat act aggressively. However, in case your cat finds its method into your new Bearded Dragons enclosure, you may even see your lizard head bobbing and threatening the intruder. Keep away from introducing animals in rooms the place they eat and sleep as they usually view these areas as their territory. So, in case you are fascinated about organising your new lizard’s enclosure in rooms the place your cat eats or sleeps, attempt discovering extra impartial areas. Impartial areas could be areas like places of work or visitor bedrooms the place each pets don’t eat, sleep or frequent usually. These impartial areas are splendid to introduce your pets for the primary time the place each events will really feel snug.
Introducing your cat to your new lizard could be daunting, however when you introduce them correctly your odds of success enhance exponentially.
The primary time you introduce your cat to your lizard you need to present a barrier in between them for security. You also needs to know what harassed conduct seems like so you may inform if this interplay is making them sad. When introducing your pets you need to keep away from introducing them in areas the place they sleep or eat since that may enhance the probabilities your animals turn out to be territorial. Even when your pets type an in depth bond, by no means go away them alone collectively as that may be harmful for each events if issues go flawed.
Lastly, don’t power your pets to be pals in the event that they don’t need to. Some pet’s personalities simply don’t mesh nicely and that’s okay.
Keep away from these errors and your cat might be cuddling together with your Bearded Dragon very quickly!
This visitor put up was kindly contributed by a lifelong reptile lover who has stored pet lizards since childhood. He requested to stay nameless.