Having dogs or cats as pets are quite a common practice, but nowadays people are keeping bearded dragon as the pet too. If you already have the quadrupled as your pets, there is no point in giving them away just because you wish to bring home a bearded dragon.
It is obvious that you have thousands of questions swarming around in the corner of your mind, but don’t be troubled. We will be answering them all and clear the doubts on this matter.
Contents
Can Dogs/Cats and Bearded Dragons Be Friends?
There can be different cases of co-habiting the dragon with the cats or dogs. If the cat or dog is already there in your house, and you are adopting a bearded dragon recently then you are already pretty much aware of the nature of your old pet. If your pet is already pretty friendly in nature, then the chance of mishap decreases.
Cats and dogs are hunting animals by nature. They will get genetically attracted to the bearded dragon and try to attack it thinking it to be a hunt. Though it is not an obvious situation and you can take a chance by taking the bearded dragon for the first time to the other pet’s proximity.
How to ensure bearded dragon safety when Cats or dog around?
You need to be alert always and keep an eye on the bearded dragon to ensure its safety, at least for the first few months.
- When you are letting the bearded dragon roam freely in the house, try to keep watch on it. Also for that time, take the cat or dog away so they do not harm it while you are not watching.
- If the dragon is already there and you are planning to bring a cat or dog then it may be a bit more difficult case. You need to keep the dragon within the terrarium for the first week.
The terrarium also should be covered with the screen cover so the other animals may not access it easily. It will definitely attract the attention of the new cat or dog, and it will take time for them to understand that the bearded dragon is another habitant of the house, like them.
Will My Cats or Dogs Attack My Bearded Dragon?
Even if the cat and dog become friendly with the bearded dragon and both of them get compatible, there can be attacks on the smaller one.
Bearded dragons are not generally aggressive by nature, so the chances are, it will get cut or scratched while playing with the cat or dog. Cats and dogs have sharp toenails which can cut the neck, back or tail part. Even when they are playing, there can be cut marks on the body of the bearded dragon. If you see any such cuts or scratches, do not panic and take the bearded dragon to the vet for treatment.
If the cut is serious and you see the dragon to bleed, do not wait for the vet to attend it. You can follow the primary steps like washing the cut and applying iodine on the cut to avoid septic or bacterial infection.
How these two pet react to Bearded Dragon?
It has been found from the response of the pet owners, that cats become easily friendly with the bearded dragons. The relation between the feline and the reptile pet are usually much smoother than any other kind of interrelation between different species pets.
There are reasons for it. Bearded dragons are calm reptile and they do not tease the cats like the mice do. Cats often like to prey the mice and birds as these small creatures move fast and initiates the hunting process. This does not happen so with the bearded dragon. So when the cat sees bearded dragon for the first time they merely get curious.
Bearded dragons take time to notice and adjust other animals around it. So you should keep it within the terrarium for the first few visits with the cat or dog. Slowly it will get accustomed with the presence of cat and if it does not see the cat attacking it, it will not feel stressed.
In terms of body language, there are some similarities between cats and bearded dragons. Whenever a bearded dragon is anxious or terrified it will puff, hiss or wave its arm.
You can take the clue and take it away from the surrounding area of the cat. Also the cat can be seen bending their back or slowly wagging their tail, which indicates they are getting angry or feeling agitated. You can keep these two pets separated until they retain to their normal state.
Conclusion
Like human, cats, dogs and even bearded dragons have their individual personalities. So when you think of following the above suggestions and keeping both the pets at the same house, be watchful. If you have bonded with one pet then you are aware of its likings and disliking, nature and habit.
Try to habituate the other pet according to it and let them be friends slowly. If you are lucky you may see them cuddling with each other, which will prove that both of them are feeling safe and enjoying each other’s company.
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