The truth is that we all love animals and some of us dream of Snow White’s life because she had a lot of animal friends that helped her cleaning the house. But unfortunately, just like humans, animals have different personalities and needs, so real life is not as magical as we want. 

Moreover, some animals do not get along very well. Of course that there are always exceptions to the rule as you can see dogs and cats being best friends, but usually there are problems with keeping different species together in the same house. 

So, while there are some species of animals that can cohabit, there are also many creatures that can hate or even kill each other if they live in the same household. So, you have to be careful with your pets combinations and read on for more information!

Avoid mixing predator-prey pets

Even if animals can be socialized, primary and natural instincts do not. So, if you thought about adopting pets that might hunt each other you may have made a mistake. For instance, if you already have a cat, but you want to adopt a fish too, you should know that your cat will change its behavior and will be on the lookout for hunting all day long. Thus, it is recommended to avoid predator-prey pets.

“Typically, in pairing we commonly stress predator-prey relationships in multi-species pairings. However, this is not always a factor. Early exposure during an animal’s critical development period can greatly impact their ability to socialize,” said Brian W. Ogle, assistant professor and program coordinator, Anthrozoology at Beacon College Leesburg, Florida.

Dr. Ogle has two cats that get along with a rabbit as well and he said that “this is only successful because my cats were exposed to rabbits as kittens and have grown up with them. Reinforcement of positive behaviors were critical.”

Pay attention to fish relationships as well

Even though you see a lot of fish groups in different animal documentaries you should know that they form fish communities of the same species, they are not different. So, if you want a fish as a pet you should know that they cannot get along with other species because each creature has different needs, and some can become aggressive.

“For example, Lake Tanganyika cichlids can only be housed with other cichlids of the same area of origin. The different varieties of these cichlids each have their own unique habitat requirement,” says Dr. Ogle.

Some birds can’t live together

If you are not an animal expert you probably won’t notice that some animals have different characteristics at first glance, and birds are some of these animals. For example, in the case of birds, apart from the color of the feathers, sometimes we see no other difference. 

But it seems that birds of different feathers can’t live together because they have special needs and unique personality traits. So, if you want to raise a hummingbird you can’t mix it with a canary, because they can hate each other.

Pay attention to farm animals as well

Even though we often see adorable and relaxing pictures of different animal farms where all the creatures play on the green and sunny meadows and everything is wonderful, well, in reality, things are completely different. Some animals can’t live together, even if they are domestic or exotic. For instance, donkeys and dogs do not get along very well if you do not familiarize and socialize them from an early age.

“A surprising combination that does not work well together for most pet owners are ducks and chickens,” explains Dr. Ogle. “They require vastly different habitats and physical needs.” Another odd couple is the rooster and drake (male duck). They can be aggressive in a flock. “Turkeys and chickens also have to be managed carefully. The main concern here is a parasitic infection known as blackhead disease,” says Dr. Ogle.

Reptiles and amphibians do not always get along

Most of the time, reptiles and amphibians do not always get along and cannot coexist. Moreover, there are some species of reptiles that can carry different types of bacteria and it can be harmful to other creatures. In addition, they have special needs and it can be quite difficult for them to connect with each other. For instance, you can’t mix an iguana with a tortoise and it is obvious why. 

“This is especially true for animals that come from very different areas of the world and live in very different climates. It is not recommended mixing animals that do not naturally exist in the wild or share similar requirements in regard to climate, space and nutrition,” says Dr. Ogle. “Even if the other animal does not attempt to eat their roommates, the build-up of toxins in the habitat can impact the other animal,” warns Dr. Ogle.

Pay attention to your pets’ friendships

When choosing your pets it is very important to first find out what personality traits they have, their needs and allergies and how they behave in general, then you can adopt another animal. However, another essential thing that you have to take into consideration when you want to extend your family is familiarization and socialization. If you want to build a strong friendship between a dog and a cat, then you should socialize them from an early age. 

“When choosing to pair pets together in the same home, or as I like to call it ‘building your pack’ it’s important to develop a strong understanding of your pets’ personality traits such as focus characteristics, social style and experience level,” says Jessica O’Neill, canine behavior specialist and inventor of the JWalker dog harness. 

“For instance, pairing an introvert, environment-focused cat with a social, rough playing dog will not likely be an easy combination. Whereas a pairing a tolerant, owner-focused dog with balanced social skills and a young social dog with a rough play style may help prove to be an excellent combination,” explains O’Neill.

Introducing unfamiliar animals to each other

When you want two, or more, animals to live together you have to keep in mind certain aspects, such as their personality traits and needs, and also the way you let them meet each other because you now have the most important role. If you know how to handle the situation then you will be a good owner who can have a lot of animals on the farm. So, the whole process depends on you.

All you have to do is to “keep the animals in separate rooms where they can smell one another, but cannot make physical contact. Once they feel comfortable in the space for some time, switch the two animals,” says Dr. Ogle.

When animals smell each other they become more familiar with their new friend and it is important to do this as often as you can. Then the next step is to let them get to know each other but from a considerable distance.

“Once the two animals have successfully been introduced, it is important to redirect any negative or aggressive behaviors and continuously reward positive behaviors,” instructs Dr. Ogle. “Your home should also be designed in a way that each of the animals have their own space that is theirs alone. This will allow them to retreat when necessary, but engage with the others on their own terms.”