Drew Barrymore's #1 Tip for Introducing Cats and Dogs (Plus, Why She Calls Her Daughter 'Ace Ventura')

If you're thinking of welcoming a new cat to your family of pups, then we've got some advice you'll want to hear—courtesy of our favorite pet mom and happiness guru, Drew Barrymore.

PureWow caught up with the 48-year-old talk show host at a recent event to celebrate the launch of Purina's Tidy Care Comfort, and she opened up about the key to creating a harmonious space for her dogs, her cats and her bearded dragon.

Tidy Cats

While discussing how her pets interact, Barrymore told us. "They all do get along. They seriously coexist so harmoniously, and I'm thrilled because it's a very zen home."

The #1 way to help a blended pet family get along? Good energy. "You just hang out with them while they hang out with each other and you sort of let them know everything's cool. Your energy has a lot to do with it. There's not that frantic energy of like, 'Get in your space, I'm gone all day.' There's a nice amount of energy in the house and they pick up on that. There's no stress. It's not a rigid household. It's groovy."

Tidy Cats

Barrymore also explained that age and history can affect how her newer pets respond. She said, "I [adopted my cats] when they were young. So I think age plays a role in domesticating animals to your style or preference."

The star added, "If you want to get a kitten, that kitten won't know different and will be like, 'Guess what? Dogs are my jam.' So sometimes that history, or lack thereof, can play a part in my experience."

The actress revealed that seeing them play and sleep together is one of the most rewarding parts of being a pet parent. Barrymore told us, "I like when they play together. I think it's so cute. My cat Lucky always wants to play with my dog Douglas. Especially his tail, and she snuggles with him in the bed. And if I'm in my bed and I see them like spooning I can't even take it. It's the happiest thing I could ever see in my life. When the kids are in the bed and all the animals are on the bed I'm like, 'This is the happiest square footage I've ever known in my life.'"

Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images

The Santa Clarita Diet star is a proud pet mom to a bearded dragon named Jeremy, two dogs named Douglas and Lucy and four rescue cats named Peach, Lucky, Big Kitty and Little Kitty Barrymore. As it turns out, Barrymore's 10-year-old daughter, Olive, plays a big role in creating a cozy atmosphere for these pets, thanks to her natural abilities with animals.

"My daughter Olive is a total animal whisperer," Barrymore said. "I call her Ace Ventura. She's so good with animals, it's bizarre. Olive has got this gift. She handles them well, she manages them well [because of] her energy and her playfulness. She'd like, go grab wild ducks from a pond and bring them over, and they're totally putty in her hands."

In addition to discussing her cats, Barrymore got candid about the differences in her approach when it comes to managing her pets and raising her daughters.

She said, "A woman I work with, who’s a behavioralist for children, she said, 'I feel like you have such conviction when it comes to your cats. You're so alpha and strong and unquestionable. And then with your kids, sometimes you’re a little more tentative and nervous.' And I was like, ‘Oh... they’re different.’ But it’s true."

She continued, "I think because I started getting animals when I was younger and I'd been doing it for 20, 30 years now, it's just that command, that no-nonsense. But with the kids, I was like, 'Oh my gosh what do I do?' And I think they just smell my fear. Animals don't smell my fear."

As for whether the mom of two is open to expanding her family of canines and felines, she said, "Oh my gosh, not even a little. I told the girls we are done for a while. I'm like, 'No more.' We're at capacity, but I'll let you know when something changes."

Regarding her partnership with Tidy Cats, Barrymore told us, "I just thought they were very cats over commerce, and I just appreciated how much they cared about the cats' well-being and their comfort."

Sounds like Drew's pets are in the best company.

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