Helping Your Dog and Your Cat Get Along
February 3, 2010 by Paris and John
Filed under Tips
Will your new dog like your cat … and visa versa?
The way in which a dog reacts to a cat can vary. Some dogs will immediately perceive a cat as prey and will do everything they can to chase the cat. Other dogs will be less aggressive and more on the curious side towards the animal. This curiosity can turn into play or aggression, which depends on the way the cat responds to the dog. The dog may want to play at first but the cat may feel threatened, become defensive, and start acting aggressively. This can trigger and provoke the dog’s own aggression.
Then there are dogs who seem to fall in love at first glance when they see a cat. They are relaxed when in the cat’s presence and view the animal as the ultimate play toy. Hopefully the cat will respond in the same manner and there will be no problems between them.
Rules Of The Introduction
The manner in which you introduce the two animals can mean the difference between a long-lasting relationship or aggression and injury to one of them. Your goal during this introductory period is to help both animals become familiar with one just a little bit at a time. Friendship between a cat and a dog depends upon friendly familiarity.
Plan to supervise. Always be on your guard for the cat’s protection and safety. When you can’t supervise, separate the two until you can return home. The length of this introduction phase can vary. Sometimes cats and dogs can become best friends in a matter of days, while other situations could take weeks or even months before the animals start tolerating each other.
You must be willing to put in the time in order to babysit these meetings for however long it takes. It may go fast or it may move at a snails pace. Either way, your responsibility in guiding the animals together and maintaining the peace is key to a successful friendship.
The introduction between a cat and a dog can best be broken down into the following steps:
Step 1: When you first bring home the new dog (or, later, a new cat), confine each of them to a specific area of the house where they cannot see one another. They’ll be able to smell and hear each other without seeing each other. The new guy gets used to this new living area while the resident pet is safely confined.
Step 2: During this time apart, grab an old towel or T-shirt and rub it all over the new dog. Then take the towel and bring it into the room where your cat is. Place the towel next to the cat so that she can get used to the new dog’s scent. This is the first step in getting each animal used to one another.
Step 3: Continue this arrangement about an hour or two then switch up the scene. Place each animal in the room where the other was at beforehand, and be sure to give a scented towel to the new dog, with the cat’s scent.
Step 4: Next create a positive association with one another by having each animal on different sides of a closed door. Place some treats or pet food for both of them next to the door. The goal is to get each animal to enjoy their food while knowing they’re close to one another. This starts a positive association between the joy of food and knowing that both pets are doing something fun while sensing each other’s presence.
Step 5: Continue with this arrangement until you notice that the animals are less curious about sniffing each other from underneath the door. Your next move during this introduction period is to allow each animal to see one another, but still being divided by a gate or screen door. There may be some initial tension which will eventually subside through treats and petting of both animals.
Step 6: Once they are both calm and relaxed, slowly allow more interaction.You can bring them both into the same room, but keep your dog on a leash while you sit on the couch. The cat will approach your dog at its own pace.If your dog becomes overly excited, a quick spritz of water is plenty for discipline. Your job is to prevent your dog from creating the habit of becoming excited and wanting to chase the cat. And the cat must come to understand that the dog will not harass it.
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