Sarah-Jane White A tale as old as time; the dog chases the cat, the cat growls, swipes at the dog and (usually victorious), hops to a high place out of reach of the ego-bruised dog.
Although cartoons and movies have conditioned us to believe that cats and dogs are mortal enemies, in reality, cats and dogs can absolutely live together. If you’re hoping to introduce a new cat to your dog or vice versa, we’ve gathered our best tips to ensure a smooth transition and minimize stress for you and your furbabies.
But first, consider the following before attempting to introduce your new pets:
Considerations Before Introducing Cats and Dogs
Age
Significant age differences can affect the ease of transition for your pets. Most pet experts recommend raising cats and dogs together for the optimal relationship. In contrast to pets of a similar age, introducing a rambunctious kitten or puppy to your senior dog/cat can be challenging. The discrepancy in energy can be overwhelming for your senior.
If you’re bringing in a new puppy to your cat, you should expect the cat to be wary at first—after all, most puppies will grow to (or quickly surpass) your cat’s size! Patience is key.
Behavior
If your pet is generally nervous or aggressive towards other pets and animals, it’s understandable they won’t be welcoming to a new cat or dog. You can consider bringing your current dog to obedience classes or doing some at-home training to help them understand boundaries with a new pet.
Territory
Introducing a pet to an unfamiliar environment can be a stressor for the animal. They take time to acclimate to unfamiliar surroundings. Cats and dogs are territorial, which means that having their own space is important. Bringing one pet into another’s territory can cause anxiety and a shifting power dynamic between your pets. A great way to allow each of your pets to have their own territory is by marking out specific spaces for them. Installing an outdoor cat enclosure or creating designated nooks in your home with beds, toys, and feeding stations can give each pet a sense of ownership and security. It’s akin to having a room of one’s own—a place where they can retreat, relax, and recharge without the fear of invasion or competition. A designated spot for each to call their own also mitigates the likelihood of conflicts arising from territorial disputes. Much like people, animals need their personal sanctuary where they feel safe and unthreatened.
How to Introduce a New Cat or Dog
With the consideration of age, behavior and territory in mind, we’ve gathered the following tips to create a smooth transition when introducing a new pet to ensure your cat and dog live in harmony.
Do’s:
Use desensitization before face-to-face introduction
Desensitization is a method of introducing cats and dogs that reduces your pets’ reaction to one another, lessening the likelihood of a negative interaction.
Sound: You can desensitize a dog to a cat and vice versa by playing them sounds of the other animal’s meow/bark. You can play recordings of your pets for one another, or use a video like this one. Start with the recording at a low volume and gradually increase it after multiple plays, until there’s no reaction from your pet.
It might sound silly, but desensitization is a proven method for reducing fear in pets, particularly dogs. This guide from VCA Animal Hospitals explains how to use desensitization and counterconditioning to help your pet manage new stimuli.
Scent: Dogs and cats have significantly stronger senses of smell than humans, which they use to detect food, threats, and other animals. When you adopt a new pet, rescue agencies often recommend putting one of your T-shirts in their kennel or carrier so they can adjust and bond to your scent.
Similarly, introducing your new cat or dog to the others’ scent can help all of your pets adjust better. Many dogs’ first instinct when meeting a new animal (or human) is to smell them, which can be threatening for a cat and might result in a scuffle.
Placing a blanket, towel or sheet that has your new dog or cat’s scent in a common area for your pets will allow them to explore the scent without getting overwhelmed.
Sight: We’d recommend using baby gates when you first introduce your pets, ensuring it’s high enough to keep your cat from jumping out or dog from barreling through.
When you do bring your pets into the same areas without a barrier or baby gate, ensure there are places where your cat can easily get away from the dog if they need to. Usually, that means elevated surfaces like furniture, but you can get a cat pole or tree so that they have somewhere private away from your dog.
Take your dog on a long walk
The biggest threats to a smooth transition for your animals is stress; naturally, having a new presence (and species) in the home can disrupt the natural patterns and hierarchies that are important for animals.
Your pets can get stressed when they’re met with unequal energy. A high energy dog can overwhelm a cat, just as a boisterous kitten can overstimulate a dog.
Bringing down your dog’s energy will level the playing field and reduce their reactivity to new stimuli. The first time you introduce your pets, particularly if you know your dog is excitable (certainly if it’s a puppy), take them out for a long walk before the meeting.
You can burn off any excess energy or anxiety to ensure your dog is in a relaxed state to meet your new pet.
Keep meetings short and staggered
The first few meetings between your pets will be charged. They’ll sense that you’re nervous, and they’ll have their own response to one another. Keeping them separated during the first meeting will help them feel protected and less stressed.
Introduce them in small increments starting with just a few minutes. Make sure to give your pets significant breaks in between these first few meetings, and distract them from one another. Over time, you can reduce the barriers and increase the time they spend together. An incremental approach will help your furbabies get used to one another before they have free roam in your house.
Don’ts:
Be impatient
This one is going to be tough, but it’s very important. Just like people, animals need time to bond and accept one another. Rushing or forcing an introduction upon your pets can start things off on the wrong paw and end up creating a lot of anxiety for your pets.
When you first bring a new animal into your home, most experts recommend giving them a separate room or zone of your house so they can warm up to the space without having to meet your pet at the same time.
Once you do introduce your pets, don’t feel discouraged if they don’t immediately bond. Although cats and dogs can live together, the myth that they aren’t meant to be friends does have some truth in it. Cats are famously skeptical, and dogs can be too excited for their own good. Remember, they don’t have to be close to live in peace—sometimes the best living situation just means keeping their distance.
Feed your cat and dog in the same place
This one is key! Dogs and cats are territorial animals, especially when it comes to their food. Don’t feed your pets in the same place, as they might end up competing for each other’s food.
Also, test feeding them at the same or at different times. If your dog is intrigued by your cat’s food, feeding him or her at the same time will keep them distracted, unless your dog eats quickly.
We recommend feeding your cat on an elevated surface inaccessible to your dog, so that your cat can eat at their pace without fear. As an alternative, move your dog to another room or outside while your cat eats.
Expect them to share
At a biological level, cats and dogs’ primary goal is to survive. In a domestic environment, cats and dogs know that maintaining your affection is how they get fed, walked, and taken care of.
As such, they might start to compete for your attention once they’re sharing a space. You have to make sure you divide up your affection equally, especially if you’re bringing in a puppy or kitten that requires that extra care.
All aspects of their care should be equal; if you give your dog a treat, do the same for your cat. This can reinforce the idea that a “win” for one pet will result in a positive for the other, and help them bond.
In addition, make sure they both have designated places to sleep and rest, whether that be on the furniture or in separate beds. There are plenty of pet beds, crates, or other options that will fit in with your home’s decor and provide a private safe zone for your pets. This will improve your new cat’s sense of safety and wellbeing, as they tend to be shy animals and prefer small, warm places to hide.
Are some breeds more friendly than others?
We believe that all animals are inherently kind and capable of co-existing with almost any other animal, provided the correct training and no pre-existing issues.
Note: Despite attitudes towards some dogs as more aggressive (notably dobermans, rottweilers and pitbulls), experts have not conclusively determined that a particular breed of dog is more aggressive than another, it’s entirely a case-by-case situation.
When it comes to rescues, adopted dogs or cats may come with complications or increased aggression because of abuse or neglect they’ve experienced, and the stress of being in a shelter. This can make introducing a new pet complicated, but not necessarily impossible. Training (with a professional or at home) can help your pet become more comfortable.
The breeds that experts recommend for cohabitation with cats are those that typically possess the following traits; easygoing, patient, low-key and gentle. These can be the traits of any dog, it truly depends on temperament. Getting the “right” breed won’t make a difference if the pet isn’t well cared for. If they’re cared for and well-trained, they’ll be able to get along with any animal—even aquarium-housed freshwater fish.
That being said, these are the dog breeds experts recommend:
- Basset hound
- Husky
- Pug
- Golden retriever
- Labrador retriever
- King Cavalier Spaniel
- Beagle
It’s similar among cats — it truly depends; however, we want to highlight a few breeds that will likely hold their own better with a dog:
- Maine Coon (the largest domestic cat breed!)
- British Shorthair
- Himalayan
- Norwegian Forest Cat
- Abyssinian
- Tonkinese
- Ragdoll
No matter which breeds you choose to introduce to one another, cats and dogs can definitely share a home, and even become close, which is the best feeling as a pet owner. The love you show your pets will help them love each other. Make sure to use best practices and keep their needs as the top priority, and things between your furbabies will work out.
We’ve gathered some common questions below to help you further:
How long does it take for a cat to get used to a dog?
There’s no easy answer—it depends on the dog and the cat! One expert says 2-3 weeks is the usual timeframe for a cat to get used to a dog, although a pair may take more or less time. Providing boundaries and ensuring your dog is properly trained will help make the transition easier for you and your pets.
If they don’t get along, it’s not the end of the world. Aim for tolerance and let them go from there.
How do you keep cats and dogs in the same house?
To sum up what we’ve shared in our tips, here are the best practices you need to follow when keeping a cat and dog in the same house:
- Make sure they have separate places to sleep and eat.
- Divide up your attention equally between them; they shouldn’t have to compete!
- Be patient with your pets. It will take time and it doesn’t mean you have a bad cat or dog (or that you’re a bad owner!)
- Don’t expect your pets to share—it’s just not their general inclination.
How do I know if my dog will be OK with a cat?
Playing a recording of cat noises can indicate your dog’s reactivity to cats. If your dog exemplifies defensive body language, growls, or bears its teeth, you should think carefully about introducing a cat into your home.
.This article was originally published on www.rufflesnuffle.co.uk. If it is published on any other site then it is without the permission of the copyright owner.
