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Introducing Your New Dog to your Pet Cat
Cats are territorial and need to be introduced to other animals very
slowly in order to give them time to get used to each other before
there is a face-to-face confrontation. Slow introductions help
prevent fearful and aggressive problems from developing. When
you introduce any new pets to each other, one of them may send play
signals which can be misinterpreted by the other pet, especially if
they are of a different species (i.e. dogs "bowing" and barking at a
cat). If those signals are interpreted as aggression by one animal,
then you should handle the situation as aggressive.
Preparations
Before the actual introductions take place. Take the following steps
to make the first meeting a little bit less stressful for both pets.
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Swap scents. Grab a rag or towel and gently give your new pet a body
massage using it, his smell will cling to the material, then place
it near your resident cat's food dish. Use a second towel and
massage your cat, placing this cloth near your dog's bed. This will
allow them to smell each other without endangering your cat. Do this for every animal in the house.
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Swap living areas. Keep your new dog in just one room during the
introduction period. After a day or two, when he's adjusted to his
new home, allow him to have free time in the house while confining
your other pets in the newcomer's designated room.
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Feed your resident pets and the newcomer on each side of the door to
this room. This will help all of them to associate something good
with each other's smells. Don't put the food so close to the door
however, that the animals are too upset by each other’s presence to
eat. Gradually move the dishes closer to the door until your pets
can eat calmly, directly on either side of the door. Next, use two
doorstops to prop open the door just enough to allow the animals to
see each other, and repeat the whole process.
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Avoid any interactions between your pets that result in either
fearful or aggressive behavior. If these responses are allowed to
become a habit, they can be difficult to change. It's better to
introduce your pets to each other so gradually that neither animal
becomes afraid or aggressive. You can expect mild forms of these
behaviors, but don't give them the opportunity to intensify.
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If one of your pets has a medical problem or is injured, this could
stall the introduction process. Check with your veterinarian to be
sure that all of your pets are healthy. Try to keep your resident
pets’ schedule as close as possible to what it was before the
newcomer’s appearance. If introductions go bad, always give both
pets a chance to calm down before re-introducing them to each other.
The Introduction
Once your pets are interacting calmly through the door, you are
ready to try supervised visits. These visits will work best if your
dog has at least basic obedience, a well trained dog will be more
controllable if the introductions start to go badly. But even with a
well trained dog, you should probably keep him on-leash and with you
whenever your cat is free in the house throughout the introduction
period. You should also be sure that your cat has an escape route
and a place to hide. Keep your dog and cat separated when you aren't
home until you’re certain your cat will be safe.
Exercising and feeding your dog before introductions may help relax
him and put him in the right mental state for the first meeting is
to take place. If your cat is nervous by nature, you might
want to put her in a carrier at first. Very young kittens may not
show any fear at all if they have never met a dog before, but any
sudden moves from your dog and you might cause an instinctive
response. If the cat is from a previous home where it lived with a
dog, it may be just fine to let her walk around freely and introduce
herself. Again, I emphasize the need to keep your dog on a short
leash during this introduction. Even if the cat appears comfortable
with the dog, your dog may have different feelings.
Dogs can kill a cat very easily, even if
they’re only playing. All it takes is one shake and the cat’s neck
or back can break.
Talk soothingly, and give your dog lots of praise and treats during
the initial introduction. If he shows any sign of aggression or
eagerness to give chase, curb this behavior immediately! If he
becomes overly excited it would be best to end the visit and try
again later. Repeat this process in the
form of several short visits a day, gradually allowing your dog more
leash in reward for good behavior. When both pets have consistently
shown acceptance for each other, you can move on to allowing your
dog "off the leash" supervised interaction time. If problems occur,
go back to using the leash again, and start the introduction process
over again. Never leave a dog and cat alone together unless you are
sure that there will be no danger to either pet.
When it Doesn't Work Out
If introductions don’t go smoothly, don't push it! Animals can be
severely injured in fights, and the longer the problem continues,
the harder it can be to resolve. Conflicts between pets in the same
family may be resolved with professional help, but you may have to
accept the fact that neither animal is ever going to accept the
other. Some dogs simply will not get along with cats, and the only
humane thing to do is to send him back where he came from or find
another good home for him with no resident cats.
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