Introducing Your Canine to a Cat: A Step-By-Step Guide
Despite the long-running stereotype, dogs and cats are not archnemeses. These two furry friends can live in harmony if introduced correctly. To help you do just that – here is a step-by-step guide on introducing your canine to a feline.
The Prep Work
One of the most important things you can do ahead of time is to ensure that your cat will have access to a dog-free area at all times, so that in the case that they feel threatened or overwhelmed, they know that they have a safe space that they can retreat to. We’ll refer to this designated area as the “sanctuary room.” The sanctuary room can be any size – but it should have a secure door and ceiling. This space should also include:
- A litter box
- Water & food bowls
- Cat toys
- Scratching posts
Consider setting up hiding places or tunnels within the sanctuary room to give your feline an extra sense of cover, safety, and comfort.
Keep in mind that this will be a several-week process (if not longer) if you want to do it the right way without upsetting either animal too much.
Keep the Two Separated at First
Once you adopt the new cat or dog and bring them into your home – keep your cat and dog separated for the first 3 to 4 days at the very least. Work to prevent any contact between the two pets until they’ve been examined and cleared by vets to be free from any illnesses. The goal here is also to get both pets familiar with the presence of the other without having to ensure any face-to-face interactions. Even though they can’t see each other, they’ll be able to hear and smell each other.
Feed Them on Opposite Sides of a Closed Door
After the two animals have been living in separate areas of the same house for a few days with no contact, you want to slowly increase their interactions by feeding them together, but on opposite sides of a closed door. The idea here is to teach both pets that the presence of the other is to be associated with positive things (like getting fed). With each daily feeding – move the bowls closer and closer to the closed door and continue this process until each furry friend can calmly eat right next to the door.
Meeting Face-to-Face
Now that you’re two animals can calmly eat near one another (even if there is a door separating them) – now’s the time to start actually introducing them to one another. You’ll want the two pets to meet and greet in a common area of the house (do NOT use either pet’s sanctuary areas). For the first few sessions, keep them short and calm with your pup on a leash and allow the cat to come and go as they wish. Do not use your physical body as a restrain for wither pet, as this could just result in injury and aggressive behavior. Reward both pets for calm interactions and behavior, and if either starts to demonstrate aggressive behavior, then calmly distract and redirect them.
Repeat These Sessions Daily
You’ll need to repeat these sessions every day; otherwise, you’ll risk losing progress. If you only give your pet’s treats once a day or save a special treat for once a day – make that time during their regular meet and greet for the day. This is so that, once again, they associate the other animal with positivity and rewards. Also a reminder, you’ll want to try to end each session before wither animal starts showing signs of stress or aggression.
Allow the Pets to be Loose in a Room Together
After your meet and greets have been going well and your two pets seem to be getting along, then you might want to take a step towards allowing them to be around one another loose in a room. You’ll want to keep Fido on their leash and allow it to drag on the floor so that you can jump in and grab it if things go south. Suppose any sort of tension erupts – every back to earlier steps and repeat the process.
You’ll want to continue separating the pets if they’re not supervised until you’re confident the two can get along with no problems. If you’re finding that it seems to be harder to get your two pets to get along than you anticipated, always check in with your vet first to ensure there aren’t any other deeper problems going on.