How To Introduce A Cat To A Dog
It may be something of a cliché that dogs and cats don’t get on that well, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t also true. There is something about the two species that, for the most part, means that they inherently mistrust one another, and that can be a problem if you want to have both a cat and a dog living happily in your home. The following ways to introduce a cat to a dog (and vice versa) should help.
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels
Prepare
It would be a bad idea to bring your new cat home and place them in front of your dog (or the other way around) and hope for the best. This is not how friendships are born, but it is how enemies are made. Assuming you are bringing a new cat into the home, they will need to have a room ready where they can be isolated for a few days or so. There should be water and food in there as well as a litter box and a bed. You can even include some CBD for cats to help calm them.
Let the cat become adjusted to their new home before introducing the dog as well, otherwise, it can be too much. It’s during this stage that your cat may decide to shout rather loudly about things, and your dog may decide to join in. This won’t last too long, but you may want to search out headphones or similar to keep the noise out for a while, and warn your neighbors too.
Use The Door
When this feeding ritual has taken place for a week or so, it’s time to move on to the next step. Place your cat in a crate or pet carrier and place them in the center of the room. Then put the leash on your dog and lead them into the same room. Stop where your dog can see the cat but not where they can touch them in any way. Keep a little slack in the leash but stay prepared in case your dog lunges at your cat and you need to pull them back.
Leash And Crate
When this feeding ritual has taken place for a week or so, it’s time to move on to the next step. Place your cat in a crate or pet carrier and place them in the center of the room. Then put the leash on your dog and lead them into the same room. Stop where your dog can see the cat but not where they can touch them in any way. Keep a little slack in the leash but stay prepared in case your dog lunges at your cat and you need to pull them back.
Remember that pets often respond to their owners’ feelings, so if you’re tense and unsure, your animals will pick up on this, and they will not be comfortable, which won’t help the situation. Do this for a week, at least three times a day, and then move to the next step.
Let Them Loose
When the animals are more used to one another, it’s time to let them loose to meet each other properly. Start with letting your cat out of the crate but keep your dog on the leash. Assuming this goes well, you can remove the leash as well. Assuming the other meetings have gone well, your animals should now be curious about one another but not alarmed.
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