bringing a cat and dog together. i would like as many opinions and suggestions

[seabeyond]

as i can get.

i have always been a dog person. i have never been around cats. i have a pup. he will be a year in may. still hyper. my niece is moving in. she has a cat. over a year old. she found the cat in a parking lot. the cat has never been around dogs. (and my dog has never gotten close to a cat, but the feral one that taunts him on the other side of the fence).

she says the cat is even tempered. i didnt know cats were even tempered, by the stories i have read on du.

i am totally clueless what to expect. what the possibilities are. or how to bring the two animals together. for anyone that has had experience, i would sure appreciate your stories and any tips you have.

[onehandle]

1. Start by keeping them in two rooms for a day or so, so they can hear and smell each other.

A door with a little gasp underneath between them.

[seabeyond]

2. thank you. here we go. i can do this, lol. i have a toddler fence that i can separate

do you think that would cause too much agitation being able to see but not get to? or separate rooms....

and is all this really easy and i imagine it is going to be harder cause i have never done it before? i am more fearful for my pup. he wont want to hurt, but a cat can sure hurt a pup with claws.

[riderinthestorm]

13. The cat can/will go right over the toddler fence for sure! nt

[seabeyond]

16. lol. i know the cat can. but, i was thinking more to protect cat from dog, but allow them to see

each other. then if the cat is ready, it can do its thing.

[stevenleser]

3. Keep the new cat in a closed room for a few days so they can get each other's scent

Then give them short amounts of time together by allowing the dog in the room, then allow the cat to roam the house for ever longer amounts of time.

At least those are the techniques I have seen explained in vids.

[seabeyond]

4. excellent. thank you. i will watch. i forget, google/friend. nt

[libodem]

9. Ralphie was very interested

In the sound of this and appeared to watch most of it. The little champagne colored kitten looked just like her dearly departed littermate, Bob. Bob was as naughty as Ralphie is perfect.

[Phentex]

5. Here is a thread I had bookmarked...

gives similar advice.

Good luck!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/116112692

[seabeyond]

6. ha. ya. just that. lol. that is great phentex. i will read... nt

[libodem]

7. I think you might have to keep kitty

In a large kennel, like what you transport them to the vet, in. At least for a while. That way they can see each other and get used to the smell. Cats can go on the fritz when they are scared. Big time fight or flight. They can puff up and go on the attack or climb the drapes or disappear in the house under the bed, behind.the couch, or deep in the back of the closet....for days. Don't let the kitty get loose. They fly out an open door. like a shot.

I hope this introduction and association works. It can and does happen. Best of luck. Hope your puppy doesn't chomp the kitty or get scratched.

[seabeyond]

8. lol, ya, all that can not happen. lol. i was thinking a cage. she has one and i have one for the

dog. a pretty big one, even though he is not that big.

[Sweet Freedom]

10. I wouldn't put the cat in a cage

They rarely like being caged and will much prefer to hide under a bed or in a closet (someplace where they can have their back to a wall and the other three sides open.)

Just keep the cat in the same room as it's owner with the door closed. Kitty will let you know when ready to explore.

[seabeyond]

11. ya....

i kept picturing the cat in a cage feeling trapped and extra anxious. i think yours is the best. where niece is staying is downstairs, to the back of house, totally separate of rest of living space. easy to keep them separate. lol. i am so cowardly at this stuff.

[Sweet Freedom]

12. It'll be fine

Kitties keep to themselves when they feel insecure, so as long as there's a good hiding place, food and their human, you may not even realize for a while that you have a furry guest.

[seabeyond]

17. i really like this answer. niece loves this cat. so, i would like for it to work. nt

[libodem]

30. I hope I didn't sound too dramatic

It is just that cats sometimes bond to the place almost as much as their person. They can be dead set on escaping and going back "home". I worry about how fast they squeeze past your legs when a door gets opened. If your niece can keep kitty in her room maybe it will all work out fine without a cage.

When I was about 13 my black cat had kittens. Some kid came to visit my brother and brought his dog. My cat ran out the door, jumped on the back of the big dog and road it out of the yard. No kidding.

[grasswire]

14. First Rule:

Do NOT pick up the cat when it is in an agitated or frightened state.

The cat can just go berserk on you, and you'll end up getting IV antibiotics in the ER.

[seabeyond]

18. lol. and THIS is my concern. cause i see those crazy videos of cats

going beserk. i remember that, though i doubt i would have. lol. i have never in a lifetime been around cats.

[magical thyme]

15. keep the pup leashed on the initial face-to-face

some dogs see cat and immediately go into chase mode. Or they start to walk over, cat panics and bolts, inviting chase. Not a good way to start a relationship.

[seabeyond]

19. good idea. the cat that will come into our yard, and then trapped by the dog

shows that the dog will charge toward, all the while barking and back away. he is as afraid, lol. but certainly agitates the situation

[grasswire]

21. oh lordy

Your dog does this? How do you respond to that?

[seabeyond]

25. I call him away allowing the cat to get away. And he does not come the first call.

It takes a few until he can't disobey anymore. See. This is why I see the cat coming into our home and being terrorized and then my dog getting the shit kicked out of him by the little cat. All these months I have seen no aggression, ever, in my dog.

[grasswire]

29. A dog can kill a cat. A cat can't kill a dog.

So I would be a bit more worried about the safety of the cat.

[TorchTheWitch]

31. cats are damn good at taking care of themselves

I don't like my dog getting so close to a cat since kitteh can take out his eyeballs so fast he'd be staring up at himself wondering what happened. He loves cats though like he loves little dogs but gets too excited when we run into one thus scaring them off. He does try hard to be still and calm and let the kitty come closer to him, but he just can't be patient, and starts wiggling with excitement till he just can't control his enthusiasm, and kitty gets scared and either puts its back up or runs away.

[UTUSN]

20. Critters of whatever variety have never been a problem to me. PEOPLE are a problem to me. n/t

[Arugula Latte]

22. Give away the dog.

Cats rule, dogs drool.

[seabeyond]

26. Luvs my dog. No can do. But your post made me chuckle. Nt

[AngryOldDem]

23. Mine have a (sometimes uneasy) truce.

Our cat was an only child for about six years before the dog came into the house. It may take awhile for the cat to adjust. You might want to keep an eye on possible stress symptoms such as excessive grooming, bad toilet habits, etc., because over time our cat began to show signs of OCD -- but now (after three years) she is finally more accepting of the dog, and at times it can be quite interesting seeing how they interact with each other. We think that deep down the cat likes the dog, but, being a cat, would never in a million years admit it.

The cat is now willing to be in the same room as the dog (for a long time that did not happen at all), will "play" with the dog (swatting and batting that does not seem to be especially aggressive), and when the dog was in this hospital for several weeks following surgery this past fall the cat actually showed some signs of loneliness (looking for the dog, etc.)
that she missed the dog.

Age may play a role too. The cat is entering her dotage and the dog is still relatively young.

In short, like humans, animals are their own beings so it's really hard to say for sure how the two will take to each other. Just be patient and give both lots of time to get used to each other.

I'm going to be more curious here in about a year or so, as we may be adopting my daughter's cat, if she can't take it wherever she ends up for grad school. The cat may not take to another feline in the house at all. But who knows.

[seabeyond]

27. THREE years. Lol. And by then your cat will give up, all the animals you are

Bringing. Thanks for the story. Thanks.

[orleans]

24. my advice: stay on your toes and remember

all the fun things that can happen between cats & dogs:

[seabeyond]

28. That is too cute. I had seen it before and that is one of my issues.

Seems those cats always rule, lol. Not fair

Cute. Thanks

[hamsterjill]

32. It needs to be longer than "a few days"

The two need to be separated for at least two weeks. It would be best to have kitty in one of those large dog crates (the wire kind that would give space enough for food and a litter box).

Personally, I like to move the crate to various rooms so that the scents get put over the whole house. For cats, at least, and dogs, I believe, it's really all about the scents!

Then, when you feel it's time, introduce the two slowly and for short, supervised intervals at first.

Best of luck!

[RedCloud]

33. I have three dogs and one cat

The cat came in as the newbie and was only a few months old. He was fixed, Two dogs are Tibbies and they will breed once they get along in years and I need replacements. The other is a golden retreiver right when they start the breed, so she is very red and absolutely loves love.

So the big dog kind of adopted the kitten as her long lost puppy that she never had.The Tibbies were somewhat aggressive to it, but the male stopped after two days. The female was aggressive until she sniffed him and realized he was a boy. She then fell deeply in love with him.

The kitten is now 25 pounds and much bigger than the Tibbies. Sometimes he plays too rough with them. He sleeps on top of the big dog and they hug each other,

I think since both your pets are new they should get to know each other asap so they don't get territorial. It might seem crazy but you should them on an imaginary hunt in your house. Chances are they are waiting for you to show them and if the gods be with you, they will bond into a pack!

[Blue_In_AK]

34. We had an older cat first

and then brought the puppy in later. That worked fine because the cat was able to establish dominance early on and kept the dog in her place. They became great friends. The cat died in October and the dog still seems to be looking for her sometimes.

[joeybee12]

35. All god ideas here...also take a washcloth, dry, and rub the cat all over...

And throw that where the dog hangs out, then use a second dry washcloth to rub the dog, and keep that where the cat is...this way, they get used to the smell before they see the other animal, and the smell isn't so new and threatening. If possible, give them short periods of time together at first, increasing each day. After they are separated, give each a treat.

[sammytko]

36. They should be fine. I have 8 dogs, 8 cats - 3 of the dogs are foster dogs.

When I brought them in, the other dogs just swarmed them, smelled them, then ignored them. Cats kind of did the same thing.

Sometimes one of the male cats will grab one of the pups, nip her on the head and then start licking her. The pup submits and all is okay.

Only problem I've had with the latest foster that was a street dog. If one of the cats comes flying in the room, she will bark and jump, but after telling her NO, she stopped. But she is a good dog overall. Street dog, but instantly housebroken - amazing.

[bettyellen]

37. switching it up a bit as to who gets caged helps, as does treats- while they are interacting well...

reward them for it immediately. When they learn they can both eat and both play and both be loved in the same space at the same time, they start to relax.

[ailsagirl]

38. It may be a little rocky at first, but the two can be friendly

Or, at least, tolerate one another. One of them will have to be boss, however.

Good luck!!

P.S. Cats are wonderful-- you may even grow to like it. And there really are mellow cats.

[irisblue]

39. 3 ideas from a dog/cat person

1-The first week or so all of the critters are freely moving thru the house, keep a short 6/8 ft leash attached to the dog, just in case it gets bad quick you can pull the dog back quickly. A fast gentle correction can stop a lot of trouble.
2-My dog is a greyhound mix, some times she gets that faroff small moving critter look, gotta do my DNA stuff, we use the phrase "NO KITTY" loudly, it works 98% of the time, it seems to reset her to oh yeah there in the pack. the other time one of the cats was in the dogs food bowl.
3-kitty litter pans are full of interesting to dog smells... keep the litter pan the dog cannot ever get to it to clean it out for you.
pictures when you can please.