introducing dogs and cats

[dabs]

My dogs are kept apart from any new fosters that arrive here, because we do not know how the cats will react and one fo the dogs likes to chase strange cats that she does not see as "hers."

Once the cats know that the dogs are on the other side of the door, we leave the door open for the cats to wander in if they want under supervsion normally for the first few times. By which time they smell of home and the dogs do not see them as strange any longer.

Once we know that they will be alright together, we just let the cats wander in and out at will. Usually takes about a month for the fosters to get used to the dogs, however some feisty cats have been known to give the dogs a good right claw if the dogs get too close. Also the dogs will protect their dinner and snap at any cat that comes close at dinner time, so bear that in mind.

All the fosters I have had thru here and I have never known a cat not tolerate the dogs at some stage.

[bonnielass]

when i first brought Axel (border collie) home 4 weeks ago i brought him into the house on the lead and kept him on it for a while i then put the stair gate up so he could see them and vice versa,my cats are used to dogs so no problem there but Axel had been tied up most of his life and altho he had seen cats  he had never interacted with them,at first he went bombing up to Snuggs, she hissed at him, he backed off, then my little oriental Kali went straight up to him,nose to nose and promptly smacked him one on the end of his nose since then he has had a healthy respect and doesnt bother them at all,and now its not unknown for Kali or Cheeks to lie in his bed with him,it just takes time and patience but it can be done

[blackcat]

Sounds like a normal cat reaction then ...

This is how Smidgen greeted poor Shadow when he arrived ...



Shadow was bemused as he was used to this sort of relationship with a cat:



But they have now worked things out between them and this is their present state of play:

[Honeylyn]

Thanks Blackcat, I did take my dog down there and kept him on his lead or held him. The female after weighing him up walked a circular route to him the got right in his face and hissed, she then sat under a chair and tried to swipe at him if he went within reach with alot of growling. Her son had a couple of looks at him from a distance and then stayed out of the way on the window ledge very wide eyed.

I will take Angus down in his crate as you suggest but I'm concerned about Spider attacking him and him not being able to escape.

We are all going to live at my house which is rented but this is only if they don't damage the house. Which is why I wanted to have them here really. They have done some damage at my partners and Spider is not always clean, but they have been left alone alot. I hope that because I am home alot this will not be an issue.

[blackcat]

Hi Honeylynn and welcome to Purrs. Can I suggest that it might be better to take the dog to the cats, rather than the other way around. That way they would be in familiar territory and not so stressed as they might otherwise be by the whole experience. Similarly, I think that keeping the dog in a crate might also be preferable as the cats will then be able to choose how close they get to this strange new animal.

Cats have a strong flight instinct, so taking them to a new environment to introduce them to the dog would also create the risk of them running away, escaping through a window or door that you thought you had shut, and never being seen again. I would definitely not be taking them to the dog if it were me.

I have a dog and two cats and it does work, but only if you do it with care and with a sound understanding of the characteristics of both animals ...

Good luck with the introductions!

[Honeylyn]

Hi, I'm new to this site and would say that I'm a dog person having a Cairn terrier. My partner has two rescue cats and we want to introduce our "children". I really don't know much about cats apart from the fact that they seem very different to dogs so I need all the help I can get.

I had planned to borrow a friends very large crate and bring the cats here next weekend. Start them off in the crate whith my dog loose but telling him to leave them then to put him behind a bay gate in the kitchen and let them out to explore for a bit.

The older female is about6- 8yrs and seems very dominant to me, her son is very timid and may be about4yrs.

Any help, advice will be gratefully received.