Not necessarily. First and foremost, you should know your dog. Certain predatory breeds such as terriers, bred to route out small rodents, will be a constant terror to cats and other small animals.
Laura Garber
Introductions should be done carefully, safely, and gradually. Start with the animals separated by a door, so that they can get used to each other’s scent before facing the challenges of proximity. You can put their food bowls on either side of the door (starting at a distance and gradually moving the bowls closer to the door) so that they associate the presence of the other with pleasant times in their day.
After a few days of this, try a short introduction. The dog should be kept on leash or crated at all times in the presence of the cat. Do not allow the dog to chase, as it will give him opportunity to practice and perfect a potentially dangerous routine and could also prove quite harrowing for the cat.
Instead, have a handful of tasty treats with you so that you can reward the dog for polite, quiet behavior as the cat moves about freely. Do not punish your dog for excited behavior, as he may start associating the cat with unpleasantness. Instead, ask for some basic obedience commands such as sit or down and reward him. If, at any point, the cat becomes overly stressed or afraid, it can take hours for her to return to a state of calm. It’s best to terminate the interaction and try again another day, perhaps more gradually.
Be the master of all initial interactions between the animals. This means keeping them separated when you are not home or not actively supervising. It can also be helpful to establish safe zones for the cat. Cats particularly enjoy the refuge of vertical space, so I decided early on not to allow my dog on the furniture; this left the furniture as a safe zone to which the cats can escape should they want some distance. Cat trees or nooks in bookshelves also make good, high refuges.
Ultimately, as time passes and they become more comfortable with each other and you become more comfortable with their interactions, you may notice patterns emerging in their relationship.
I recently introduced my dog Trista to a cat who lived in our building. At the start, the cat Niño gave Trista a fair number of warning thwacks across the snout -- his way of establishing that he was no push-over! As they became more familiar with each other, Niño’s thwacks became more playful, but his corrections when Trista overstepped her bounds more severe – a nip to her ear (eliciting quite a yelp!) or a battery of thwacks with hissing, to which Trista was quite respectful. It was at this point in the relationship that I knew that not only were they safe companions but also fond, playful ones!
The time spent carefully establishing the relationship will be richly rewarded with years of companionship and harmony.
In their earliest interactions, make sure that good and rewarding things happen in each other’s company so that their being together is not simply about sharing their favorite resource – you! Play with one while the other enjoys a puzzle toy filled with treats in his crate, for instance. And, as a final caveat, remember that having more pets means more of your time, not less; so, if you are pressed for time with the family you have, be grateful for the love you already share and leave it at that.
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jodi sh doff
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introducing new animals Thanks for this article. I've done the same with intro-ing new cats to each other. I actually set up a fence down the middle of my apt using wire shelving and hanging it across an arch way all way from the floor to the ceiling. The cats could see and smell each other and get as close as they wanted safely. They could both see me no matter which side I was on. It worked perfectly and more than once.... |
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