Introducing a Cat to a Dog

Written by Melanie   
Don’t leave the Dog and the Cat/Kitten unattended until you are confident that they are friendly towards each other. You don’t want a little puppy to be injured by a cat attack or for a new kitten to be badly bitten by a playful dog. Save yourself a vet bill and separate animals when you are not home.I recently had a client bring a small breed of dog home to their beautiful one year old Male burmese. The client informed me that she thought the cat would still be young enough that it would instantly just take to the dog straight away without incident. Unfortunately this concept is not likely even if the kitten was 10 weeks old.ANY cat that is not familiar with dogs is going to be scared initially and will act un-characteristically aggressive initially. Introducing a kitten or cat to ANY other animal (dog or cat) will take time. YES – The younger the cat is the easier this will usually be but don’t be surprised if your affectionate, composed cat turns into the devils spawn at the sight of another cat or dog. A cat that has lived in its domain (which it allows you to share) won’t like the thought of any animal invading its territory and a kitten that isn’t familiar with dogs may act aggressively for a couple of days until it becomes accustomed to the idea of a canine companion. With time and patience cats will usually come around to the concept of tolerating a dog and many eventually learn to love the dog.These tips should help you make the introduction process as smooth and as stress free as possible…If you already have a dog and you a bringing home a new kitten – Dogs may see the kitten as a soft toy and you need to ensure the kittens safety until the dog has an understanding of what is going on.Initially I would probably recommend that you don’t introduce the kitten to the dog straight away. Lock your dog away (or put outside) with some toys, food, water etc and let the kitten explore without feeling threatened by dog. It is stressful enough being in a new home away from everything that the kitten is used to so adding on the stress of dog is not recommended for at least the first 24-48 hours. Once the kitten is comfortable and is eating, drinking and using the litter tray with confidence then you can start doing some slow introductions. As a general rule short introductions with a MINIMUM of an hour gaps in between is the way to start. These introductions can then be extended in both length and frequency. If the kitten becomes really scared at any point separate and try again after an hour or so.1. A good way to let the kitten become familiar with the dog is to give the kitten the dogs bed and let her smell it. You can do the same for the dog by giving it a blanket or towel that has been used by the kitten.2. Leave the kitten in a fully enclosed carry box and let your dog come and sniff the carry box. As soon as the cat gets stressed and hisses take the carry box away. Bring it back again 20 minutes later and repeat the process about 4 or 5 times. Then leave for the day and repeat the following day till the hissing stops then try either option 3 or 4. You can also try putting your dog in the carry box and let the kitten explore around the carry box.3. Put the kitten in a glass shower with the door closed. Put your dog in the bathroom and let them meet each other through the glass. If all goes well you can crack open the door a tad and let them sniff each other.4. If all is going reasonably well you can then try this…. If the kitten is sleeping let the dog come and sniff the kitten. Then swap over – when the dog is sleeping let the kitten come and sniff the dog. This in non confrontational way for them to initiate close contact.If you follow the above you should find the dog and cat are getting along just fine within about a week after the first introduction. Burmese love company and adjust to other animals usually very quickly.FEEDING: This can be difficult if your dog is allowed inside also. You may be able to feed your cat up on a laundry bench or on a surface that your dog can’t access.  If you already have a cat and you a bringing home a dog-In the case of SMALL breeds of dog I would recommend you clip the cats claws. Where you are bringing home a large breed puppy (German Shepard, Rotti or similar) the cats claws may come in handy for the cat to be able to protect itself from a playful puppy bite.1. A good way to let the Cat become familiar with the new dog is to give the cat the dogs bed or blanket and let her smell it. You can also do the same for the dog by giving it access to the cats bed to sniff. This allows both animals to become familiar with the others smell without any contact.2. Leave the cat in a fully enclosed carry box and let your dog come and sniff the carry box. As soon as the cat gets stressed and hisses take the carry box away. Bring it back again 20 minutes later and repeat the process about 4 or 5 times. Then leave and repeat the following day till the hissing stops then try either option 3 or 4. You can also try the reverse of this. Put the dog in the carry box and let the cat approach it. 3. Put the cat in a glass shower with the door closed. Put your dog in the bathroom and let them meet each other through the glass. If all goes well you can crack open the door a tad and let them sniff each other. Again swapping them over may also help.4. If all is going reasonably well you can then try this…. If the dog is sleeping let the cat come and sniff him. You can also let the cat approach the dog while the dog is sleeping as this is a non confrontational way for them to initiate close contactIf you follow the above you should find the cats are getting along just fine within about 2 to 3 days after the first introduction. Burmese love company and adjust to other animals usually very quickly.FEEDING: This can be difficult if your dog is allowed inside also. You may be able to feed your cat up on a laundry bench or on a surface that your dog can’t access. There is a fantastic product on the market called Feliway. We stock it here or you can possibly purchase on Ebay. This is often used for cats in multi cat homes or to relax a stressed cat. There are 2 versions of Feliway:1. A plug in Diffuser2. A pump spray bottle that you spray on areas where the cat is spraying (walls, furniture etc). We stock this product or you can order on Ebay.See further info on Feliway Below. I pulled the following from this site: http://www.pethealth.com.au/index.cfm?Do=View.Page&PageID=57

How should pheromones be used to improve behaviour of cats?

Use of Feliway Diffuser the unit is for indoors use only.plug the diffuser in a power point in the room most used by the cat during the day and don’t turn it off at night place the diffuser near the cat’s bed or common sleeping area if possible don’t put the diffuser behind a door or cover it in any way don’t put the unit under furniture – the vapour is oil-based and can rise and possibly stain furniture the more contact the cat has with the diffuser, the better the effect will be consider housing your cat inside if it is a roaming cat or has ‘outside the house’ issues one diffuser lasts for approximately four weeks and covers an area of 50 – 70 square meters. The vapour produced by the unit is heavy and will sink down to pet level so the height of a room is not a problem but the vapour will be dispersed by strong breezes the pheromone has no effect on humans or on your love life!! It is species specific. What behaviours can be improved with Feliway Diffuser?Feliway helps to stop fear or prevent fear and stress-related signs in kittens and adult catsIt can assist to resolve spraying behaviour in catsIt can be used to assist assimilating a new kitten into a homeIt can be used to assimilate an adult cat into a new home It can be useful for assimilating an introduced cat into a house where other cats already liveIt can sometimes be helpful for inter-cat aggressionIt can be helpful for excessive vocalisation and nocturnal vocalisationEffects are usually noticed within 14 days and improve further over the first month. Use the units for a least one month. Total duration of use depends on the condition being treated but can be up to, or longer than, three months. What are the costs of the Feliway System? To use a high-level product like this, you need to know how to use it. Most cases need full assessment to establish a diagnosis and to map a treatment program.We will not supply Feliway units without some form of consultation as the units need to be use properly to be effective. However the good news is that you get a free five minute telephone consultation if you buy a pheromone unit.To ascertain if the use of pheromones is appropriate, consider a telephone assessment. If pheromones are appropriate, I can then courier the units to you. Advantages of PheromonesEase of use – plug it in and turn on the powerpoint. Ten seconds of work for one month of therapyNo side effectsScientifically proven to be 70% effective for target behaviours relating to anxiety, fears, establishing pets into new territories and other behaviours Disadvantages of PheromonesNot effective for pets housed outdoorsNeed to be left in an active powerpoint for 24 hours a day at least for the first monthNot always a certain cure for target behaviours.Cost