Cats and Dogs CAN Live in Harmony, Here's How!

Let's bust the myth with this guide on how to introduce cats and dogs to one another.

If introductions are carefully thought out and done over time then there's no reason why cats and dogs shouldn't live in harmony with each other in your home. For a long time, owners have struggled with choosing between the two, but what if there's a way to have both? Well, in this blog we'll go through the methods of introducing cats and dogs to each other in a safe way that will lead to a lifetime of love! Hey, they may even become the best of friends.

Have A Little Patience

• The best of relationships require patience and hard work, so the most important thing is to not rush this process, because that's when unsafe encounters occur. Don't expect new members of the family to get on straight away with existing members because territoriality and loyalty is ingrained into both dogs and cats' brains. Keep the cat and dog separate for few days whilst 'scent-swapping'. Swap bedding that each pet has slept on into the others environment, and/or where the same clothes after petting them. Let them get familiar with the scent of another animal.

Prepare For First Introductions

• Once a few days has past, and the recognise the scents, that's when you can start introducing them into a closer proximity of each other. Baby gates/stair gates will really come in handy here as the dog will be confined whilst being able to see the cat, just make sure the cat has somewhere to go if the situation become stressful. High locations like cat shelves/towers are great. Make sure these first encounters are monitored.

And So It Begins...

• The first time they will be in the same room as each other, it should be in a calm familiar environment, again where the cat can escape if necessary. Use high value treat to get the dogs attention and/or reward good behaviour such as impulse control. It will also be beneficial if the dog is both mentally and physically tired so you could take them for a walk and/or play some mental games before hand.

• Have the dog on lead, and allow the cat through the stair gate if it wishes to, and reward calm behaviour. Then progress to sniffing. If the cat is comfortable, let the dog sniff the cat, watching for any signs that things may escalate or the cat is stressed. If this happens remove them from each other and don't punish the dog by shouting as that will create negative associations with this process.

• If all is well, keep rewarding the dog for good, calm behaviour and then reintroducing them back to the cat to encourage positive associations. Keep these introductions short and if your dog has a chase or attack instinct then keep them on a much shorter lead until they learn the cat is not for chasing or a threat. Don't be afraid to take steps back in the process if it is too much too soon for either or both animals. Don't rush it!

Things To Remember

• Be extra careful with kittens and puppies, as at these stages they are extra curious but also extra sensitive and more susceptible to negative encounters, and you don't want to add any trauma to either animal at a young age as this can carry on into adulthood which will lead to a life long battle to change their reaction to the other species.

• Keep their food separate. Dogs can become aggressive when they think their food could be threatened and this may cause some negative interactions if the cat is lurking around the dog's food bowl.

• Don't leave them together unattended for at least a month or two, or until you feel totally confident that they will be able to ignore each other when they are in close contact.