Introducing Your Cat to Your Dog
Cat and dog introductions can be a very intense and sometimes even scary thing. It’s not always a fun task to take on but someone has to do it if you want a calm and safe household for you and your pets.
Just throwing your cat and dog in a room first thing, together, is a very bad idea. They need to get used to each others scent first and I highly suggest doing that through a door. Keeping up on the proper cat care and keeping your cat in a safe room where your dog can’t get into is key. Make sure that your cat has a bed, toys and food since they will be in there longer than usual. Visit with it and make sure they are sniffing each other out. If that isn’t working, placing a toy or piece of clothing with the others scent on it and introducing that to them can help as well.
The dog being the bigger animal, in most cases, needs to be on a leash when you decide it’s time for them to meet face to face. This will make sure that they won’t lunge at your cat and possibly harm them. If you have a cat that is bigger than your dog, still a good idea since the dog could approach to cat too quickly and he or she could get hurt. Cats claws aren’t friendly. Just letting them see each other for a few minutes and being in the same room is a good start as long as you are present.
After doing this a few times, it may be time to let your pets interact with out any restraint. It’s really what you feel comfortable with, you know your animals best. If they play nice, then keep repeating this but don’t get too comfy and leave them alone quite yet. That should take some time. If you are having trouble and none of this is working for you, speak with your vet for other ideas or you could even have a professional come in. Don’t give up on your cat or dog though, I’ve been through this before and it takes time, patience and being consistent.
