Introducing Dogs and Cats
The introduction of a new furry and four-legged family member to a household that already has a pet can be stressful. Particularly if they are not the same species.
The introduction of a kitten to a puppy or vice versa is usually easier than a kitten or puppy to another adult critter, and the introduction of an adult to an adult is even harder.
An adult dog entering the household of an adult cat especially a cat that hasn’t had experience with dogs will often result in the cat freaking out, running away, the dog chasing the cat and the cat disappearing for a few days.
So what can you do?
Prepare and plan ahead
The Cat
Make sure the cat has a safe place (better to have more than one). This is usually a room that the cat enjoys spending time in with a solid baby gate at the door, as well as several elevated places out of reach of the dog throughout the house. The room with the baby gate should have safe secluded spaces, food and water sources, kitty litter, suitable scratching post and preferably Feliway diffuser (feline facial pheromone).
Feliway is a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone and will help miminse stress for the cat or kitten.
Feliway should be used ideally 2 weeks prior to the introduction of a new dog or cat to the existing cats household.
If you have litter trays located throughout the house, ensure that the cat can use them without having to pass the dog, and that the dog can’t eat the kitty crunchies.
The introduction of a kitten to a puppy or vice versa is usually easier than a kitten or puppy to another adult critter, and the introduction of an adult to an adult is even harder.
An adult dog entering the household of an adult cat especially a cat that hasn’t had experience with dogs will often result in the cat freaking out, running away, the dog chasing the cat and the cat disappearing for a few days.
So what can you do?
Prepare and plan ahead
The Cat
Make sure the cat has a safe place (better to have more than one). This is usually a room that the cat enjoys spending time in with a solid baby gate at the door, as well as several elevated places out of reach of the dog throughout the house. The room with the baby gate should have safe secluded spaces, food and water sources, kitty litter, suitable scratching post and preferably Feliway diffuser (feline facial pheromone).
Feliway is a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone and will help miminse stress for the cat or kitten.
Feliway should be used ideally 2 weeks prior to the introduction of a new dog or cat to the existing cats household.
If you have litter trays located throughout the house, ensure that the cat can use them without having to pass the dog, and that the dog can’t eat the kitty crunchies.
The Dog
With the dog (if it is new or the currently existing resident). Have a confinement area – this could be a pen or crate or another room with a baby gate. Teach the dog that this is an awesome place to be and the great stuff happens when you are there (long lasting chews, kongs etc). Plan ahead, and have kongs made up stuffed, and frozen in the freezer ready to go.
I would also recommend the use of an Adaptil collar on the dog regardless of it being the current resident or the new resident. Adaptil collars release dog appeasing pheromone and can reduce stress.
Teach a few reliable cues: leave it, mat, and settle.
Leave it – for obvious reasons.
Mat – gives the dog a go-to place, that is heavily and predictably rewarded.
Settle – to lay down and chill on the mat – reward for duration – begin slowly and increase as the dog is able to succeed. If the dog is reliable at a settle for 5 minutes, when introducing another pet, decrease your reward time and expectations – with the increased distraction, your dog will struggle to maintain a settle for the normal period of time. Check out the 4 D’s of dog training.
With the dog (if it is new or the currently existing resident). Have a confinement area – this could be a pen or crate or another room with a baby gate. Teach the dog that this is an awesome place to be and the great stuff happens when you are there (long lasting chews, kongs etc). Plan ahead, and have kongs made up stuffed, and frozen in the freezer ready to go.
I would also recommend the use of an Adaptil collar on the dog regardless of it being the current resident or the new resident. Adaptil collars release dog appeasing pheromone and can reduce stress.
Teach a few reliable cues: leave it, mat, and settle.
Leave it – for obvious reasons.
Mat – gives the dog a go-to place, that is heavily and predictably rewarded.
Settle – to lay down and chill on the mat – reward for duration – begin slowly and increase as the dog is able to succeed. If the dog is reliable at a settle for 5 minutes, when introducing another pet, decrease your reward time and expectations – with the increased distraction, your dog will struggle to maintain a settle for the normal period of time. Check out the 4 D’s of dog training.
Keep the enclosed areas separate from each other and not in the direct route of the exit the cat/dog flap or to the veranda for afternoon watch time – that way the confined pet won’t be “taunted” by the non-confined pet having access.
Doing this you will be able to confine one pet, while the other is able to mosey around and investigate.
The introduction
Don’t rush into a face to face introduction – let them observe each other over time and wait until they seem pretty non-plussed with each other before allowing them anywhere near each other.
In fact, the first thing I would recommend is rubbing a clean towel over the cat, and allowing the dog to smell it, and rubbing a clean towel over the dog and allowing the cat to smell it.
Next crate the dog or puppy with a yummy kong or chew and allow the cat access to the room if it chooses. If the cat enters, give it attention, food rewards, grooming, and or play (avoid anything that involves sudden movements etc as this may encourage the dog to want to chase the cat).
When the dog and the cat are able to be in visual sight of each other with a safety barrier, and without showing visual signs of stress (check out the body language pages), reward each of them for looking at the other. It will be easier with two handlers.
Use a clicker or maker such as “yes”, and say this when the dog looks at the cat, or the cat looks at the dog – reward calmly with something of high value.
This could be BBQ chicken, or for cats I find that wet cat food from a syringe or sauce bottle works well (mine only get wet food once a week so this is highly desirable for them).
Once they are relaxed in this scenario, use as large an area as possible, that will still allow the cat a safe exit (or two), and have the dog on lead and a handler that is able to safely restrain the dog should they take a lunge (so not your 6 year old with a Rhodesian Ridgeback).
Encourage the cat to approach (no force, no picking up, no lead etc), and reward the dog for remaining calm.
The other thing I heavily reward is calmness. You can capture calmness and reward either of them, when they are not thinking about you, the food or the other pet – pretty much when they are chilled and about to snooze or are watching out the window. The more this type of behaviour is rewarded the more often that it will occur.
Once you are comfortable that all pets are happy and relaxed, you can try without the dog on lead – ensure the cat ALWAYS has an escape route easily accessible.
Do not allow any unsupervised encounters until both the dog and the cat are relaxed in each other’s presence and the dog does not chase the cat.
With time you should have a happy family. You never know, you may even end up with dogs and cats that are besties like Arthur, Koffi, Crikit and Gecko J
Doing this you will be able to confine one pet, while the other is able to mosey around and investigate.
The introduction
Don’t rush into a face to face introduction – let them observe each other over time and wait until they seem pretty non-plussed with each other before allowing them anywhere near each other.
In fact, the first thing I would recommend is rubbing a clean towel over the cat, and allowing the dog to smell it, and rubbing a clean towel over the dog and allowing the cat to smell it.
Next crate the dog or puppy with a yummy kong or chew and allow the cat access to the room if it chooses. If the cat enters, give it attention, food rewards, grooming, and or play (avoid anything that involves sudden movements etc as this may encourage the dog to want to chase the cat).
When the dog and the cat are able to be in visual sight of each other with a safety barrier, and without showing visual signs of stress (check out the body language pages), reward each of them for looking at the other. It will be easier with two handlers.
Use a clicker or maker such as “yes”, and say this when the dog looks at the cat, or the cat looks at the dog – reward calmly with something of high value.
This could be BBQ chicken, or for cats I find that wet cat food from a syringe or sauce bottle works well (mine only get wet food once a week so this is highly desirable for them).
Once they are relaxed in this scenario, use as large an area as possible, that will still allow the cat a safe exit (or two), and have the dog on lead and a handler that is able to safely restrain the dog should they take a lunge (so not your 6 year old with a Rhodesian Ridgeback).
Encourage the cat to approach (no force, no picking up, no lead etc), and reward the dog for remaining calm.
The other thing I heavily reward is calmness. You can capture calmness and reward either of them, when they are not thinking about you, the food or the other pet – pretty much when they are chilled and about to snooze or are watching out the window. The more this type of behaviour is rewarded the more often that it will occur.
Once you are comfortable that all pets are happy and relaxed, you can try without the dog on lead – ensure the cat ALWAYS has an escape route easily accessible.
Do not allow any unsupervised encounters until both the dog and the cat are relaxed in each other’s presence and the dog does not chase the cat.
With time you should have a happy family. You never know, you may even end up with dogs and cats that are besties like Arthur, Koffi, Crikit and Gecko J
References
Adaptil. (2016). Adaptil. [online] Available at: http://www.adaptil.com/au [Accessed 7 Jul. 2016].
Amy Shojai, C. (2016). The Proper Way to Introduce Cats to Dogs. [online] About.com Home. Available at: http://cats.about.com/od/amyshojai/a/introduce-cat-and-dog.htm [Accessed 7 Jul. 2016].
Feliway. (2016). Feliway. [online] Available at: http://www.feliway.com/au/ [Accessed 7 Jul. 2016].
Icatcare.org. (2016). How to introduce a new dog or puppy to your resident cat | International Cat Care. [online] Available at: http://icatcare.org/advice/how-guides/how-introduce-new-dog-or-puppy-your-resident-cat [Accessed 7 Jul. 2016].
Adaptil. (2016). Adaptil. [online] Available at: http://www.adaptil.com/au [Accessed 7 Jul. 2016].
Amy Shojai, C. (2016). The Proper Way to Introduce Cats to Dogs. [online] About.com Home. Available at: http://cats.about.com/od/amyshojai/a/introduce-cat-and-dog.htm [Accessed 7 Jul. 2016].
Feliway. (2016). Feliway. [online] Available at: http://www.feliway.com/au/ [Accessed 7 Jul. 2016].
Icatcare.org. (2016). How to introduce a new dog or puppy to your resident cat | International Cat Care. [online] Available at: http://icatcare.org/advice/how-guides/how-introduce-new-dog-or-puppy-your-resident-cat [Accessed 7 Jul. 2016].
