Adopting a dog..how to introduce the cats?
- Thread starter sallyomally
- Start date
Give the cats secure areas where the dog can't get to, and let them introduce themselves as they feel comfortable.
What type of dog are you thinking of adopting?
I bought two baby/ child safety gates to restrict the dogs to certain areas of my house as it's open plan and I let the cats go wherever they wanted. My younger pup does still chase the cats but they have higher places to jump up and away from her. The cats have accepted the two dogs quite easily as I had been expecting tantrums.
I bought two baby/ child safety gates to restrict the dogs to certain areas of my house as it's open plan and I let the cats go wherever they wanted. My younger pup does still chase the cats but they have higher places to jump up and away from her. The cats have accepted the two dogs quite easily as I had been expecting tantrums.
OP
OP
What type of dog are you thinking of adopting?
I bought two baby/ child safety gates to restrict the dogs to certain areas of my house as it's open plan and I let the cats go wherever they wanted. My younger pup does still chase the cats but they have higher places to jump up and away from her. The cats have accepted the two dogs quite easily as I had been expecting tantrums.
Not sure what kind. Medium to smallish. I would love a whippet or greyhound mix. We have plenty of places for the cats to hide,so we'll just take it slow and see what transpires. Thanks for the info, ladies.
Greyhounds were bred to chase and kill. You have to be careful in adopting those breeds, and select one where that drive is low, if you have cats.
Dedalus
Mercurial and fleeting
We were once in a position to foster a Great Dane - so we brought him over to see how things would go. While none of the cats were freaked out whatsoever, he did try to chomp on one of them. So that was out. I believe our cats felt that they were in their safe place and therefore had nothing to fear - even though this monster of a dog was something new. So...I guess it can be tricky is what I'm getting at.
I will add that my sister had some sort of a whippet type dog - and he made her cats' life hell. They were always up above cupboards, or under the couch. Sure there were plenty of hiding places - but I don't think they had a very good life always trying to avoid the dog. (And they never adjusted to one another.) If it was me - I wouldn't really want my cats having to 'hide' in the place where they once felt safe.
At any rate - good luck!
I will add that my sister had some sort of a whippet type dog - and he made her cats' life hell. They were always up above cupboards, or under the couch. Sure there were plenty of hiding places - but I don't think they had a very good life always trying to avoid the dog. (And they never adjusted to one another.) If it was me - I wouldn't really want my cats having to 'hide' in the place where they once felt safe.
At any rate - good luck!
jeneticallymodified
Forum Legend
the most important thing in the cats minds, is that they need to be 110% sure that the dog absolutely won't chase them, and won't do anything silly- they're not going to trust him at ALL, if he's unpredictable, and can't mind his business and stay out of theirs.this is exactly why you do not want to introduce a puppy. puppies aint smart or predictable, and they don't know their strength. also avoid breeds like greyhounds, lurchers, jack russells, terriers, etc, unless you know that the individual dog is very lazy and laid back and doesn't chase or grab- and he's proven this to be true in your experience.
for your sanity, you need to be 110% sure that the dog knows his place in the pack order (which is way down below even the smallest cats) and you need to be sure that he will do exactly what you tell him to do, every time you tell him, before you even dream of leaving the two groups together under minimal supervision (if he won't listen to you, he aint gonna respect the cats authority, and as he's more likely to kill them accidently than the other way round, he needs to respect them when they say 'no').
the best way of introducing cats to dogs in my experience, has been to start by getting them used to the dog smell -and vice versa, before they meet face to face. swap out blankets, let people sniff around each others rooms while the other parties are elsewhere (don't carry them across hallways out of arms reach of each other, or anything, use a third room to rotate them around out of sight).
when the dog is out in a communal area and about to be introduced to the cats initially, let him get his bearings, make sure he's chilled out (maybe that he's been on a good long hike and had a big dinner and fancies a nap pretty soon) and get him relaxed and settled (no playing games for a while), and then when you think he's calm enough to be there with cats around, get somebody else whom the cats know, to let them out into the space. initially that dog needs to be on a leash, and to stay right at your side- clip him to your belt if you need to. you need to be able to get him to sit, and stay, confidently, at the speed of lightning.
you need to have positioned yourself with the dog, somewhere that the cats won't charge into you both by surprise (so you sat on a chair that they can see across the room before approaching is good, just around the corner of the hallway is bad!). it's important that cats have places that they can be which are up pretty high (they feel safer) and that they can get somewhere that he can't (leave a closet door wedged open just enough for them to sneak in, or use a babygate to block off a room, or something.
the dog needs to be doing his sitting and staying when the cats first see him (which they should instigate at their own pace) and he needs to sit and stay while they approach, walk by, give him a suspicious look- even if they come right up to him (only if they want to) and sniff him, and even if they hiss- and then they'll likely leave in a small flounce if he doesn't do anything (they're just telling him not to mess with them). if they actively approach and then go as far as to stalk, verbalise threats, pounce, and strike him, then honestly, they're probably not gonna come around long term. that's relatively unlikely to happen unless they've been rescued from outside or had very negative dog experiences in their pasts, but if it does, don't grab at the cat to get them off the dog unless it's totally necessary- it's always better to startle them with a loud noise or surprise (throw a saucepan across the room, get your friend to yell and clap their hands or drop a jar of pennies- give them a reason to snap out of attack mode and bolt for cover, that isn't you picking the dogs side in a fight, in their mind. otherwise they can start to redirect aggression at you, and/or pick on the dog when you're not looking.
when the two parties meet, keep talking to the dog, keep him focussed on a treat, keep him still and dog and calm, get a friend to distract the cats a little with toys, treats, dinner, etc... but that dog needs to be still, and stay put.... if he can't, don't let them share a space until he can. once they've got used to his presence, you can give him more line, let him walk about, etc, watching him to see how he interacts with them. but take your time. if the cats get stressed, don't push them.. wait a bit before reintroducing them. consistency is really key.
puppies aint smart or predictable, and they don't know their strength. also avoid breeds like greyhounds, lurchers, jack russells, terriers, etc, unless you know that the individual dog is very lazy and laid back and doesn't chase or grab- and he's proven this to be true in your experience.for your sanity, you need to be 110% sure that the dog knows his place in the pack order (which is way down below even the smallest cats) and you need to be sure that he will do exactly what you tell him to do, every time you tell him, before you even dream of leaving the two groups together under minimal supervision (if he won't listen to you, he aint gonna respect the cats authority, and as he's more likely to kill them accidently than the other way round, he needs to respect them when they say 'no').
the best way of introducing cats to dogs in my experience, has been to start by getting them used to the dog smell -and vice versa, before they meet face to face. swap out blankets, let people sniff around each others rooms while the other parties are elsewhere (don't carry them across hallways out of arms reach of each other, or anything, use a third room to rotate them around out of sight).
when the dog is out in a communal area and about to be introduced to the cats initially, let him get his bearings, make sure he's chilled out (maybe that he's been on a good long hike and had a big dinner and fancies a nap pretty soon) and get him relaxed and settled (no playing games for a while), and then when you think he's calm enough to be there with cats around, get somebody else whom the cats know, to let them out into the space. initially that dog needs to be on a leash, and to stay right at your side- clip him to your belt if you need to. you need to be able to get him to sit, and stay, confidently, at the speed of lightning.
you need to have positioned yourself with the dog, somewhere that the cats won't charge into you both by surprise (so you sat on a chair that they can see across the room before approaching is good, just around the corner of the hallway is bad!). it's important that cats have places that they can be which are up pretty high (they feel safer) and that they can get somewhere that he can't (leave a closet door wedged open just enough for them to sneak in, or use a babygate to block off a room, or something.
the dog needs to be doing his sitting and staying when the cats first see him (which they should instigate at their own pace) and he needs to sit and stay while they approach, walk by, give him a suspicious look- even if they come right up to him (only if they want to) and sniff him, and even if they hiss- and then they'll likely leave in a small flounce if he doesn't do anything (they're just telling him not to mess with them). if they actively approach and then go as far as to stalk, verbalise threats, pounce, and strike him, then honestly, they're probably not gonna come around long term. that's relatively unlikely to happen unless they've been rescued from outside or had very negative dog experiences in their pasts, but if it does, don't grab at the cat to get them off the dog unless it's totally necessary- it's always better to startle them with a loud noise or surprise (throw a saucepan across the room, get your friend to yell and clap their hands or drop a jar of pennies- give them a reason to snap out of attack mode and bolt for cover, that isn't you picking the dogs side in a fight, in their mind. otherwise they can start to redirect aggression at you, and/or pick on the dog when you're not looking.
when the two parties meet, keep talking to the dog, keep him focussed on a treat, keep him still and dog and calm, get a friend to distract the cats a little with toys, treats, dinner, etc... but that dog needs to be still, and stay put.... if he can't, don't let them share a space until he can. once they've got used to his presence, you can give him more line, let him walk about, etc, watching him to see how he interacts with them. but take your time. if the cats get stressed, don't push them.. wait a bit before reintroducing them. consistency is really key.
Most rescue centres in the UK will tell you if the dog has been cat tested or if they are definitely not cat friendly. Some people foster out dogs in their own home so they should be able to see first hand how a dog reacts to cats before you adopt them. I was actually reading an online debate last night about certain breeds of dogs living with cats but I think it depends on the temperament of the dog. I avoided certain breeds when I was looking for my rescue dogs but now I've seen enough photos of dogs like Staffies/ Greyhounds snuggling up with cats to realise that it isn't always the breed that you have to consider.
jeneticallymodified
Forum Legend
the breed is a factor amongst many.
by selectively breeding dogs (and cats) for certain behavioural traits and body types, we can predict with a degree of confidence what they're predisposed towards in many regards- be it hip or sinus problems, or a highly strung attitude or energetic personality. there are always going to be differences in individual dogs and cats (and people) regardless of their family backgrounds and genetics (it's the whole nature verses nurture debate) ... but while i hate to be biased and prejudiced, and approach all animals as individuals, with equal merit, i'll admit that i've been bitten unexpectedly by way more tortie cats, had more interactions with siamese kitties who wailed like crazy, and met many many more snappy little buggers of the jack russell variety than other types of dog.i'm not anti-dog at all. my childhood cats grew up with a springer spaniel. she was dumb as a bag of bricks, ever so keen, petrified of gun noises (a breeder sort of dumped her in our direction because she was destined to be a pedigree gun dog who brought back shot ducks, but constantly ran the wrong way and hid). she was used as a pillow by many cats, without a single issue.
dogs and cats can work out awesomely, incredibly well- but it's really very dependant upon all 3 unique parties in the relationship- the cat, the dog, and the human.
^ One of my dogs is a JR so maybe I'm prejudiced. Personally I wouldn't adopt a dog/pup if the background wasn't known and she hadn't been tested with cats by the rescue centre. There seem to be lots of lovely family pets of all breeds handed in at the moment in the UK just because the people can't cope financially. I wouldn't adopt an ex-racing greyhound with cats though.
Personally I wouldn't adopt a dog/pup if the background wasn't known and she hadn't been tested with cats by the rescue centre. There seem to be lots of lovely family pets of all breeds handed in at the moment in the UK just because the people can't cope financially. I wouldn't adopt an ex-racing greyhound with cats though.
OP
OP
Thanks very much for the excellent advice,which will be very helpful in choosing a dog when the time comes. I do appreciate it!
^ One of my dogs is a JR so maybe I'm prejudiced.
One of my dogs is a JRT. I was reluctant to take him in because of the breed's strong prey drive. After I caved, I worked long and hard with him, and he is very eager to be The Good Dog. When we go somewhere, he won't even look at a cat, to the extent that people remark on it. He will also stop in his tracks on my "No!" command if a rabbit or squirrel breaks in front of him while we're outside. He is my one dog who is completely reliable off leash.
But I knew my initial concerns weren't unfounded - after I brought him in, my cats disappeared upstairs and didn't come down for two months. They had always been around dogs, but they picked up that there could be a problem with Jack.
Jeneticallymodified, thank you for your informative post. A friend is adopting a rescue pug and has a cat. I'm sending her your post.
