Have you ever watch dogs and cats fighting? Yeah, in common situation, cats and dogs seem to be enemies. These two common pets are not commonly kept together in a house.
There is not any clear reason why they cannot get along together, but do you know that some cats and dogs even build a sweet relationship?
It is certainly possible to have a cat and a dog in a house. It all depends on how you handle these two pets together. Yeah, the key is on the owner. If as an owner you can treat them well, then everything will go smoothly.
Another key of a successful introduction is a very well preparation instead of the rush one. Let’s see the 4 interesting tips on how to introduce a newly dog to your cat.
How should
you introduce a newly dog to your cat?
The process of introducing a newly dog to your cat might be very hard at the beginning, but it doesn’t mean it is impossible. Basically, dog and cat have different personality and characters so it won’t be that easy to make them getting along with each other. However, don’t worry because here are the 4 interesting tips on how to introduce a newly dog to your cat.
- Get prepared of everything needed
Welcoming a new member in the house surely needs some preparation. To your cat, make sure you prepare a safe and comfortable place for it. Prepare a safe place for your cat that the newly dog cannot access.
This is quite important in case your newly dog accidentally attack your cat someday. You don’t have to prepare a special place for your cat, just make sure it has a place to hide in every room, even on top of the cupboard or bookshelves.
Cats are known to be comfortable to hide and stay in high places that mostly dogs cannot reach. Read more about boarding facilities reduce stress level on cat to make your cat feel more comfortable at home.
- Watch your cat’s reaction carefully
After the cat is in its safe place, try getting your newly dog roam around for more or less 30-40 minutes. This is done to get the newly dog used to of the smell of the cat.
Then, you can bring your dog out for a walk and let your cat get used to of the smell of the dog as well. The next step will be putting your dog with a short leash and try to get closer to the cat. The use of leash will enable you to pull the dog back once it starts chasing your cat.
After that, put your cat in its carrier and let it walk around. Praise it with some rewards or treats whenever it shows good behavior. Then, you can let your newly dog and cat “check” each other from a distance.
But, be aware of their reactions. If they can show good reaction and behavior, don’t forget to praise them by giving treats. You can see whether it is effective to use food to train your dog.
You can also please your cat by doing things that make your cat happy.
This is also important. Again and again, this must be done to prepare unexpected situation between your newly dog and cat. Train some essential commands your dog must know , such as “sit”, “stay”, and “leave it”.
Once your dog is ready with your commands, try facing your newly dog with your cat. If your dog reacts too much on your cat, you can ask it to sit or leave it. If these commands don’t work, then try to calm him.
Furthermore, you can praise the dog once it follows your commands and stops to disturb and get the cat. Praising the dog can be very effective, watch the steps on phasing out treats when dog training.
- Leashed instruction is a must!
Just as mentioned before, for the few first meetings, make sure you put your dog on a leash. This will be easier for you to correct your dog once it shows unexpected reactions toward the cat.
Keep putting it on a leash until it is calm enough while it is facing the cat. Once your dog ignores the cat, and the cat eats its food and use the litter box normally, then you can move to the next step. Unleash the dog and let it meet the cat. See their reactions until they feel happy and relaxed with each other.
Cats and dogs seem to be enemies and it creates quite goosebumps to imagine how they can get along. However, if you do all the preparations and set all the things well, trust me, your cat and dog will have a very sweet bonding both to each other and to you. Who doesn’t feel excited of being loved by these two lovely pets?