Harmony Between Cats and Dogs

It's true! Not all cats and dogs want to act like their stereotypes, but to make sure your household becomes a place of peace and calm, you need to handle their introduction correctly and make sure that puppy gets a bit of education.

Nevertheless, much will depend on the disposition of your cat. Cats that to have a timid character, rescue cats can be prone to this, can respond badly to the first appearance of a dog. Such cats should be left unaccompanied. Both animals are hunters by nature, so their instinct is to chase anything that runs away. In addition, puppies and kittens are both curious and like to investigate everything, kittens though, don't like to suffer fools gladly and, if anything adverse happens, it can affect them well into adulthood.

When any puppy sees a cat for the first time it'll want to investigate. Being a hunting animal, if the cat runs away, the puppy will chase after it and in no time at all, the cat will quickly get scared of the puppy. Cats that look for refuge high up will get barked at, as a sign of the puppies frustration of not being able to play with his new acquaintance! At this point, the cat can become so traumatised, it can leave home.

Therefore, it is critical to condition the puppies behaviour if any chance of a permanent friendship is to succeed.

Generally, the best kind of dog to introduce into a household with a cat is one that has a calm and placid temperament and is unlikely to react to sudden movement. Skittish, highly strung, or dogs that have been bred for pursuit are unsuitable, the poor cat will have a nervous breakdown. A puppy also needs to learn the command "NO" quickly.

The most important time is the first five or six meetings between the two. On no account just dump the puppy down with the cat and see if they "get on". Puppies are usually kept in the kitchen for a month or so for house training, but it is also a good way of enabling the cat to come and visit and, more importantly, retreat when it wants to. After about a week, try putting the cat in a pet carrier on a table, or similar, where the puppy can't get at it. Do this for about fifteen minutes, two or three times a day, so they both get used to each others scent. If you find that the puppy barks to much, try using treats as a distraction. It is sometimes a good idea to do this just before feeding time so the puppy is getting peckish and can be more easily distracted with food.

After a week or two and if the cat seems happy, introduce the two with a lead on the puppy to curb any sudden movements whilst they investigate one another. At this point all you are trying to do is build familiarity, so don't let them play and don't force the cat to come near the puppy. You can use treats to encourage the cat, but be sure you also distract the puppy from trying to play with the cat. If, after the first ten or so meetings, there are no 'fight or flight' reactions, the cat will start to relax. As the cat relaxes the puppies excitement should also reduce and overtime the cat will accept or even enjoy the company of the puppy.

Hopefully, all this effort will produce results, and you have a happy household with both cat and dog, and what better way to celebrate this new alliance than a professional pet portrait, a momento that will remind you of happy times for many years to come.