Date Posted: 3/25/2012 6:25:51 AM
Posted By: luvinski Membership Level: Bronze Total Points: 45
How to introduce a new puppy to a resident cat. Tips for bringing home a new puppy when you have a cat at home. Cats are naturally fearful of dogs, and dogs love to chase anything that runs, learn how to introduce a cat and dog so you do not have problems. Learn what breeds of dogs are more likely to hurt a cat. If you have cat and are considering getting a new puppy, you know that there might be some issues. Cats are often terrified of dogs, and dogs often love chasing cats. To have harmony in your multi-species home proper introductions are a must. Your Cat Has your cat been around dogs before? If so the introductions will go smoother. A cat who is terrified will only serve to make things worse for itself. A cat that runs will be chased, a cat that hisses will get attention. A cat that is mellow and calm will do just right, assuming the puppy was selected well. Note that a declawed cat may be more terrified of a dog than a cat with claws. The New Puppy You must note that some breeds of dog have a higher prey drive than others and are notorious for hurting, even killing, cats. These breeds include the sighthounds, terriers, and huskies. If you are selecting a dog from these types, be sure to get one from a home where it was raised with cats. Terriers are probably the least risky, sighthounds being the most concerning. Herding dogs may simply chase the cat, but this could be very stressful to the cat. Some people opt against getting a puppy and instead focus on adopting a more mature dog, ideally one that was raised with cats, and is good with them. This is typically the best idea if you do not have a lot of time to house train a puppy or to supervise it with your cat. Introducing a New Puppy to your Cat You will want to bring home the puppy early in the day, ideally when you have several days off to monitor it.Remember it is the cat''s home. Cats typically prefer to live solitary lives, they only put up with us because we feed them. You must understand it is natural for your cat to object to a dog, and especially a playful puppy, coming into their home, do not punish your cat for asserting its dominance. Cats rarely respond to punishment in a positive way – some start urinating around the house to show displeasure. If the cat is curious, turn the puppy so its rump faces the cat, allow the cat to sniff the puppy. Do not force the introductions further. Note your cat might hiss, that is okay. Be sure your cat has a chair, or cat tower, nearby so it can leap up and get away; it may just want to watch the puppy for a while. Hold the puppy or put it on a leash so you can prevent it from chasing the cat. Offer the cat treats while it is near the puppy. Offer the puppy some very small treats too. Giving treats to the puppy will accomplish a few things, one of which is to distract it from the cat, however make sure these are tiny, because your pup is just new and could get an upset tummy. The cat will want to watch the puppy while you keep the puppy entertained. Praise both pets for being near each other, and hopefully they will grow up as pals. You can even take a towel and wipe it on one pet (to get their scent) and put it near where the other one eats, or sleeps, just to get it accustomed to the new smells. The puppy must be prevented from being too rough with the cat. If it is you need to act as a mother dog would, without talking to the pup (which could seem like a reward) simply take it and quickly (somewhat roughly) remove it from the cat. Resist the urge to say “NO”; the puppy has no idea what “no” means so it is actually rewarded with verbal communication. When you cannot supervise the puppy should either be in a crate, in a room with the door closed, or segregated off via a babygate. You would not want to let your new puppy loose in your home at this point anyhow, given that it is probably not house trained. As the puppy matures it should attend obedience classes, (or if you adopted a mature, already trained dog) you can get it to “Sit” and reward it for ignoring the cat. Never encourage a puppy to chase a cat, even in play, always reward both for good behavior. Make sure the pup has lots of toys and mental stimulation, so it does not use your cat as its main source for entertainment. It can take several weeks before introductions are complete and it is safe to leave the two loose together in the house.
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