cat & dog

Question
hi, i have a 4 month old GSD and a 12 year old Calico, the pup is curious of the cat and wants to play, the cat wants nothing to do with him and will swat at him whenever they run into each other in the house. I was thinking of putting them in their individual crates facing each other to get familiar, would this help or make things worse? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!
Thank you in advance

Answer
This is very normal for both of them. Just be careful because a puppy that is large and rambunctious can hurt a cat of that age. Crating and such might help but it's more a matter of the cat just getting used to the puppy being around.

It's a great learning opportunity for the puppy if you put him on a leash and gently restrain him and talk to him while the cat is in front of you. That way he will learn to be gentle with her (to a point). The puppy will learn after a few swats not to mess with the cat either, so she is teaching him herself.

It's all a matter of time and patience in these situations.