introducing a dog to 3 cats, help!!!

Question
dear dr. fry,

though this isn't a medical question, i hope you have some advice for my dilemma or can refer me to another source for an answer.

i have a boyfriend with a cute jack russel type  dog who has her own yard and has not had much contact with dogs, let alone cats.  she is about 2-3 years old and is very sweet and playful.

i own 3 male neutered cats, one of whom is 3yrs old and the other two are 11 and  13 years old but still fairly active.  they spat with each other and have the regular playful, sometimes rough fight for dominance.  

my boyfriend and i plan to move in together and he is VERY reluctant to allow his dog to come in contact with the cats.  he is afraid the cats will scratch her eyes, or that bloodshed of some sort will result. (his boyhood dog lost and eye to a catfight).   foolishly, i tried a couple of months ago to bring his dog to my house and my boyfriend and i  stayed present in the garden and supervised the interaction.  the animals were allowed to roam freely, and everything was going fine until the move inside the house - the cats surrounded the dog and she felt trapped.  though no one was hurt, there was a spat that involved barking, hissing and swatting.  

as a result of this event, my boyfriend feels that his dog and my cats will not learn to live peacefully together in the same home.  i know of many instances where cats and dogs can be trained to "tolerate" one another, but have no personal experience with this and want to look at the options.  

my boyfriend is willing to consider living together but keeping them separate forever, whereas, i think we may be able to very slowly introduce them over time.  any and ALL suggestions and warnings would be welcome.  thank you so much for your time.

viddy

Answer
Hello,

What I would recommend is putting the dog in a crate and allowing the cats free-run for a little while.  The cats are more likely to be afraid of the dog as terriers LOVE TO CHASE.  I would only allow supervised visits betweeen the dog and cats until both you and they feel comfortable with each other.  You can also leash the dog in the presence of the cats.  And it is very UNlikely that the cat will scratch the dog's eye out...if the cat should scratch the dog, then get the dog to the vet for medical attention asap.  You could also consider putting Soft Paws on the cats' nails to prevent injury.  There will be hissing and swatting and barking--they feel like their space is invaded.  In time they can learn to tolerate each other, but it will take weeks, and maybe months and you just have to monitor and supervise interaction.

To ease the transition, I would consider baby gates so the cats have some privacy.  Also, COMFORT ZONE diffusers should help as well as adding Rescue Remedy into all the water dishes.

Good luck,
Dr. Fry