Cats and dogs

Question
Hi. I have a three year old male cat. Shy around new people but incredibly loving around familiar humans. He is an only pet and seems to prefer indoors. I'm sad to say though that he does need to find a new home due to circumstances far beyond my control 😒 Happily my sibling is willing to give him a new home. She already has a German shepherd dog who appears to be afraid of cats. She will soon be taking in an adult female she rescued from a construction site too. It's only a few months after she's adopted this adult female that she will be able to take in my cat.

My question is around the suitability of this situation for my cat. I know my sibling is loving and committed to animal happiness. What about the dog? She's not aggressive but really playful and dopey but not as well trained as she could be. The female cat is an ex stray but is really chilled out. Do you think it could work? Do you need more info? The lady at the place where I kennel my cat when I go on holiday says my cat is not aggressive with other cats and mostly just quietly considers them. My cat has never met a dog of any kind though...

Answer
Hi
Unfortunately there never any guarantees when it comes to how pets will get on.

from the sounds of it though considering your cats temperament it is worth a go. But you must have a contingency plan just in case it doesn't. Research rehoming centers that are no kill. In the UK there are many but in the US I know you have to do some research first.

Regarding the introduction of the cat to the dogs it has to be done slowly and safely. For the first week the cat needs to be confined to one room. And her scent needs to be spread around the home. Rub a unscented clean towel on your cat and then rub it around the home, door frames etc. Do the same in the cats room with your dogs scent.

Also introduce the dogs one at a time to the cat by using a cat carrier, so your cat is safe and they can get used to seeing and smelling each other in a safe environment. This needs to be done several times.

After that it is a case of allowing the animals to work things out for themselves but always under supervision for the first few weeks.

Sometimes it will work sometimes it won't. It is really hard to say, every animal is different and some can adapt and some can't.

I wish you luck and hope it all works out for you.

best wishes Kate
www.our-happy-cat.com