Cat/dog introductions in new environment

Question
I am house-sitting for a friend and it's just far enough away where I'd like to bring my cat. 3-yr old male. They have a dog about 9 years old (female)..very docile! Do I keep them separated at first? Or just let them be together from the start? Cat has never been around a dog before.

Thanks,

Ken Deardorff

Answer
Hi Ken,

I realize this response is a bit late; I apologize as I have been in a training program for my new job.  For future reference, I either wouldn't recommend taking the cat if you didn't raise him to being used to traveling and being in new environments as a kitten.  It's takes cats time and a process to adjust, and I never recommend for a cat to be introduced to another animal in a new environment until they've had a least a few days to acclimate.  To be clear, the reason I don't recommend this is that animals WILL adjust if you introduce them properly, are calm and patient, and properly correct the wrong behavior at the right time.  It completely depends on the personality of the animals as to how long it will take them to adjust.  Some do so in a few hours, others will take months.  I don't recommend doing this while you are house-sitting because it's short, sporadic, and temporary, and to do it the right way would be a lot of work that you may not even have time for because then you'll be done house-sitting.

Secondly, if you do want to take your cat, you MUST first ask the people who you are house-sitting if its okay for you to do so.  After all, it is their dog, and if any accident was to occur, you would be liable if you didn't get their permission.  If you do chose to introduce them, I recommend keeping the cat in its pet carrier and placing it on a chair or couch in a corner so that the cat feels secure.  Bring the dog out on a leash (so that you can correct any unwanted behavior) and let him/her sniff the cat through the carrier.  The cat will hiss--that's what they do--that's just it's way of saying 'You make me nervous, keep away'.  Do not correct the cat for hissing.  Any animal, especially dogs, feels quite foreign to them.  Carefully observe the dog.  The dog should be mildly interested, sniffing, curious, etc.  If you notice that the dog is getting anxious, the tail is stiff and high (it can be wagging), or the dog seems fixated in any way about the cat and gets overly excited, DO NOT introduce them.  These are indications that the dog has a high prey drive and will more than likely attack the cat if you let it out.  If the dog seems merely curious, after about 5 or 10 minutes of this, separate them again.  Let your cat out into a bedroom and let him acclimate.  Maybe 30 minutes later, bring the dog into the room *on a leash*.  Let them sniff each other.  The cat will probably retreat, and like I said, I still find it best to leave your cat in a room while you do what you need to do with the dog with you in the rest of the house.  If you can't supervise them at all times while there, I wouldn't recommend doing this either.  People too commonly underestimate the importance of proper introductions, and that's unforunately how a lot of people wind up loosing their beloved pets.  I hope this helps; best of luck to you.  

Best regards,