Can cats and dogs coexist?

Question
Hello Natoma.  I hope you can help us.  We own two dogs who are our children.  My dog has many special medical needs, which includes the fact that she only has one eye.  That being the case, I protect her and the remaining eye and the little sight she has left with my life.  That being said...


We recently rescued two kittens.  They are very cute and fun and are getting along with each other splendidly.  The problem is introducing them to our dogs.  They have to live in harmony for us to all share the same house.  One of the kittens seems to be doing well.  The other just will not warm up to even having them in the same room.  Every time she sees them all the hair on her back and tail stand up, her back arches, and she starts hissing.  I am scared that given the chance to encounter each other, the kitten will swat my dog and scratch her eye.  I would really appreciate any suggestions that you have to help orient/introduce all of our pets that will be more successful.  Please help!!

Thank you in advance for any thoughts you have to offer.


Sincerely,

Jillian  :o)

Answer
Hello Jillian,

Of course they can coexist but going against natural instincts takes time, we can not expect everyone to get along immediately.  It took almost two years for my cats and the new dog to work things out.

First you need to keep the kittens nails clipped, provided the dogs are OK with the cats and they won't need them to protect themselves.  Clipping nails seems tough at first but only takes a few minutes a week once everyone is used to it.  Declawing should not be an option as it is inhumane, brutally painful and causes many behavioral problems.  By keeping the nails clipped you can be sure that your dogs site is protected although personally, I don't think this is much of a concern.  

You are lucky that the one kitten is doing OK, this kitten is a bit more trusting and has decided a bit more quickly that the dogs do not pose a threat, the second kitten is taking more time.  Provided the dogs do not harass or harm the kitten it will come around in time.  My situation was a bit extreme, yours shouldn't take more than a couple of months.  To help things along you should have the dog sit nicely (If possible) and while cuddling the kitten yourself bring it over and sit beside the dog, continue to pet and talk quietly to the kitten to keep it calm, do this often and it will speed things along.

Natoma