How To Introduce The New Puppy To Your Cat

Most pet owners believe that the best way to introduce two pets is simply to throw them together. But it is not understood that cats and dogs have very different ways to approach a new animal. Care must be taken when introducing animals if an owner has any hope of the two getting along.

Both cats and dogs are similar in terms of their territorial instinct and we need to understand how they work. Wild cats, from which the common house cat was slowly bred, are generally quite solitary. Cats tend not live together in packs unless they are trying to bring up the next generation. Their territory is important to them and they will defend it as well as mark the boundaries with urine. Because a cat's territory is its home, a cat will need to examine new comers very carefully. Changes in a cat's life including new additions to its territory can be very stressful, especially for a cat who leads a very static life.

Dog ancestors, unlike cats, prefer to live in big family units, and marked territory where they hunt and live. A dog might see all members within the family as part of the pack, it will still be cautious when there are new addition, especially an animal. With a bit of time however, a dog will come to understand a cat as just another member of the pack, albeit one that might ignore him completely.

Because a cat and a dog will approach a new addition to the family in a different way, a pet owner must consider this when allowing them to meet each other. A dog will want to hop right in and test the cat, sniff it, see if it wants to play or if it will try to be dominant over him. A cat on the other hand needs time to observe from a distance. Cats are naturally more cautious and are unlikely to dash towards unknown objects.

Keep your dog out of the house until you can figure out where the cat is. Once you have discovered the cat's location, bring the dog in on a short leash. Enter the room with the cat and have your dog sit and stay or lie down. Your objective is to give the cat enough time to understand the dog a little bit and to get used to his presence. You will want to keep your dog as calm as possible, so before the introduction, consider taking the dog on a long walk. Once the dog is sitting, reward the dog and the cat.

You can keep the first introduction short so as not to stress out the cat. Make sure you keep the dog on leash until the cat is comfortable with a calm dog. Once the cat begins to act a little more relaxed, you will know that it is time to take the dog off the leash.