Samantha Gehrmann / Stocksy
If in case you have a brand new cat or are planning on adopting one — congratulations! If you have already got a canine at dwelling (who, ideally, you already know is nice with cats), you’re in all probability questioning learn how to finest introduce them. There are numerous methods to go about this introduction, however you need to use the six steps beneath to slowly and safely get your loved ones members acquainted. You can even use this system for a new-dog-to-resident-cat introduction if you realize the canine has lived safely with cats earlier than.
It’s additionally finest to enroll the assistance of knowledgeable pet behaviorist or coach, particularly in the event you don’t know in case your canine is cat-safe. Nothing replaces in-person observations and experience for the protection of all concerned; it’s value the fee.
Introducing Cats to Canine
How lengthy does it take for a brand new cat to get used to a canine?
This technique of introducing a cat or kitten to a canine makes use of a crate and many time. Taking it gradual — which may be as rapidly as one week or so long as months, relying on the pets being launched — is de facto value it for everybody’s security and stress ranges (together with yours).
6 Important Steps in Introducing Cats to Canine
Step 1: Get Your Dwelling Prepared
First, get your canine prepared. If they don’t already know the instructions “sit” and “keep,” they need to be taught them earlier than being launched to your cat for the primary time.
To get your cat prepared, arrange their isolation room with meals, water, a litter field, and a mattress. This room permits your cat an opportunity to turn into adjusted to their new dwelling. “Adjusted” is behaving in a relaxed method, correctly utilizing their litter field, not hiding, and no massive black dilated irises at noises from the opposite facet of the door. Relying in your new cat’s character, this adjustment interval can take wherever from at some point to a number of weeks.
In fact, you may spend time together with your cat within the isolation room, however your canine ought to keep exterior. You might wish to arrange a wire canine playpen gate on either side of the door so you will get out and in extra safely, or shut your canine in one other room away from the isolation room’s door, so in case your cat slips out, it’s not proper into your pup.
Why is it important to separate areas initially?
There are a couple of causes it’s important to initially separate your cat and canine. First, as talked about above, you wish to give your new pet the area to regulate to their new atmosphere. You additionally wish to give each pets an opportunity to get used to one another’s presence with out being in a confined area collectively and guarantee they’ll each be protected across the different.
Step 2: Feed them on reverse sides of the door
Feed your cat and canine on reverse sides of a closed strong door (not glass, display, or see-through) for one week. They are going to start to affiliate every others’ presence (odor, sounds) with a pleasurable expertise – consuming. In case your canine begins whining, pawing, or barking on the door, transfer the meals bowls farther away. Maintain your pup on a leash and steadily transfer their bowl nearer to the cat’s door every feeding time.
Finally, when each pets are consuming calmly subsequent to the door, expose them to every others’ scent extra strongly by rubbing them with a towel (or a toy or their mattress) and inserting that down with the meals bowl for them to odor as they eat.
How does exchanging scents assist in the introduction course of?
Exchanging scents offers every pet time to acclimate to the opposite’s scent, which may help them each alter to having a brand new animal round. When giving every pet the merchandise with the scent of the opposite, it’s useful for pet dad and mom to give that pet a number of reward, treats, and a spotlight in order that the pet associates that scent with a constructive expertise.
Step 3: Introduce your cat and canine by means of a barrier
This step permits your cat and canine to see one another with out making any bodily contact by placing your cat in a crate. Earlier than you are able to do that, although, you’ll need them to get used to spending brief intervals of time in, ideally, an enormous wire crate. Many cats already affiliate an everyday plastic pet provider with scary issues (vet visits, being deserted at a shelter), so it may be value investing in or borrowing an enormous wire canine crate. The larger the crate, the higher, however it’s best to nonetheless be capable of carry it.
Lure your cat into the crate by feeding them proper exterior the crate. Then, slowly transfer every meal farther again into the crate. As soon as they’re within the crate, shut the door for 5 minutes, then allow them to out. In case your cat is nervous within the crate, follow this two to a few instances a day till they’re relaxed.
In case your cat refuses to go within the crate, you may crate your canine as a substitute. Nonetheless, there are a number of disadvantages, together with the probabilities that your cat isn’t leash skilled, which is critical for the following step, and, in very uncommon circumstances, your cat may assault your canine within the crate, and cat paws and claws go proper by means of most crate openings and might severely harm your canine. You’ll even have much less management over your canine within the crate than once they’re leashed.
Step 4: Enable your canine into your cat’s room
As soon as your cat is within the crate, carry it into the largest room in your own home and place it as far-off from the door that separates your canine from the room as potential. Put a leash and harness in your canine and convey them into the room the place your cat is within the crate.
Have your canine “sit” and “keep” simply contained in the door, however the place they will nonetheless see your cat. Have your canine follow sit, down, shake, and different instructions for 5 minutes in that location.
You possibly can enable your canine to smell on the kennel and your cat so long as they’re calm and take heed to you in the event you say “sit” or “come.” Finally, the animals must be introduced shut sufficient to permit them to research one another visually and calmly.
With every coaching session, enable them to get a bit of nearer collectively. In case your cat turns into frightened, or your canine begins ignoring you, enhance the gap between the animals and progress extra slowly. If everybody behaves, go away the room with a number of reward for everybody.
Enhance the size of time collectively.
As soon as your pets may be in the identical room collectively with out stress for 5 minutes at a time, you may enhance the size of their periods collectively. If both pet is agitated in any means, you might have to spend as many days as essential with the cat within the crate and canine on leash till they’re calm and relaxed. You might discover distracting your self with a e-book or TV present will loosen up you, which can assist them loosen up too.
Keep in mind to breathe, assume calm ideas, and attempt to maintain some slack on the leash. Pets reply to any stress they really feel in you. It usually helps to say issues aloud in a nice tone.
What are the warning indicators when introducing cats?
In case your canine ignores your instructions as a result of they’re too within the cat, or barks, growls, or lunges, stroll them out of the room. Get their consideration exterior once more by training a couple of instructions, then strive getting into the room once more.
Repeat this step — together with your canine nonetheless on leash and your cat nonetheless within the crate — for 5 minutes at a time, for as many days as it’s essential to, till each pets may be in the identical room with none warning indicators corresponding to:
- Stress or stress (tucked ears, tucked tails, lip licking, panting)
- Worry (avoiding eye contact, turning away, freezing)
- Aggression
- Vocalizing
In the event you’ve spent per week or extra making an attempt a minimum of three periods a day and your cat and canine are nonetheless appearing aggressively or tense towards one another with no enchancment, please seek the advice of knowledgeable behaviorist or coach. Staring is commonly a warning an animal is about to assault, so watch out in case your canine or cat appears “calm” however is definitely tense, stiff, and staring.
Step 5: Open your cat’s crate.
Finally, the animals must be introduced shut sufficient collectively to permit them to research one another visually and calmly. Then you may enable your canine to smell on the kennel and your cat, so long as they’re being calm and take heed to you in the event you say “sit” or “come.”
As soon as your pets have sniffed one another by means of the crate with no points, and you’ll spend half an hour within the room with everybody relaxed proper subsequent to one another, you’re able to open the crate. Together with your canine on leash in a down-stay on the far facet of the room, have a helper open the door of the crate. Maintain your canine centered on you with coaching cues and treats.
In case your cat stays within the crate, tempt them out by tossing a deal with simply exterior the crate door. In the event that they gained’t come out, go away the room together with your canine, wait to your cat to stroll out of the crate, and are available again in together with your canine. Your cat might run and conceal, however give attention to preserving your canine in his down-stay. In case your canine reacts to the cat strolling or operating, you’ll want to return to doing the each day periods within the earlier step till they’re as soon as once more ignoring the cat whereas they’re unfastened.
One factor it’s best to by no means do: enable your canine to “play” by chasing your cat, ever. This “recreation” can flip lethal immediately. Maintain your canine on a leash when not separated fully out of your cat.
Step 6: Your cat and canine are unfastened collectively.
After two weeks of your canine hanging out together with your cat and seeing them run, soar, and play — and each being relaxed round one another and principally ignoring the opposite — you may drop your canine’s leash. Congratulations, you’ve efficiently launched your new cat to your canine!
Even after this remaining step, maintain your cat and canine separated with a bodily barrier (crate, door, and so on) between them when you’re not dwelling to make sure they are going to be protected for a minimum of an extra month. With greater or excessive prey-drive canine breeds, chances are you’ll all the time wish to maintain them safely separated if you find yourself not dwelling.
Suggestions for Making This Course of Go Easily
Reward Constructive Conduct
Your canine should learn to behave appropriately together with your new cat, and be rewarded for doing so. In case your canine is all the time punished at any time when the cat is round, and by no means has “good issues” occur within the cat’s presence, your canine might redirect aggression towards the cat.
Search Skilled Assist
Generally, even probably the most skilled pet dad and mom can’t get their canine and cat to coexist peacefully. You might have a canine with a really excessive prey-drive or a cat who simply doesn’t like canine it doesn’t matter what. If the guidelines above don’t work, it might be a good suggestion to seek the advice of a licensed skilled canine coach, licensed animal conduct marketing consultant, licensed utilized animal behaviorist, or veterinary behaviorist. They can provide you customized suggestions to assist your pets.
Can each cat and canine reside efficiently collectively?
If looking for out knowledgeable doesn’t assist, chances are you’ll really feel helpless. Our specialists at Rehome by Undertake-a-Pet.com have talked to a whole bunch of pet dad and mom with very comparable dilemmas and perceive how tough it may be to determine the perfect plan of action. In conditions like this, it’s essential to keep in mind that pets are people, and never each cat or canine is supposed to reside with different pets. In the event you’re put in a state of affairs the place one pet is in peril otherwise you really feel having them reside individually could also be the best choice for your loved ones, Rehome may help.
Rehome is a peer-to-peer adoption service that enables pet homeowners to submit their pets on Undertake-a-Pet.com to be seen by tens of millions of potential adopters. Rehome additionally supplies pet homeowners with the entire instruments they should assessment purposes and select the correct new household for his or her pets. Whereas we hope correct socialization and conduct coaching to your pet will aid you to remain collectively, Rehome is the protected, dependable, and free approach to discover one other nice individual or household to undertake your pet if all else fails. Get began with Rehome right here.
Introducing New Cat and Canine FAQs
What must you not do when introducing a cat to a canine?
By no means enable your canine to “play” by chasing your new cat. This “recreation” can flip lethal immediately. Maintain your canine on a leash when not separated out of your cat.
How lengthy does it take for a brand new cat to get used to a canine?
This technique can take one week or months, relying on the pets being launched but it surely’s value it for everybody’s security and stress ranges (together with yours).
Can each cat and canine efficiently reside collectively?
Pets are people, and never each pet is supposed to reside with different pets. If one pet is in peril or having them reside individually is the best choice, Rehome may help.
Why is it important to separate areas initially?
Separating areas initially permits your new cat to regulate to your new dwelling and retains everybody concerned protected.
What are the warning indicators when introducing cats?
Warning indicators when introducing cats and canine embody stress between the pets, in addition to indicators of concern, aggression, vocalizing, or every other undesired conduct.
Is it straightforward to introduce a cat to a canine?
Each pet is completely different, so the problem in addition to the period of time introducing a cat and canine takes will depend on the animals concerned.
How does exchanging scents assist in the introduction course of?
Exchanging scents helps your canine and cat to affiliate every others’ presence with pleasurable experiences, like consuming, and familiarizes them with the opposite.
Assets:
