A common fear for dog adopters is introducing their new dog to a current pet. There is good reason for this!  Some pets are not social or have not had to be social with other pets so meeting another animal in their home could come as a big surprise. Some pets will change their behaviour with the continued presence of another animal; it’s the resulting bad behaviours that are most concerning here. And of course, some pairings are not meant to be and could really alter safety or quality of life for your pets.

Today we’re going to focus specifically on introducing dogs to cats. There are similarities between this approach and introducing a dog to another dog but there are differences as well so we’ll just talk about dogs and cats for now. 

First off, when introducing a new pet to the household, your resident pet’s happiness and quality of life should always be top priority. There will be some animals that can’t coexist and you should be prepared for the fact that you might have to return your newly adopted pet if you do not see sufficient progress while integrating your new pet into your household.

1. A CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT

Right from the start you’ll need to make sure your environment is conducive to adding another pet. Cats will need a refuge where all of their resources are available to them but not the dog. This area should have food, water, bed, scratching posts, litter box and toys.  If you live in an apartment, tight quarters will make it harder to allow sufficient space for your pets while introducing them. Make sure you’ve considered the need for a separate space that acts as your cat’s “refuge” before getting a new pet. 

Once you have this set up, you will need to decide how you’re going to go about reducing your new pet’s access in the house. A good rule of thumb is that the resident pet should continue to have free rein of the house and the new pet should be given restricted access to start. You can use doors or baby gates to accomplish this. Baby gates allow for pets to come up to the threshold and see everything that’s on the other side without crossing it or being pursued. 

Now you’ll want to ensure that your cat, who most often requires more protection than dogs, has escape routes for any intentional or unintentional meetings that occur. This means having elevated spaces like cat trees, huts, shelves, tall furniture, possibly a cat door for access to their refuge or a door jam in place that will only allow the cat through.

2. TAKE IT SLOW

I cringe every time I hear someone say “We just let them sort it out themselves.” Sure, sometimes you get lucky and the introduction between your dog and cat is no big deal. Maybe both pets are respectful or the cat stands its ground and hisses or swats at the dog and the dog’s lesson is learned. However, if you just let them sort it out and there is a negative interaction, one of your pets could get seriously injured or be traumatized by the meeting which can make it much harder to come back from.

So the best rule of thumb is to make the introduction gradual.  We want a good foundation on which to build on, not a catastrophic event. To reduce the negative exposures your pets have with each other, keep visits short and start with as much space between them as possible.

3. PROVIDE CONTROLLED INTERACTIONS

Only allow your dog and cat to spend time together when you’re around to guide interactions. You’ll need to be actively supervising, that means that you’re on the ready to react as your pets react.

Always have your dog on a leash and allow your cat to move freely. You can start by just having them within the same room as each other and reward your dog for calm behaviour with praise or treats. If there’s lunging or an attempt to chase the cat or the dog is on high alert, remove the dog and try again another time.  With continued interactions you’ll hope to see an increase in comfort from your pets and can reduce the amount of space needed for coexisting calmly.

Members inside the Pawdoption Guide Membership Experience have access to a HOW-TO Dog to Cat Intro video presentation as well as biweekly Q&A assistance with any pre or post adoption concerns.  

If you need help integrating your dog into your home check out my membership at www.pawdoptionguide.com/pgme