We want harmony for all of you (Photo: cat rubbing its head affectionately on a dog)
I love cats.
Roughly 80% of my clients own dogs and cats. Helping them live in harmony is one of the things I love most about my job.
Right now, I’m helping an owner introduce her new rescue dog to her cats (technically one cat is hers and the other is her roommate’s.) Both cats are absolutely adorable! One of them even wears a bowtie.
If you’re bringing home a new rescue dog, here are some tips to help get you started before introducing him to your cat.
Breathe and believe. Bring your calmest and most confident self to this activity. (Photo: person standing in a field smiling)
Calm you —> calm pets. If you are feeling anxious about walking in the front door with your new rescue dog, he’ll sense it. Breathe and believe. You’re going to be okay!
Leash on in the house. Do not let your new rescue dog chase your cat. You’ve placed your kitty in your bedroom until it’s time to do a safe introduction, but someone accidentally lets your kitty out. If your dog is on a leash, you will be able to stop him from chasing your kitty. Leave the leash on when he’s supervised. If you can’t watch him (because you need to shower etc,) place him in his crate. Personally, I would take the leash off while he’s in his crate to keep him safe (so that he doesn’t get snagged, injured, or worse.) This means that when you collect him from the crate, you’ll need to place his collar and leash (or slip lead) back on before letting him calmly exit the crate.
Relationships take time to build. You can do it, but it will take time. (Photo: dog on leash looking up at owner)
3. Relationships take time. It takes a little bit of time for a rescue dog to know you, trust you, and listen to your direction around distractions (squirrels, other dogs, cats, bikes, etc.) It’s okay to have your cat living in your bedroom for a little while, as you build a rock-solid foundation with the dog. At night, you can cuddle with your cat and your dog can sleep in a crate. You’ll all get through this adjustment period, but it will take time, so don’t stress :)
4. Scent transfer can be a helpful tool. Let your kitty sleep on a towel for a week or so before bringing your dog home. Let your dog sniff the towel. Don’t talk during this process, just let him use his nose. Encourage a calm vibe. We want the cat’s scent to represent calmness from the very beginning. We brought our kitty towel with us many times when we visited Magic before adoption day. This allowed her to know us and know our cat before ever meeting face to face. You can also bring home a towel that smells like your dog every time you hang out with him prior to adoption day, so your cat has a chance to smell him too. And yes, you can gently rub the towel onto your pet as well. So kitty towel gets rubbed gently onto doggy; doggy towel gets gently rubbed on the kitty. They get to know each other’s smell before living together under the same roof. YAY!
Place and crate are spaces to practice calmness. They take time to teach, and they are worth it. (Photo: tan pitbull puppy on a white and tan pillow
5. Crate and placework. These two tools will help you create a calm dog who is respectful of your space. When you ask your dog to be calm in the house, they will be that much more prepared when you ask them to be calm around your cat (a distraction.) If you allow your dog to sprint all over the couches, bark out the window, and jump all over you and your guests, it will be very difficult for him to listen to you when you ask him to be calm around your cat.
When you bring home a new rescue dog, there’s so much work to be done. It’s a lot of work, regardless if you have a cat or children (or both.) It can feel very overwhelming, especially if your new rescue dog isn’t quite what the write up online made her out to be.
When the write up said “low energy” and he’s secretly high energy (or very high) (Photo: dog leaping through the air)
Don’t rush the introduction to your cat. Work on your relationship first.
If your dog can’t listen to you inside your house without any distractions you should begin there. Especially if you have never owned a dog before, your dog will need to learn how to listen to you without distractions before adding distractions into the mix.
For example, your new rescue dog knows one basic command. Sit. He’ll sit when you ask him to on the very first day you bring him home. Especially in the living room when no one else is around. As soon as your roommate comes out of her room, suddenly your rescue dog pops right out of the sit and pulls toward her. Your roommate is a distraction (just like your cat will be eventually.) Practice having your dog listen to you with small distractions (like your roommate simply walking by and ignoring you) before adding in more complicated distractions (like your roommate dancing and singing because she aced her exams.)
Your dog needs to hold that sit until he’s released by you to do something else (“let’s go” to tell him it’s now time to walk and follow you; “place” to let him know it’s time to practice calmness on the cot; etc.)
It takes time to build a relationship with a dog. Take you time. (Photo: on-leash Dachshund looking up at his owner)
This topic is enormous.
Perhaps the biggest take-home is take your time. Don’t risk your cat’s life if you’re uncertain. Get professional help if you’re not confident of how to introduce your new pets properly.
Picture purrfect! The dog is engaged with the handler, not harassing the cat. (Photo: cat sitting beside a dog looking up at the dog - dog is looking to camera)
Check out our Instagram Story Highlights called Dogs and Cats for more tips at Go Beyond Dog Training.
Check out our TikTok videos of dogs and cats living together in harmony for tips.
Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders! Say hello to all of your cats and dogs for me!
Alyssa
Photos by: Upsplash Image (cat rubbing its head affectionately on a dog,) Brooke Cagle
@brookecagle (person standing in a field smiling,) Rhiannon Elliott
@rhiannonelliott (dog on leash looking up at owner,)
@oriz (dog leaping through the air,) Upsplash Image (on-leash Dachshund looking up at his owner,)
@anushabarwa (cat sitting beside a dog looking up at the dog - dog is looking to camera,)
Grant Durr @grant_durr (kitten about to smack a dog’s face with her paw,) Upsplash image (tan pitbull puppy on a white and tan pillow)