Pets are a wonderful part of our life, they bring much joy into our lives and into our homes. Certain situations do present some challenges and some planning and thought on our part, one such situation is how to introduce the family cat to the family dog.
The best way to introduce a dog into a home that has a cat is with patience and understanding. Understand that they will fight. The dog will want to play with the cat, the cat will not want to play with the dog and there will be hissing and scratching. The dog will keep coming back for more and the cat will continue to let the dog know that it is not welcome. Eventually the cat will warm up and get used to the dog. If you have to reprimand the animals, treat them both equally. Relax, eventually your home will be filled with harmony again, but for now you have to let them work it out.
When you are bringing a cat into a home that already has a dog, it is best to keep them separated for the first couple of days. Keep the cat in a room that the dog can’t get into. After a couple of days, take the dog outside and let the cat explore the rest of the house. After a few days of doing that, introduce the two, keep the dog on a leash. After another few days, let the dog off the leash and let the cat out of the room.
Your cat and dog could end up being best friends, or they might want to avoid each other, but they will eventually learn to co-exist in the same home.
