Puppy Cat

This will give them each a chance to explore the home.

They can also get used to one another's smells, and become increasingly comfortable with the fact a new animal is present. It's important the puppy has a chance to leave the room and explore a little, but you should not allow her free-range of the house yet, as this may interfere with potty training.

Expand the area in which the puppy is confined to two or three rooms and watch her closely to watch for signs of toileting. When the animals are not confined, they may interact through the door. Your dog may, for example, sniff or paw at the door.

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For the most part, this is safe; however, if your puppy is excessively pawing at the door, correct the behavior. This can cause stress for your cat, leading to a messy introduction. It's very important the dog and the cat get accustomed to one another's scent.

You can swap small bits of bedding, like pillows or blankets. You can also exchange toys. Try rubbing a towel on one animal and putting the towel under the other animal's food dish. Keep the animals confined while no one is home.

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You should never leave your pets unsupervised before you've made many successful face-to-face introductions. You may wish tocrate train your puppy and keep her safely confined while you are out, allowing the cat free range as he is presumably already comfortable in the house If you secure the cat in a room while you're gone, make sure he has access to a litter box. Choose a good location for the first meeting. After a few days, you can introduce the animals. The introduction should take place in your home. With dogs, initial introductions are often made in a neutral location.

Bringing a cat outside the home, however, can cause the cat stress. Make sure the room is large enough to comfortably keep both animals on opposite sides of the room initially. Make an introduction with the puppy on a leash. This is best done after your puppy has tuckered herself out with play and exercise, as she will be less rambunctious around the cat. Whilst holding the leash, let the cat into the room. Allow the animals to look at one another. If the animals are growling at one another, or if the cat bats at the puppy, you're moving too fast.

Return to the separation phase for a few more days and try again.

Kittens and Cats

Have a favorite toy or treat to distract the puppy if she is showing too much interest in the cat. Do not let your puppy off the leash for the duration of the first meeting. You have to ease into unrestrained contact. An overeager puppy could easily injure a cat. Keep up with controlled, short meetings.

Begin with short encounters and gradually build up. Remember to give each pet attention, affection and rewards for peacefulness. If neither animal is being aggressive, and they've been in the room together for a few minutes, this is a good place to end the meeting for the day. As time goes on, the cat should become more confident and the puppy should become disinterested in the cat.

Continue with leashed interactions until the puppy is calm.

How long this will take depends heavily on the temperament of both animals. Some dogs and cats will calm down quickly, while others will take more time to relax. He should eat, drink, and use the litter box without hesitance. Your puppy should be largely uninterested in the cat. She should mostly ignore the cat and pay attention to other stimuli.

Once both animals are at this state, you can allow them to be in a room together without leashing the puppy. Reward good behavior consistently.

How Do Adult Cats Interact With Kittens or Puppies?

Many people are inclined to scold or punish a puppy for chasing or bothering a cat. This is actually counterproductive and could create a stressful situation, causing your puppy to become aggressive towards the cat. Instead of punishing negative behaviors, strive to reinforce your puppy's positive behaviors. Always reward your puppy for being calm and obedient around the cat. Offer treats and praise when your puppy ignores the cat in the room. Keep a small bag of treats on hand. Whenever your puppy displays good behavior, reward her. Distract the puppy if she becomes fixated on the cat.

It's better to distract your puppy than punish her if she bothers the cat. If your puppy is chasing, watching, or otherwise bothering the cat, find a distraction to keep her occupied. As soon as the dog leaves the cat alone, give her a treat as a reward. Be on the lookout for aggressive behaviors. You want to be very careful allowing your dog and cat to interact. Aggression can become an issue, and both animals can get hurt during a physical confrontation. If you're thinking about adding a kitten or puppy to your household and already have an adult cat, odds are he isn't going to like the idea at first.

That doesn't mean the new pet won't eventually become his best friend forever, but it takes some time and patience. How your adult cat will react and interact with a new kitten depends a lot on his innate "purrsonality. However, adult cats usually accept kittens far more easily than new grown cats in the home. For best results, choose a kitten of the opposite sex of your grown kitty. Choose a quiet period in your household for the introduction.

How to Introduce a New Puppy to the Resident Cat: 15 Steps

Felines are quite territorial, so a new kitten will probably be a big deal for Kitty. Provide separate feeding dishes and litter boxes for each animal, preferably in different parts of the house. Keep the felines apart for a day or two, allowing them to smell items belonging to the other. Introduce them briefly to gauge the older cat's reaction. Keep them together for longer periods each day until some kind of feline friendship or truce develops.

Spend lots of quality time alone with your adult cat so he doesn't feel you're neglecting him for your new kitten. Bringing a new puppy into your adult cat's domain is a different story than adding a kitten. This is perfectly normal behavior, and the confinement will help introduce your cat to these behaviors as well. Another method of introducing your puppy and cat is to place barriers around the house. This will give your cat the comfort of having some free space away from your puppy. Contrary to popular belief, cats and puppies can live together.

Introducing your puppy to your cat takes a lot of discipline and understanding of your pets needs. So, cats need high perches and escapes to feel safe and comfortable in a home, especially when living with a dog. While your pets are getting used to each other, you might want to crate both of them while you are out of the house to keep them out of trouble.

Be sure to reward them when they show positive behavior around the cat. There will also be lapses in behavior between your cat and dog. Instead, try distracting your puppy with a toy, food, or an uplifting voice. Then when he leaves your cat alone, reward him with a treat. Cats and puppies living together can seem like a very stressful idea. But with the right discipline, technique, and understanding, puppies and cats can grow into best friends, creating a wholesome and enjoyable living experience for pet owners.