Introducing a cat to a dog does not always flow smoothly because animals can be unpredictable. Before you proceed to put the two animals together, please consider first the following factors:
• What breed of dog you are working with.
• Are you the leader of the pack?
• Is your dog obedience trained and compliant?

If your dog is a cross-breed and the two breeds are not fully compatible, you could have a genetically confused dog. This can make for a bit of a problem when you want to introduce Fido to a cat or kitten. If you are not Alpha over your dog, then he does not respect you, he will not listen to you, and introductions to your cat should wait. Things to remember:

• You cannot control the cat. Your focus should be on controlling the dog.
• You need to consider the breed of dog you are working with.
• The dog should be obedience trained, and should respect you.
• A puppy will become overly excited, and could hurt the cat unintentionally.
• When it goes right, you praise, praise, praise. If it goes wrong NEVER punish!

Your dog needs to have completed basic obedience training before this introduction. Dogs are pack animals. They respond to other dogs differently. Don’t make the mistake of thinking because he is accepting of other dogs in the class or at the dog park, that he will respond to a cat favorably right away. Cats and dogs are by nature, prey and predator.

If you have a purebred dog, be sure to research how this breed gets along with other pets. For example; an Afghan hound is a hunter. If an Afghan sees a cat outside, it will chase the cat. But inside the home, it will not. Cocker Spaniels, Beagles, Bassett Hounds and Dachsunds are good with other pets. Your sporting dog groups are not generally good with pets: they may have issues with cats.

If you have a cross-breed ask your vet what the dog resembles, then make a judgment of how best to handle that first introduction.

Here are some tips.

• I cannot stress this enough! Obedience classes are a must. If your dog has not been through an obedience course, do not attempt the introductions.

• Keep your cat isolated from your dog. Make a safe and secure room for the cat.

• Swap scents; using an old blanket or towel, give the item to your cat. Let her play on it, sleep on it, eat on it. Rub her with this blanket and then leave it in her room for 24 hours.

• Remove the blanket and present it to your dog. Rub him all over with it, let him roll on it, sniff it, sleep on it for 24 hours, then switch and do the same thing again. This blends their scents, making them a bit more at ease with each other.

• Stay away from plush soft toys for your dog. A soft chew toy resembles a small kitten and the dog may not be able to make the distinction. Stick with kong toys or tennis balls or rope pulls instead. Never buy a faux fur toy for your dog if you have a cat in the home.

Obedience course completed? Good job!

You are both ready for the first meeting.

Take the dog for an extended walk, use a choke collar and short leash, not a retractable lead. You have minimal control with a retractable lead, and you do not have your dog’s attention if he is allowed to run all over the place.

Bring his favorite toy and find a safe place where he can run and play fetch. You want him tired and relaxed.

Return home and put him in one of your largest rooms. You should have a second person there to help you now. Put him in one end of the room, farthest from the door, on a down- and- stay command. Keep your hand on the leash so you have control of him.

Have the second person bring the cat into the room, and set the cat down in the opposite end of the room. Make sure the dog stays calm.

The cat will react in various ways upon seeing the dog. The cat can spit, hiss and run out of the room, or dive for cover. She could attack. If she runs at the dog, bring the dog into a sit position quickly. This should stop her attack.

She may just walk carefully over to the dog to check him out. As long as you have that lead attached to that collar and the dog’s respect you have control. Keep your emotions down for both animals will feed on your emotions.

If the cat runs out of the room and the dog wants to chase, pull up sharply one time on the lead and collar and tell the dog firmly “No Chase!” Then leave the dog in the room with the door closed.

Locate your cat and herd her into her room (she probably already is there). She is going to be scared and defensive, so don’t pick her up. Herd her into her safe room, turn the lights down, turn on some classical music low (to help soothe her). Shut the door and leave her be. Don’t mess with her, or you may get bit or scratched. It is helpful to have feliway spray available, you can spray the room to help the cat stay calm.

Try the same routine the next day. Keep doing this procedure for as long as it takes for the animals not to react to each other.

Have patience, it is a slow process. They have to come to understand that, they are not a danger to each other. Once you see that neither animal reacts, take the lead off the dog. Be sure to observe them carefully. Some dogs will chase the cat when it turns around and runs. This is a normal reaction on the dog’s part, but the dog may also hurt the cat in the process.

Make sure your dog does not gain access to the cat’s litter boxes. Cats are gulpers by nature, so they rarely chew all their food. What they leave in their pans smells like pure protein to a dog. He is going after the scent of the *food* he smells, the cat is just in the way.

One of the quickest ways to destroy the trust these two animals will build up with each other, is to allow the dog to ambush the cat in the litter pan. A Booda domed litter pan works, only if you have a dog of a larger breed, but a small puppy can easily find his way through the opening and attack the cat inside.

If you have a small puppy, the safest first introduction is done best while the cat/kitten is in a large cage. You don’t want to use a cat carrier, or a dog crate, it should be a large wire cage.

Place the cat/kitten inside the cage, and bring the puppy (on a lead) into the room. Again, be sure the puppy has gone through basic obedience. Let them see each other; don’t allow the puppy to get to close. Keep your voice level and firm and put the puppy on a down and stay command near the cage. Let him lie there for five minutes, then lead him out of the room and feed him a tasty treat. Go back and release the cat/kitten out of the cage.

Do this style of introduction over a period of two weeks. Gradually move the puppy closer and closer to the cage. If the cat is spitting and hissing let her. This is normal behavior. As long as you have control of the puppy that is the most important aspect of this method.

If you haven’t brought the dog/puppy into the home yet, there are a few ways you can prepare your cat for this. Make sure first of all that you set-up safe places. Places tall enough where the cat can scramble to if danger confronts her. A tall cat condo is ideal. Dogs cannot climb, but they can jump so be sure that the condo is tall enough and sturdy enough, that if the puppy or the dog jumps against it, the condo will stand. You can attach it to the wall by some sturdy screws.

If your friend has a dog that is used to cats, ask your friend to bring the dog over for an evening. Don’t force the cat to come in the same room. Chances are she won’t, and she will hide fairly effectively. But it will allow your cat to be exposed to what is coming.

You will want to start feeding your cat off the floor. Dogs love cat food. If you have a table that you can clear off, or a shelf and start feeding your cat there, you will have less confrontation issues over-all.

After the dog arrives, be sure and put the cat in another room everytime you feed the dog. More cats and kittens get bit when they try and raid the dog’s food bowl. It is a “doggy accident” and not intentional.

Set up a secure room for the cat. Do not allow the dog access to this room. This is the place where the cat knows is a “no-dog” zone. Allow her someway to access this room 24/7 while the dog cannot gain access to it.

Despite the fact that in nature these two are enemies, this sharing of space can work. The key is really YOU. YOU have to take the initiative and research the breeds of dogs. YOU have to take your dog through obedience courses, keep YOUR stress level low at all times. Don’t expect trouble, but be prepared should there be.

Dogs are pack animals, and cats are generally quite sociable. The two animals can get along in your world, if you pay attention to details and apply what you know to make this work.