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Ask Yvette

Dear Yvette,

I am about to get married and own a cat. My fiancé has a dog. What is the best way to introduce and integrate the two animals?

Dana

When it comes to introducing cats and dogs, it is generally best to base your actions on the reaction of the cat. The size of the animal is part of the reasoning in many cases, but health implications are more important.

When cats become stressed, they can stop eating. When a cat stops eating, they can develop a severe and potentially fatal liver disease. So it is obviously critical that your cat feels comfortable enough to eat throughout the introductory process. It is also important that you are able to monitor her eating and elimination patterns, so free feeding is a poor idea.

Ideally, the dog and cat will both be well socialized. Although most people do not think of socializing cats, they also require early exposure to novel items as kittens. It can make transitions so much easier. Dog socialization is critical.

Regardless of past exposure, take your time. How much time? Take as long as you need. Introduce the two animals on neutral territory the first time. Keep it short, under control and incredibly positive. Neither animal should feel the need to panic. Have the dog hold a sit stay while the cat has the opportunity to view the dog at a distance. If things are tense, that might be all you do for the first session. End on a high note.

Continue with brief introductions until both are comfortable with one another. Don't forget, cats are just as trainable as dogs. Many cats enjoy a training program based in positive reinforcement, which means that food based training is a fabulous option for both animals.

Sometimes, it can take time for a cat to become accustomed to the dog. If that happens in your situation, don't loose hope yet. Slow and steady makes for the best long-term results. You can try some of the following ideas to make the transition easier.

Give your cat an area of their own. Make it possible for your cat to eat, sleep and eliminate in peace. It is not too often that I hear of a dog being afraid. But that does not mean I have not heard of it. If your dog is frightened, then give your dog a space of their own that is free from sneak attacks.

Spend time with each animal doing what they enjoy. Neither animal should feel ignored, so make a point of creating some one on one time.

Entice animals to move out of their safety zones by using middle ground. For example, some cats may feel safe in their area and terrified next to the new dog. That cat may be willing to observe from higher “safe” ground as it may given them a feeling of safety. Management tools such as this can help bridge the gap.

Keep your dog on a leash if the need arises and teach basic manners such as “leave it.”

If in doubt or if either animal shows signs of anxiety or aggression, seek professional help.

Best wishes in your upcoming marriage and a smooth transition for the animals!

Yvette is an award winning pet writer and pet behavior columnist. She also is the author of Meeting Milo, a North American dog bite prevention program to reduce the approximately 2 million children bit by dogs annually. She is the owner of AwesomeDogs.ca and works as a behavior consultant in London, Ontario.

This column was originally featured in The Londoner
See more of Yvette... www.awesomedogs.ca
www.meetingmilo.com

Yvette has 2 dogs of her own, KIKI and KAYA. Take a look...

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