How long for new cats and dogs to settle in together?

Question

I'm interested in peoples experiences in settling in new dogs with established dogs and cats etc. How long did it take for them all to really settle together and be totally relaxed? What things did you do to help them get along? Experiences please!

Answer 1

I think it depends on your individual animals. I used to have a mutt that would accept any cat into the house. He was incredibly passive and as long as he knew I loved him it was all good.

I now have two dogs and two cats. We have all been living together for two years now with the exception of Junior who has only been with us 10 months. Bailey (lab mix) understands that the kitties are off limits. Once in a great while she will bolt into the kitchen when she thinks one of the cats is going to eat her food, but she never touches the kitties. She just likes to stand guard in front of her food bowl. Now Junior, being what he is, (JRT mix) doesn't quite get it. I mean, he knows that the kitties are part of the family, but he wants to torment them. He can't help it, it's in his blood to go after critters that are smaller then him. He won't let them on the bed (poor things), he slowly stalks them throughout the house, and once I had to pull him and one of my cats apart. He walked too close to Maggie and she took a swing at him. They were instantly fighting. It's funny sometimes Bailey will get in between Junior and the cats. We haven't figured out if she's claiming them as hers or if she's protecting them from him.

So, I guess my point is that is depends on the dog as well as how you train it. Some dogs have it in them more then others to chase cats. As I said, my Maverick never went after the cats, even when I introduced new ones into the household.

The really important thing that I do for my kitties is to make sure that they can escape the dogs whenever they want. Whether it be running outside when the dogs can't, or disappearing into the basement where the litter boxes are. My cats always have an "out". A place they can go to escape the hounds. The big thing is never leave your animals unattended in the same area! If my cats couldn't get away from Junior, I'm not sure I would have kitties anymore.

Answer 2

I've integrated dogs with cats and vice versa. The cats have generally hated the new kitten to start with, basically fluffing all their fur up and glaring from a corner. My oldest cat Mildrid sat on the garden fence for a whole day refussing to come in when we got our second kitten!
With cats its best to leave them to it - the kittens are usually oblivious to the older cats behaviour and after a while they all settle. Eventually they should become friends as cats naturally live in collonies - our older cats still groom the younger one and bring 'presents' back for him (mainly dead mice but it's the thought that counts I guess!)
The cats generally behave the same as above when a new puppy is introduced. The first puppy we had was a Springer Spaniel so we had to watch him to start with as he was very bubbly and wanted to play with the cats all the time - after a few swipes to the nose from a cat claw though he learned to leave them alone!
The last puppy we got was a miniature dachshund so he was smaller than the cats when we got him. After a week or so the cats accepted him and they all get along now.
I have a Maine Coon cat who is massive and him and the Dachshund play together, they just look really funny due to the size difference!
The only real advice I would offer is to make sure the established animal gets lots of attention so they don't feel left out as this is when potential trouble can start (mainly between dogs) - as long as their routine dosn't change too much they generally sort it out quite quickly and you'll have a harmonious household! Good luck!

Answer 3

I have just taken on a new puppy and have a 6 year old cat that is well established in the house. My cat can look after himself and not much fazzes him.. We have moved house 3 times in the last 6 months and was great. We had a baby and he was fine, nisitors with their dogs stayed and he just went and slept out of the way. I spoke to the RSPCA when getting my puppy and wasked what to do. Shesaid that the dog needs to understand his pecking order within the family and to greet the dog last at all times. To let the cat and dog check eachother out but to watch. The puppy does not want to attack the cat, just to play and the cat swipes him and he goes away. When the cat runs away and he chases him I was told to take him by the scruff of the neck and pins him down and tell him "no". This has worked and within 2 dsays they were sleeping on the couch together!! or able to be stay in the same room. Still early days but I think they are ok!!

Answer 4

Introducing a new dog to an established dog should first be done on neutral territory -- a park, a friend's house - someplace the established dog won't feel inately protective of.

Introduce them first on seperate leashes and on seperate sides of a chainlink fence. They can smell each other, back up, bark or be aggressive without the risk of hurting the other animal. Once it appears as though there is no aggression, it's time to get them closer.

Once the fence introduction has gone well, keep them on their leashes but bring them together to sniff, explore, etc. You're keeping them on leashes incase one dog decides to be an idiot and you can break them up easier with a leash than not.

If the introduction is going well and you feel comfortable that neither dog is going to hurt the other, then you can let them off leash to explore one another.

Once home, be sure each dog has it's own seperate crate. Someplace it can get away from the other dog if it wants to.
Also remember if the dogs are out loose in the house, it's your job to constantly keep an eye on them.

Lastly, introducing a 2nd dog into your home helps reinforce pack drive in your animals, so you better learn to be a strong pack leader at once. A great site for this information is: http://www.leerburg.com Ed Frawley offers free podcasts and articles to teach you how to be a pack leader.

The cats sorta do their own thing. They can move, get out of the way, jump, hide. Make sure there are high places the cat has access to should it want to get away from the dogs.

Good luck!

Answer 5

I have 5 dogs and 4 cats. The dogs were all got one at a time, and when we got the first 2 kittens, the dogs could see them but not get to them. After a few days we introduced the kittens and the dogs just snuffled them and after an hour ignored them. I now have a further 2 kittens who are 5 months old that I have hand reared since they were abandoned at 2 weeks by their mother.

I waited until they were 2 months old to introduce them, but they all get along like a house on fire. It is funny to see a tiny kitten chasing a big German Shepherd.

Basically, you have to put them all in a pot and let them sort themselves out into the correct pecking order.

Answer 6

i have a cat named button and and a dog named sasy. we had them both wen they were babies and they get along. the cat is annoye dbuy the dog but isnt scared of it.but i recently got a new cat and its been over a year and he is STILL afraid and hisses at the dog

Answer 7

depends.. I bought a dog when I lived at home and my mums dogs still don't like her much now after almost 2 years... they get jealous, however these are small snappy dogs and the dog i bought was a sausage doggy... guess its different for everyone!

Answer 8

when their young your dogs and cats will grow up well togather.
it woud be nice if they grow up togather from puppy to kittens.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Answer 9

4 weeks, three days, four minutes and 11 seconds.... give or take three seconds

Answer 10

about a month to a year