I have 9 month old 70 lb puppy and I might be getting a 10 year old cat. How do I introduce the two?

Question

I have a large and hyper 9 month old puppy, and I might be taking my friends 10 year old cat. (I cant have him if the 2 dont get along) How can I best introduce them so they get along or atleast give each other space? Also I dont know if this makes a difference but my dog is being crate trained (his crate is the kitchen with HUGE dog gates up) so he spends his time in there unless someone is around to supervise him or he is going to bed. (sleeps in a different bedroom than mine which is where the cats stuff would be)

Answer 1

Very carefully.

Seriously....this is not an ideal situation. Depending on the cat's personality, it might freak out. Cats are very much creatures of habit, environment, and routine. His/her world is about to turn upside down just from changing her home and people, even if your dog weren't going to be part of the equation.

Give the cat a bedroom as far away from the dog as possible. Give her 2-4 weeks there alone (with only you and other family members spending time with her) before letting her around the dog. That will give her time to get used to the dog's smell and sounds without feeling threatened. Bring blankets, shirts, etc. with your dog's smell on them, and cuddle the cat with them. That will make the smell be associated with a pleasant experience. Then, introduce them gradually over time. If the cat were younger, and the dog more mature, you could speed up the process. But if you rush this, be prepared for a possible emotional disaster on the part of the cat. Good luck!

Btw....what you are doing with the kitchen does not constitute crate-training at all. Have you read up on that? How/why it works? And why a SMALL, restricted space (an actual crate) is needed to create the benefits of a den environment for your dog?

Answer 2

Since your dog is already being crate trained and hopefully the cat will be inside cat-safer and live longer-introduce cat when he is in the kitchen sit by the gate where he can see you and the cat at a distance for if too close cat may get scared of the dog,hiss and all that-but sit and pet the cat which will show your dog the cat is friend and the same the cat will know dog is safe. Nevertheless since this is a 10year old cat she will teach him about her space-i do this about 2-3days then let them be together and observe if he being hyper gts too rough have a squirt gun ready and squirt- the dog-careful not to hit the cat. Also some of their behaviours with each other they will work out between themselves. It may take a while-will not happen overnight so be patient and do not expect them to be pals right away but again they just might.Go to www.wisegeek.com-tells all about having a dog and getting a cat-good tips.

Answer 3

Have cat and dog been around others of the opposite species. If so it will be easier. Take them both beside you and with one on each side slowly introduce them to one another. Take notice of reactions of them being close. If growling or hissing it is best to separate them. You can also let cat roam around a well locked cage the dog is in. Sometimes they will bond like that and be OK once left alone. HOWEVER the size difference Will always be an issue because the puppy will want to play and could accidentally hurt the cat. Good luck either way. It is always a challenge.

Answer 4

Keep your dog on a leash, and your cat with you in a secure room. Let them sniff eachother, check eachother out.

Don't be nervous. If you're nervous then the animals will think there's something to be nervous about (they are very intuitive).

Your cat might swat your pup, but your pup will take note. I bet after a day they won't even care that each other is there.

Answer 5

in case you feed both one among your cats, inspite of age, well-being kind canned foodstuff two times an afternoon, think ofyou've got wholesome cats. Prescription diets and dry meals are terrible on your cats. Dry foodstuff dehydrates their insides and causes liver failure with the help of the years, alongside with a million different well-being issues. Prescription diets are complete of chemical substances and occasional grade meats. inspite of age, well-being kind is complete of human grade meats and loaded with supplements. i have considered it turn around the well-being of cats of all ages. I do imagine they have a kitten one you may want to supply your infant, yet even the grownup formulation is better ideal than different manufacturers of kitten foodstuff. also, feeding in straight forward words two times an afternoon is better primary to cats, as cats in the wild quickly between nutrients. this may help both cats be the appropriate weight. believe me it is going to ward off 1000's on vet expenses. experience free to e-mail me in case you want to communicate better about this.