Vetbabble
Do you know what happens when a cat and a dog meet for the first time? If you plan to get a new pet into your home and would like a feline breed, then you may find it useful to learn how to introduce a cat to a dog. It may be a canine instinct to chase after fast-moving objects, but the two animals are not necessarily archenemies. A pussy and a scoundrel can get along well over time. You only need to give them a good introduction.
Essential Tips On How To Introduce Cat To Dog
You must remember a few basic rules for acquainting a feline and floof. A college professor at Cornell University suggests that dogs usually cause trouble.
Its playfulness may bring harm to the little mew. You must watch your doggos closely when introducing a new kitty into your family. Consider these essential tips for getting Little KeeKee and Fido to meet for the first time.
Train Your Dog
Before you even get this new furry member of your family into your home, make sure you have already tamed the mutt. Wild dogs can easily break a cat’s neck. Make sure it has mastered obedience so that it follows your command at the time of the encounter. An obedient dog is always easier to control.
If you have a herding dog, then you may need to give a little extra effort to keep it from chasing the new cat. But these dogs are also smart. It wouldn’t take them long to learn your instructions.
Use Baby Gates
It would be helpful to separate your pets when a newcomer arrives in your home. Particularly for naturally territorial cats, the animals can become quite defensive when they see each other. This could lead to chaos.
Ensure the cat’s safety by putting a barrier between their living spaces or get them to stay in two separate rooms. Experts suggest using baby gates because they give the puss greater freedom and better protection. Let each pet switch spaces from time to time to make them familiar with each other’s scent.
The Scent Technique
You can begin to introduce the two pets by making them familiar with each other’s scents. These brutes have a strong sense of smell. Dogs are known to help policemen catch criminals by sniffing their scent. Cats can smell when danger is coming. That is how they protect themselves. An unfamiliar scent would alert their reflexes to either fight or flee. Allow each pet to sniff each other when they meet. You can also exchange their blankets, chew toys, or beds until they get familiar with each other’s scents. This works not only with cats and dogs but with any animal you have in the house. A towel with a dog’s scent and placed under the cat’s feeding bowl can also do the trick.
Organize Gradual Meetings
People often make this mistake. They try to force the two pets near each other immediately. But, just like any other relationship, it also takes time for these furballs to get acquainted. You need to make gradual steps to make them familiar with each other.
As the editors of Paws put it, you need to give them time to get used to each other. You could start being them together. Place their food at a distance across each other with a barrier between them. Repeat the process but slowly move them closer each time you feed them.
Supervise The Encounter
Make sure to keep control of your dog when you make their first encounter. You may want to put a leash on Fido for a little while as you let KeeKee explore the new environment. Get a retractable leash to allow the mutt to freely move around his living space. Let KeeKee decide to come near. Give her a hiding place in case Fido gets aggressive and turns in on her.
Remember that cats are more vulnerable than dogs. You need to ensure their protection. People often make the mistake of forcing an introduction. They would pick up the puss and nudge to the dog’s snout. That is actually a dangerous thing to do. The cat may scratch the dog out of fear. In turn, the floof could bark and even hurt the pussy. Always give your pets the freedom to get along.
Know Your Pets Breed
You will benefit much from knowing which breeds get along well. There are canine and feline classes that could never be mixed. This is one factor affecting your pet’s unique personality.
If you’re planning to get another animal for a pet, it would be helpful to ask your vet which animal breeds are suitable for each other. Additionally, you will want to know their age.
It is another factor that can affect how long your pets can get along. If you get them to meet while they are still kittens and pups, they can become friends quickly and easily. As some experts would say, cats and dogs are just like little children. They make friends quickly when they are young.
Taming animals always takes time. You also need to understand your pet’s condition. It’s not impossible to make cats and dogs live together under one roof. You can have both pets in the house. You just need to know how to make them get along. You need to learn essential techniques to introduce a new cat to your dog, and vice versa. You need to understand how animals behave towards each other.
The experts suggest three basic rules for acquainting cats and dogs. The first is to sure the safety of the cat as it is more vulnerable than the dog. The second is to keep the mutt restrained and well-tamed.
Lastly, you need to give the new feline freedom to explore the environment and eventually get along with everyone. It helps to remember these rules if you want to add a cat to your household. The essential tips mentioned here take these rules as their fundamental principle.
