Introducing A Cat To A Dog Home

Introduction

If you’ve ever brought a new dog into your home, you know there’s plenty of preparation that goes into it. The same goes for cats! You’ll need to prepare the new cat for your house and vice versa. We’ll walk you through what to do before the cat comes home, how to look after them once they arrive, and tips for helping your pets get along.

Prepare Your Home

When introducing a cat to a dog home, you’ll want to take some precautions. You don’t want your cat running into the other room and getting stuck in one of those hidey holes between the couch cushions. And it’s not just about hiding places; there are also toys that can be dangerous if they fall into the wrong paws.

These are just some of the things you should consider before bringing a new cat into your home:

Make sure there are plenty of places for your pet to hide (or climb)
Make sure that all hiding spots are out of reach from where your dog normally spends its time
Make sure all toys and food bowls are out of reach from where your dog normally spends its time

Start Out Slow

Start out slow. Let your cat and dog become familiar with each other’s scent, sounds and presence before you bring them into the same room.
Put the dog in a crate or behind a door when you’re not at home so she doesn’t have access to your cat’s toys, food and bedding.
After an hour of smelling each other from across the house, open the door between them so they can see one another if they want to but still maintain their own spaces if they’d rather not interact immediately.
If after about three days of being able to see one another through a doorway, neither is showing any signs of aggression (like hissing or growling) then it’s safe for you both to be together while you’re gone during the day (keeping all doors closed).

Bring the Cat In First

Bringing the cat in first is essential. It’s important that the cat not see the dog and vice versa, so you’ll want to carry them separately and hide them from each other until you’re ready to introduce them. Make sure that neither has access to their respective crates or litter boxes until you are ready for them to interact with one another, as this may cause anxiety for each animal.

Supervise Interactions and Treat Everyone

Supervise interactions.
Treat everyone.
Make sure the cat is comfortable and not afraid of the dog, and vice versa.

Keep Things Positive

Positive reinforcement is the best way to train your cat or dog. It’s also an excellent way to foster a strong relationship between you and your pet(s). You can use positive reinforcement in many different ways, but for this article we’ll focus on its use in training animals.

You should begin by selecting some behaviors that you want your cat or dog to perform. This may be something as simple as sitting when asked or lying down on command, but more complex tricks like walking on their hind legs are possible too! For example, if you want your cat to jump onto a table at your command, start off by rewarding them every time they jump up on the table at any time—not just when it’s requested of them by you. Soon enough they’ll begin associating jumping up with being rewarded and this makes it easier for them to perform when asked (and also means less chasing around trying desperately not fall off while balancing precariously atop some precarious piece furniture).

Patience is key when introducing pets.

Patience is key when introducing pets. Don’t force the issue or rush things. Give the animals time to get used to each other and don’t punish them if they are frightened or excited by the presence of the other animal. You don’t want your dog to think that his new friend is a threat to him, nor do you want him to feel like he should protect himself from this “intruder” in his home. It’s also important that you don’t let your cat know that there is something wrong with her for being afraid of dogs; this will only make her more anxious about being in contact with one again in future encounters (and may even make it worse).

Conclusion

We hope this guide was helpful to you, and that following our tips will result in a successful introduction between your cat and dog. The most important thing to remember is to be patient, as these things take time. Your pets will learn to live together with some time and effort on your part, so don’t be discouraged if it seems like it’s not working out at first. There are plenty of other guides out there that can help you with the process if need be, so find one that works best for your situation. Just remember that all of this effort is worth it if it means bringing two animals you love into the same home!