Introducing A Dog To A Cat Home

Introduction

Our home is always a place of great excitement and comfort. But when it comes to introducing a new animal into your family, it can be stressful for both the humans and pets involved. A few years ago, we adopted our dog Lulu from a shelter and had to figure out how to introduce her to our two cats. We knew that dogs were “pack animals” who were likely going to want to assert their dominance over our cats by eating them or playing aggressively with them. Fortunately, we found some tips on how to get cats and dogs used to each other before bringing them into the same space. In this post, we’ll share what we learned about how you can introduce your dog or cat into a multi-animal household!

Create a safe space

Set up a safe space for your cat. If you have a dog, you want to make sure that your cat has a place where they feel comfortable and safe. This can be accomplished by creating an area that is just for them: one that smells like home, has their favorite toys and food, etc. This will help them get used to the new environment much more quickly than if they were constantly being bombarded with new sights and smells.
Set up a safe space for your dog too! Cats are naturally territorial, so they may not appreciate another animal coming into their territory uninvited—but dogs don’t see it that way! If there’s only one room in the house where the cat can go without feeling like an intruder on “her” territory then this might cause some problems down the line when both pets are fully integrated into each other’s lives but still need separate spaces from time to time (like when sleeping). So even though it seems counterintuitive at first glance, try setting up at least one room as explicitly “DOG-PROOFED” so your canine friend knows exactly where he belongs while living with felines as well!”

Start with smells

Let’s start with smells. Your dog probably has a distinct smell, which he can pick up on from a distance. Try to mimic this with your cat by rubbing one of his toys or blankets against the dog, then allowing the pair to meet. This way, they’ll both get used to each other’s scent and be less likely to feel threatened when they’re face-to-face.

Next up: sounds! If you’ve ever listened closely while pets meet for the first time, you might notice that dogs make noise when they sense something unusual—and cats are pretty much silent no matter what happens (unless they get into trouble). Matching their volume will help them adjust faster and feel safer around each other.

Introducing your dog to your cat

Make sure your cat is safe. If you have a cat, make sure to take the time to acclimate it to its new environment and introduce it to your dog slowly.
Make sure your dog is safe. This means keeping the dog on a leash or behind a gate until you are confident both pets are comfortable with each other.
Keep them separate for now. If possible, keep them in different rooms until they become accustomed to one another’s presence and begin exploring their surroundings together on their own terms—this can take anywhere from 24 hours up to several weeks depending on how fast the two animals learn how best not just tolerate but also enjoy spending time together!

Monitor their playtime

Monitor their playtime. If your dog and cat are getting along, you may want to let them play together in a supervised environment. However, if they’re getting too rough—which might involve one of them chasing the other, biting or growling—separate them right away. Make sure they’re not just playing around before separating them and make sure that they’re not fighting when they’re doing it!

Try dog calming products

Dog calming products are a great way to help your dog feel more comfortable in their new home. These products are designed to calm and relax your dog through aromatherapy, music or exposure to sound.

In addition to this, there is also a cat calming product that can be used alongside the dog one. It works in the same way but has a different scent as it is made from essential oils like lavender, chamomile, eucalyptus and ylang ylang.

When using these products it’s important to ensure you find one that suits your pet best. For example, if you have an older dog then they may not respond as well as a younger dog would so look out for something suitable for their age too!

The proper preparation can make it possible to have a home where cats and dogs can cohabitate peacefully.

Preparing your home and establishing rules for both the cat and the dog is an important step in making it possible to have a home where cats and dogs can cohabitate peacefully.

For cats, you will want to set up a safe space for them where they can get away from the dog when they choose. Your cat may not be as interested in playing with toys as your dog; however, this is still an important consideration because if your cat feels threatened by your new pet, he or she may hide more often than normal. Try placing some soft blankets or pillows in the corner of a room where your pet usually sleeps so that he or she has somewhere quiet and comfortable to go when necessary.
For dogs, you will want to create a space away from all household furniture where he or she can relax after playing with his new feline friend (or vice versa). It may also be helpful if there is someplace low-to-the ground like an old blanket on which he could lie down while napping next door but still within sight of its owner so that both animal companions are close by but only one at any given time needs interaction from either party.

Conclusion

On the whole, dogs and cats can get along just fine. The key to success is making sure that you understand what’s going on in each of your pets’ heads, and ensuring that both feel safe and secure at all times. We hope this article has taught you a few tricks to help when attempting to add a new four-legged friend into your home! Good luck, and happy pet parenting!