How To Introduce A Cat To A Dog That Hates Cats

To introduce cats and dogs in a way that minimizes risk and stress for everyone the first rule is to take things very slowly.

How to introduce a cat to a dog that hates cats. Whether you already have a dog and are considering getting a cat or vice versa it is very important to think about their first introduction. A pet gate works better than a baby gate because pet gates are high and have a walk through door in them so that the human doesn t have to disassemble the base camp door every time he wants to cross that threshold. If your dog gets up from his stay position he should be repositioned with a treat lure and praised and rewarded for obeying the stay command. As you prepare to introduce your cat to a new addition keep the following steps in mind.

So cats who weren t raised with dogs usually assume dogs are out to get them and many dogs do chase and even grab and injure cats so it makes sense for cats to feel that way. By letting a loose cat and an off leash dog meet each other in an open room for the first time you are probably setting up both animals to fail. How to introduce cats. Books and movies tell us that cats and dogs are mortal enemies but the truth is dogs and cats can peacefully and even happily coexist.

Fortunately the first introduction does not have to be negative. Training your dog to accept a cat works best when done before the dog has shown aggression toward cats. Use a head collar halter on your dog if there is a chance that you may not be in complete control of the situation. To introduce a cat to a dog start by touching one animal in a separate room and then letting the other animal smell your hand.

Some dogs unfortunately will be too dangerous for your cat and one of the most important points of this article is that you need to recognize when this is the case. Introducing dogs to cats. Introducing dogs to cats. Keep the dog on a leash and allow the cat to roam around and venture as close to the dog as he or she wishes.

A separate though similar article will talk about introducing a new cat to a family dog. Don t rush the introduction between two cats. How to introduce a cat to a dog who hates cats fighting like cats and dogs saying is something that really mirrors how they have instinctively felt about each other through the history of evolution nowadays however owners are more and more attracted by the idea of having both as pets. In my experience the better option is to introduce the cats by either using a pet gate or a screen door.

When you are ready to introduce your cat to your dog make the initial meeting a quick one approximately ten minutes. Then let them smell each other under a door or through a gate or fence to see how the animals react to being close to each other.