Do you have a dog in your house and have you decided to get a kitten? Or, on the contrary, you have a kitten, but are planning to add to the family? The second option, of course, is simpler; making friends with two cubs, albeit of different species, is quite possible. Let's not concentrate on the small things and go the hard way - consider the acquaintance of an adult dog and a cat (kitten, young cat). If you are ready to work, correct the behavior of your charges, show patience and restraint, below we will look at how to accustom a dog to a kitten. If you think that it will “grow together on its own,” my urgent advice is to refuse to purchase a second animal.
Ideal age
The easiest option for such cohabitation is pets of the same age. A kitten and a puppy growing up together will easily bond and become playmates. In this case, only one problem arises - the cat gets used to the absence of a threat from the dog. If the pet goes out for a walk on its own, it will not consider street dogs as a threat, which can end sadly.
Adult dog and kitten
An adult dog most often treats a kitten with friendliness. But excessive enthusiasm can scare the baby. To introduce pets without harm to the cat’s psyche, you should pay attention to a number of points:
- Animals must get used to each other's smell. To do this, for the first days it is better to keep them in different rooms, arranging a meeting for a while every day. Before a new resident arrives, you can give the dog something with the baby’s scent so that his appearance is not regarded as a threat.
- If the pet is very old or angry, special cat-scented pheromones should be used a few weeks before the kitten arrives. This way you can reduce the level of stress and, accordingly, anger.
- Dogs are jealous of their food, so food intake areas should be separated. In the future, the dog should always be fed first.
- Everyone should have their own corner. If the owner does not create conditions for rest and does not designate zones, the animals will figure it out on their own, which will worsen the relationship between them.
Adult cat and puppy
Puppies are easy-going by nature and aggression will not cause them any special psychological trauma, which cannot be said about physical ones.
The owner should limit the time the pets communicate, because even if the cat normally accepts the appearance of the baby in the house, he will still quickly get tired of noisy games and want to retire.
If animals have separate places for resting and eating, then acquaintance and further life will go smoothly.
Adult cat and dog
It is difficult to breed adult animals, but it is possible. This will take a very long time. The first meeting should take place under the full control of the person, since a dog that is not accustomed to living with a cat may regard it as prey or an object for play. Therefore, the dog must be muzzled and on a leash.
You should not let the dog get close, otherwise the cat will decide that he is being attacked and will begin to defend himself.
Every day you need to bring your pets together for a couple of minutes, monitoring their communication and possible manifestations of hostility.
First meeting
Before the very first meeting with a kitten, the dog must be wearing a collar and muzzle. Acquaintance should take place gradually, without stress. It is strictly forbidden to immediately leave a dog in the same room with a kitten. It is best to introduce pets through a small opening under the strict supervision of the owner.
If neither the dog nor the kitten develops pronounced aggression, then such meetings can be held regularly until the pets are completely accustomed to each other. It is important to note that there are hunting breeds of dogs, the representatives of which are very difficult to accustom to a kitten - the dog will see its prey in the small creature. With such an introduction, the most important thing is not to let go of the kitten - if the kitten runs, the dog will start hunting for it.
Mr. Cat recommends: tips for first meeting
Even before meeting, pets should be taught to adequately perceive representatives of another species. So, when walking, you need to scold them for barking towards cats or reward them for being friendly. In the future, the success of reconciling pets will depend on following the following tips:
- It is necessary to teach your pet the “Near” and “Sit” commands as early as possible, otherwise it will be difficult to control him.
- Cat's nails should be trimmed regularly.
- You cannot physically punish your pets.
- At the first signs of friendship between pets, you should not rush to arrange for them to live together. Animals left alone can quarrel and fight.
- When choosing a puppy in a shelter, it is important to find out from the workers which of the wards reacts calmer to cats.
- The most aggressive dogs towards cats are hunting dogs. Owners of such breeds should think carefully before making such a serious decision.
Introducing a puppy to a kitten or adult cat
Yes, the puppy’s behavior needs to be considered separately. The baby is unlikely to intentionally harm the cat, but is guaranteed to turn the existence of the mustachioed tabby into a “holiday.” Your task is to exhaust the dog on walks and distract it at home if the cat is not in the mood to communicate. Over time, Murzik will adapt to moving around the house without touching the floor, and the puppy will understand that the arched back and hiss of a “forced playmate” are far from a friendly invitation to frolic.
If serious aggression is shown, the dog should be punished by you, and not by the cat - it is safer. Your task is to catch the moment of the attack and strictly stop it with the command “Fu”, with a jerk of the parforce, a rolled-up newspaper on the butt as a last resort. If you do not “break” this moment in the process of growing up, either the dog will need a dog handler, or your cat will die the “death of the brave.”
Rules for keeping in one room
The first and main law of such a community is the equal distribution of love and attention to both pets, so that thoughts of jealousy do not arise. In addition, each of them must have their own place for rest and food. Pets must understand that there is only one leader, and that is the owner. There are examples when people allowed one to punish the other, and the hostility between them did not stop. There must be one punishing hand.
In this case, it is important to understand that physical punishment must be avoided: the animal will remember the pain from the punishment and will associate it with its neighbor, directing all the anger and resentment towards him.
Teaching friendship: secrets and nuances
Before introducing one pet to another, it is necessary to take into account some basic rules that will simplify the process and lead to a positive result. Therefore, let's look at how to accustom a dog to a cat.
First meeting
When a new pet comes into the house, he often reacts warily to everything that happens and hesitantly explores the apartment. For some period he can hide, be completely inactive.
At this time, introducing him to other inhabitants of the house is not recommended, as you can scare the new resident, especially if the pet that has been living in your apartment for a long time is an adult.
For example, if you buy a small kitten and immediately place it in the same room with the dog, it will probably try to run away from the curious and playful dog, and the latter will try to catch up with the baby and the consequences can be unpleasant for both animals.
Therefore, when you bring a new pet into your home, place it in a separate room that you do not forget to lock. An animal living in your house for a long time will smell a new smell and characteristic sounds, to which it will gradually become accustomed.
After some time, you can bring the new resident of the apartment into a room with another pet for closer animal contact.
Important! It is not recommended to leave your pets alone while they get used to each other, as a conflict may arise between them, and you should take the baby in your arms at any time for protection.
Owner's attention
Perhaps the main reason for hostility between a dog and a cat in the same apartment is the attention of the owner
If a cat by its nature is not attached to affection from its owner and calmly tolerates its absence, then it is very important for the dog that it receives a lot of attention, and it regards this as the main indicator of love.
But when a rival appears in the house, the cat’s behavior changes radically - it tries to attract attention to itself, competing in every possible way with the dog for the affection of its owner. When the dog is taken for a walk, the cat may meow desperately, indignant, and demanding to take it with you.
The dog is less jealous in this regard, but still will not allow the cat to be its owner’s favorite, and will try in every possible way to shift attention to itself. In this case, animals can be compared to small children who are jealous of their parents and try to attract attention to themselves.
Therefore, you should evenly distribute your time, paying attention to both pets, so that they feel needed and full-fledged members of the family
Everyone has their place
In order not to provoke conflicts between pets, it is recommended to arrange for them to relax in separate places that they have chosen.
It is advisable that they be in different rooms, in this case you will be able to control that one animal does not drive away the other, each has its own territory where the cat or dog can feel protected.
Lunch together
As for the food intake of the pets in question, their attitude towards food is radically opposite. A cat will never overeat if she always has food in her bowl. This animal eats little by little, returning to the food bowl regularly throughout the day.
The dog eats everything at once, regardless of what is offered to it. Therefore, she can eat all her food and switch to the cat’s bowl, which will soon also be empty, which the animal is unlikely to be happy about, returning after a while to once again refresh itself.
Over time, the cat, of course, will get used to this behavior of the dog and will try to eat the maximum amount of food at one time, so as not to go hungry the rest of the time.
Due to the above-mentioned eating habits, it is recommended to feed your pets together so that each of them receives the required amount of food.
Common Mistakes
Inexperienced owners often do not know what to do in a given situation, which leads to the following mistakes:
- Poor nutrition: if everyone eats at the same time and nearby, then someone will inevitably try to steal food from someone else’s plate.
- Uncontrolled first meeting: some let the cat and dog communicate freely, not thinking that this could develop into a fight.
- Lack of separate resting places: cats are introverts by nature. Long communication will infuriate the pet and can lead to aggression. It is advisable to give the cat its place on a hill.
- Playing off animals: they will remember a fight that happens once for the rest of their stay, so clashes should not be allowed.
How to make friends between a cat and a dog
There are dog people, and there are cat people. And some just love animals. Different. All kinds. They even have a home, sometimes, like in Noah’s Ark - there is a pair for each creature))) And it doesn’t matter whether the pet meows or barks, everyone is loved, everyone is welcome and there is a corner for everyone both in the heart and in the apartment.
Some make the decision to get both a dog and a cat carefully and deliberately, plan in advance, discuss... But for others, everything is spontaneous, it’s just the way their life circumstances develop. For example, they threw a baby kitten under the door... Don’t drive him away, he will die from hunger and cold! So they take it into the house. So what if there’s already a dog living there, they’ll make friends somehow!
Everyone knows that by nature, a cat and a dog are antagonists.
So what to do?! A wise owner will read a competent article on how to make friends between a cat and a dog and help his animals establish peace in the apartment!
And we, in turn, will try to help this owner with valuable advice - how to behave correctly in such a situation and what, first of all, you need to pay attention to. How quickly and easily a cat and a dog can become friends will largely depend on the behavior of the owner. It will also depend on the age and in what sequence the cat and dog appeared in the house.
Two babies.
The most ideal scenario is when both a cat and a dog appear in the family at the same time as very young children. Having just been separated from their mother, they will find valuable support and a kindred spirit in each other. Babies are not yet used to sleeping alone; this is a real stress for them. They will cuddle together in their sleep, together they will feel lighter and calmer.
It is easier for mischievous, restless children to establish contact with each other - joint games, pranks and fun unite!
