Bringing home a new cat, pt 1

You can find part 1 of our series on introducing a new cat to your family below. This post is going to discuss how you introduce a cat to the family dogs. A word of caution. Not all dogs are appropriate companions for cats. Some will chase and harass them, regardless of how well trained or socialized they are. Keep that in mind when deciding whether to be the forever home for a new cat. If you’re unsure, consult with professional trainers or a cat rescue organization. They may be able to help you determine how fit your home will be for a cat.

Once you’re sure that your dog will be able to learn to live with a cat, you can start the introduction process.

Bringing a new cat home

Before introducing any new pet into your home, it’s important to have a well-trained dog. If your dog doesn’t do well on a leash or around new things, or if he or she doesn’t know basic commands, you might want to wait before introducing a new pet. However, if you’re confident in your dog’s training and behavior, this will help the introduction go more smoothly.

Start by keeping the cat and dog separated at first, with the cat confined to a small part of the house such as a bedroom. The cat will need a few days to get accustomed to his or her new home, and there’s no need to stress them out more by also introducing them to a dog. After the cat begins to get comfortable, feel free to let them explore the rest of their home. Simply keep the dog outside or crated while this happens. Once the cat is again comfortable, meaning curious, eating well and not visibly stressed, you may try introducing the new family members.

Introducing your dog and cat

Keep in mind that you can manage your dog’s behavior more easily than you can the new cat’s. So when introducing them, make sure to have control of the animal by means of a leash and verbal commands. And introduce multiple dogs one at a time, so as not to overwhelm the cat. Let the cat make its way toward the dog, if it wants. Once things seem comfortable, continue to monitor the animals even when the dog is off the leash. Don’t leave them alone together until you trust both animals. This may take as little time as a few days or many months. Don’t be impatient.

General words of advice on introducing new animals

As you may have noticed, a lot of this process involves closely watching the animals to ensure nothing dangerous happens. Knowing ahead of time how your animals feel about living with other cats and dogs will make the process much easier. This can be why it is worth it to have a well socialized dog that has met many different people and animals. Additionally, adopting a cat from a rescue organization will often ensure that you can learn about the animal’s behavior long before you bring him or her home. That way, if a cat shouldn’t live around dogs, you can avoid unnecessary stress and heartbreak later.

By taking the time to learn about new animals before bringing them home and taking steps to make the introduction smooth, there’s no reason your pets can’t have a happy life together.

Sources:
http://www.peteducation.com/
http://www.thecatsite.com

Fighting like cats and dogs

Afraid your beloved pooch will turn into a bully when you bring home your new pet kitten? While the cliches would have you believe that cats and dogs can never get along, many happy cats and dogs can be part of a happy family. The same goes for introducing cats to other cats. By using some common sense and being respectful of the needs of your beloved pets, introducing your pets to their new family member can be much less stressful. In this post, we’ll focus on introducing your new cat to existing feline family members. In a follow up post, we’ll discuss introducing your new kitty to your pooch.

Introducing a new cat to your pet cats

Cats are creatures of habit and the stress associated with moving to a new home can upset them and alter their behavior. In order to limit the stress, keep them confined to smaller portions of the house away from other pets for the first few days. Make sure they have safe places that are just for them, such as beds and crates.

When introducing your cats to the new family member, take it slowly. Start by letting the cats get used to each other’s scent by rubbing each cat down with a towel or blanket and then letting the other cat(s) smell it. Feed the cats near these towels and near the door that separates them so that they associate the new kitty smell with something positive. Once the two cats become more settled, you can introduce the cats in such a way that they can see each other, but not actually touch. Use something like a screen or a cracked door. Let the cats do what they will. There might be some nervous hissing or tail swishes, but hopefully more meetings will alter this behavior

Once they’ve had a few days to get used to seeing each, you can move them into the same room for meals. Keep their feed bowls apart, ideally all the way across the room. Keep them separate the rest of the time. Feel free at this point to allow the new cat to travel around the rest of your home. Just make sure your other cats are confined while this happens.

A Happy Family

After as many days (and possibly weeks) as you think it’s necessary to keep the pets separated, once you sense that they’re finally comfortable, it’s time to let them meet. Don’t leave them alone together at first, and watch closely for any signs of aggression or stress. If they get into a fight, separate them again and try reintroducing them slowly. However, don’t expect that they will become best friends immediately, or ever. Sometimes the most you can hope for is tolerance. However, by taking the time to make their introduction comfortable and less stressful, no one has to get seriously hurt.