THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS ★
They can — and often do — live together peacefully, as Sue Corfield has discovered.
Creating a harmonious family can take some effort, but with lots of planning and careful guidance, it is possible to introduce a dog into a house with an existing cat or cats, and vice versa.
How successful this will be depends on a number of variants, including the breed and age of the dog, and his past life. In some cases, dog and cat may even become good friends, although tolerance on both sides is more often the general outcome.
When introducing a new dog into the household, it is important to remember that dogs can injure cats easily, even if they are only playing, and some dogs have a high prey drive, especially breeds like Lurchers, Bull Terriers, and German Shepherds so be very cautious. Even placid dogs need to be monitored carefully until acceptance has been achieved on both sides.
FORETHOUGHT AND CAREFUL PLANNING IS VITAL BEFORE BRINGING A DOG INTO A HOME WITH EXISTING CATS, SO BE SURE TO DO THE FOLLOWING:
● Create a safe place for your cat(s) which the dog can’t get to; using a baby gate or a cat door is often a good solution.
● Keep the cat’s food and water dishes in a separate area, so the cat continues to feed in safety. Remember that cat food is too rich for dogs and dog food lacks vital nutrients for felines, so it’s better if the two aren’t mixed.
● Make sure your dog understands and responds to basic commands, such as ‘Sit,’ ‘Stay’, and ‘Leave.’ This will be helpful with introductions.
“...avoid causing the cat to hiss, bat the dog, or run away; this means the cat is already stressed...”