Are there any tricks as we are just getting a king charles spaniel for the kids, but worried that our two year old cat who has ruled the roost may get very upset
Very slowly. Don’t force them together. If the pup is very young, watch it so the cat doesn’t bat it’s nose with its claws too bad. And don’t let the puppy chew on or harrass the cat, if the cat doesn’t like it. The cat probably will get upset, but most times they get over it. I’d make a room or special spot just for the cat to escape to if the puppy’s antics get to be too much for him/her.
In my experience with cats and dogs together, I’ve found that just letting them get to know each other without any interference is sufficient. Don’t force them together, but at the same time, don’t desperately try to keep them seperated. Only physically seperate them if things between them get too rough. Otherwise, let them figure eachother out by themselves.
depends on the personality of your cat
some cats shun other animals, others are always curious
Just play to your instincts, and identify any issues (eg, say the puppy chews up newspapers and the cat loves to sit on newspapers).
Cats usually love to roam anyway, so if they’re not interested or annoyed they just leave.
Is it easier to introduce a puppy to a household with a cat, or a kitten to a household with a dog?
I remember when we got our dog, we had a mature cat in the house. The cat completely dominated the dog; the dog knows it is last in line, all the household cats pick on it.
As for accomidating your cat to your dog, I don’t think you should have a problem, houses are more cat friendly than dog friendly, your cat will just jump on the couch or where ever (drawers etc) to get away from the dog.
IANAV or I am not a vet… but…
I read somewhere that two cats can get to know each other behind a door that doesnt touch the floor when closed. The space in between the door and the ground allows the cats to see and ‘speak’ to each other. I don’t know if this the same for cat and dog, but I assume something along those lines could be followed.
When we brought home a second dog (both dogs where ‘outside’ dogs) to our first dog of 10+ years (He lived to be 18) we had one leashed to the fence, and the other was free inside the same fence.
So, a guess a sense of limited forced introduction could be the key.
tx for the replies. I guess we should be OK then (fingers crossed)
That’s exactly how we got the new cat to get used to the dog. The dog was much more interested in the cat than vice versa (golden retriever - very playful and definitely wanted to play.) We let them sniff through the the back door. Dog kept wondering why cat didn’t want to be buddies, and cat wondered why there was a big honking dog trying to play chase. After a few days, when the cat decided he’d look at the dog right next to the glass door instead of ten feet away, we let the dog inside, and put up a gate across the stairs. The cat watched the dog from the stairway. After a few days, he came down and now, the cat weaves in and out of the dogs legs.
Slow intro, and you have to let them go at your own pace. Let them get to know each other by scent through a door and visually if you can before you put them in the same space together if possible, and let them go at their own pace. It’s definitely possible for them to get along!
Good luck!