Will my chihuahua be a good companion for my new 5-week-old kitten?

Introducing a new dog into the house can certainly pose some challenges. Female/female dog pairings have a higher rate of problems than male/female dog pairings. Initially, keeping the dogs in separate rooms with a solid door between them can be beneficial. Allow them to smell one another under the door for a few days, then use an open barrier, such as a baby gate between them. This will allow them to see and smell one another without direct contact. A slow introduction can ease the transition. If both dogs are food motivated, try giving each a small treat at the same time. Avoid giving a larger treat that the dogs would need to put down to chew as this could create additional problems. Hope this helps!

There are a couple things you can do that may help smooth the introduction. Give the adult Chihuahua a lot of exercise prior to meeting the puppy so that she is physically tired. Have a barrier such as a baby gate in place so that she can smell the puppy but not cause injury. Make sure the puppy does not jump on her or otherwise cause her stress. You are correct that you need to always make sure the puppy is protected as the adult dog may hurt it. You should also keep in mind that not all dogs like other dogs. Some of them prefer to live in single dog households and that is simply their personality. Make sure to correct any bad behavior from the adult dog. Correct the puppy to but this will be a little bit different because it is still learning. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions. And yes, this is a free service! We do have private consultations available for a fee.

There is never a guarantee that your cat will accept a new puppy, but the fact that he tolerates your neighbor's dog makes me optimistic that it would work out. Introducing a new pet into the household can be tricky and be sure that your cat still has a safe and quiet space away from the puppy. For example, give your cat the roam of he whole house, but prevent the puppy from going upstairs with a low baby gate. Try to keep your cat's routine as normal as possible and do not leave the two pets together without supervision for several weeks to months depending on how they interact. Better to get a puppy now when your cat is middle aged than when he is older and less amenable to change! :-)

Since they are both young they may adjust pretty well. I would recommend putting Lilly in a carrier and letting your kitten sniff the carrier. I would not confine the kitten since she may not do as well with that as the puppy will. I would also recommend swapping out beds and bowls to help them get used to each other. Let them sniff at each other from under the doors is great also. It may take time for them to be completely adjusted. Give them both time. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It's kind of you to think about getting Josie a kitty friend for company, since you'll be starting work soon - I'm sure she would appreciate it, if you can find her a good match :) You're right that it can sometimes be difficult to successfully introduce adult cats to each other, so a kitten may be easier. And generally speaking, male/female pairs tend to do better - so I think a male kitten is a great option. To help make the introduction go as smoothly as possible, I would recommend setting up a separate room for the kitten when you first bring him home - he should have his own food and water bowls, litter box, toys, and a scratching post or cat tree. Keep him in this room with the door closed for the first week or two, so that Josie can get used to smelling him and hearing him through the door. You can also help her to associate good things with the kitten by feeding her treats outside his door a few times a day. Once she is no longer reacting at all when she hears him or smells him under the door, you can start to leave the door open for short periods so that he can venture out into the house. This way, Josie will already be used to his presence before they actually meet face to face. Feliway pheromone diffusers placed around the house can also help to reduce Josie's stress and encourage more social behavior during the adjustment period.

Cat-dog introduction can definitely be tricky particularly when the kitty is somewhat shy or aloof. Cats are usually pretty picky in terms of who they choose to like and dislike at first, so I would not be surprised if you see some swatting and hissing in the very beginning. The best thing you can do to up your odds of a pleasant coexistence if a very slow introduction under supervised settings. I would first have your dog and cat completely separate, but in adjacent rooms so they can hear and smell each other through the door. Once this has happened for a day or two, you can place the dog in a crate and allow the cat to mosy into the dog's area. This will allow you to gauge the dog's reaction as well as the cat's in a safe way. Any positive interaction between the two should be rewarded (both the cat and dog). Once you feel comfortable, you can begin to let the dog out but only on a leash. You need to be convinced that the dog is not going to try to harm Shadow in any way. The dog should be rewarded for any good behavior (in this case, even leaving Shadow alone or ignoring completely should be considered good). If Shadow tries to approach this is fine as long as you have a solid hold on your dog. If this goes well after several supervised sessions, you can try off-the-leash supervision. Keep at this, for a while until you feel completely comfortable that they aren't going to try and kill each other! Hopefully they can have a peaceful coexistence or even be friends if your lucky!

Good question! Introducing them should be done slowly. When you first bring your kitten home, I would keep them in rooms separated by a door. This way, they can get used to the smells and sounds of each other without contact. Make sure your kitten has a litter box, food, and water in their room. You can also place a blanket with the Jax's smell in the kitten's room, and a blanket with the kitten's smell in the his room. I would also consider get a Feliway for your kitten and a DAP for your dog. These are pheromone diffusers that help with anxiety and should also help ease the transition. Once both pets seem relaxed with the current situation, swap rooms placing the kitten in the dog's room and vice versa. You can do this switch several times over the course of the introductions. Once they are both comfortable with the smells of each other, it's time for them to meet face to face. I would introduce Jax on a leash to the kitten while he is in a cat carrier or on the other side of a baby gate. Reward him for being calm and quiet near the kitten. Once they seem comfortable with each other, the baby gate can be taken away. Make sure your kitten has a cat tree where he can escape from the dog as needed, and don't allow Jax to chase the kitten. Best of luck, I hope the helps!