Adopting a shy 5yo Malamute mix with 3 cats: Will it work out?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! First of all, thanks for what you are doing, that is very nice of you. I think it would be best if they are introduced slowly to the puppy meaning for short amounts of time to be increased daily until they are getting along well consistently. They should be supervised at the beginning when interacting with your cats or puppy. I think it would be a good idea to have toys and beds for both to make them feel more at home. Good luck!

I would plan on taking things very slowly when introducing the cats to your new puppy. Since the puppy is so young he should adjust very well and learn easily how to live with cats. The cats will most likely avoid him a lot and that’s OK. Just let them come around to him in their own time. It is important in these early days to make sure that they are not left alone together until you know how they will act with each other. Congratulations on your new puppy. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Congratulations on your new kitty! In these situations it is best to do introductions very slowly. Some suggestions I have for you are as follows: 1) Use a Feliway diffuser to reduce overall tension in household 2) Go back to the beginning and over the first week introduce by smell only (introducing cats to each others bedding or something that has their scent on it) 3) Then introduce by sight only but no direct interaction. Do this for a week 4) Finally introduce cats together but only with direct supervision and with plenty of escape routes for both cats. Only leave them together for a very short time at first 5) Have plenty of tall cat towers and other things for the cats so they can observe each other from a distance 6) Have at least 3 litter boxes in different locations and definitely continue to feed separately and have separate water bowls. I hope this is helpful! Good luck to you and Malish!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would allow the cats to safely sniff and see the puppy through a baby gate for 2 weeks. Then when you let them interact the puppy should be on a leash 100% of the time so you can control him. The cats should have a safe place (cat tree, a room with a cat door only then can fit through) to be able to escape from the puppy. If the puppy shows any form of aggression towards the cats he should never be allowed to be alone with the cats and off a leash in the house. That means he is crated when you are not home. Hopefully since Moose is young the will be easy to teach and the cats will put him in his place! Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may actually work fine. I would encourage you to introduce them slowly and supervise them at all times at least for the first week to make sure they are getting along. I recommend you consider using a product called Feliway which may help tremendously in calming them in stressful situations like this could be. You may find that online or at your local pet store. Good luck and have a great day!

I have a few suggestions for you. First, dogs often see cats outside as an invasion, but may treat cats in the house differently. My dogs wil chase a cat outside, but happily live with 2 cats in the house. Hopefully that will be the case for you. But you have to play it safe. So, I would recommend only allowing Molly to see the cat when she is on a leash initially, so you will have control over how close she can get to the cat. if Molly is treat/food motivated, one nice way to do this is to give her treats when she can see the cat, but ignores the cat, so she learns that is a desired behavior. Make sure the cat has lots of "safe" places that he can get away from Molly. Depending on Molly's reaction to the cat, you will have to determine a safe schedule to continue their introduction from there. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there, it sounds like Sarah is a sensitive type, and (I know its not what you want to hear) but bringing a new pet into her home will probably upset her more. Its unlikely that a rambunctious dog will leave her alone, as she may feel threatened and start showing other signs of anxiety such as soiling in abnormal places, overgrooming, or even she may get stress cystitis. If you have a large home and can guarantee that Sarah will have a safe quiet and protected area of the home, then you might consider adding a family member.