Should I get a cat with my jealous Border Collies? Intro tips?

That is a natural instinct for a Border Collie to herd or chase cats. You are going to have to do some training to see if you can teach him to ignore the cat. You should definitely teach him the "leave it" command to start as it may be very useful in this situation. Once he has mastered that command than you should have him on a leash while the cat is allowed to roam. Once your dog sees the cat than give him a command, like sit, leave it, etc. If he listens than give him a reward. Gradually let him get closer to the cat once he seems more relaxed and not paying attention to the cat. With persistence and patience, you may be able to teach him to leave the cat alone. I do not recommend leaving them unsupervised and make sure the cat has an area to escape at all times. Here is a link to a website with some training information..... http://keepthetailwagging.com/train-your-dog-not-to-chase-cats/

I would recommend giving Maddy a very slow introduction to the new dog. You should be sure to spend time alone with Maddy at least once a day, and she should have a little time each day to have the house to herself as well. I would recommend keeping them mostly separate for a few days to weeks: they can sniff each other through a closed door at first then have short periods of time together supervised. If someone gets upset, they should be separated again. You may be surprised - Maddy might get along great right off the bat with the new dog but don't be discouraged if it takes awhile. You also might want to consider purchasing a pheromone spray like Feliway to help decrease her stress.

The best way to begin introducing a large dog to a cat is with a basket muzzle, on a leash, with extremely careful supervision. This is particularly true if you already know that Loki has a high prey drive. If Loki is a Border Collie, his intelligence may work for you or against you depending on his temperament. It is all about positive reinforcement in this sort of situation, and taking things slowly and carefully. I would not throw the kitten and dog together in the same room freely right away. Keep one of them in a crate and the other outside of it so they can see and sniff each other but not have any direct contact. After a couple of days, I would try the above thing I mentioned ( you will obviously require your mom's help with this ), making sure to have plenty of treats available on hand to reward any sort of positive response. If there is any negative response or act of aggression, do not punish Loki. Simply end the interaction and walk away for a few minutes, return, and try again. Punishment is ineffective in this instance and in most in my opinion. Once you are convinced after several sessions that Loki is not acting in an aggressive manner, try the same exercise but without the basket muzzle. Continue to do this until you are comfortable enough that they are buddies instead of foes. Hope this helps.

You may not be able to know until you get a second cat. Do know it's not uncommon for cats to take a few days or a few weeks before they become accepting of each other. These links may also help: https://www.petcoach.co/article/should-you-get-another-cat/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-steps-to-introducing-your-cat-to-a-new-feline/ I hope this helps.

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!

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Bandit is behaving like a very dedicated Border Collie. His instinct to protect a new member of the herd ( family ) has really been kicked into high gear. I think this is fascinating. It will be interesting to see how strongly Bandit continues to bond with your grandson as he grows up. Take care.

The best way is gradually. Allow them to hear/smell but not see each other initially. This can be done by keeping them in separate rooms with a closed door between them. Once they are acclimated, you can have them see each other but do not allow physical contact. After they accept that situation, place one in a secure carrier or crate and place them in the same room. Eventually, physical contact can be attempted. Use leashes and muzzles initially if necessary. A pheromone product such as the DAP Diffuser or Adaptil collar may decrease any aggression and anxiety.