How to help a nervous cat and dog that doesn't get along coexist?

Hello, sorry to hear about your pets. This is a complex situation that will likely require a long time and patience to resolve. This is also multifactorial and a few ground rules must be implemented before working on the long term management. First thing is, cats will be rulers and your dog will have to learn to respect Calvin's space and tolerance. From there on, your cat will have to get used to Calvin being around and learn to keep her distance from your dog. You must set expectations for yourself, as you may never be able to get them to interact in a social manner but you could realistically get them to be able to live in the same place. Specific recommendations on how to approach this will need to be made by a behaviorist whom has obtained important information about your household and lifestyle to then assess the best way to approach this situation. When modifying a behavior, there are multiple methods to achieve whats desired. You should plan to see a behaviorist to truly get a full plan for your pets, in the interim however, do not overwhelm then by having unlimited exposure to one another. You should keep them separate and interchange items in their separate rooms so that they become accustomed to their different scents. You should play and interact with each separately but wearing the same clothing so that they become used to that as well. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Oh dear! This is potentially a very dangerous situation for your cat, so I would definitely recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist if you want to keep both pets - he/she can evaluate your dog in person to help determine the level of risk involved, and will put together a detailed training plan to work on the problem. Generally, treatment for this problem would involve rewarding the dog for calm behavior around the cat, while also managing the situation carefully to ensure that there are no injuries - this may mean that the dog needs to be on-leash at all times around the cat, or they should be separated using a baby gate or some other physical barrier during training sessions until things are calmer. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

The key is with slow introductions. Adding in barriers or baby gates that your cat can get over but your dog can't can also make it easier for your cat to get away if they need. It is also a good idea to make sure your cat has access to their own access to food, water, litterboxes, and bedding/hiding places without your dog being able to harass them. Adding in a pheromone diffuser such as Comfort Zone in shared spaces can also help with stress. You also only want to let them interact when you are home to supervise as even the best behaved dog can still accidentally injure a smaller cat. Otherwise, giving them time to observe and interact, and separating them if they become too stressed can help 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!

I would be glad to help you! I'm very sorry Coco was attacked by the cat. It could be that at night, Coco is trying to play with the cat, and the cat (who isn't used to dogs) is reacting with aggression. It could also be that the cat simply doesn't like dogs and doesn't want to share her home. Depending on how long you have to live with your daughter, I can suggest a method to make them more comfortable with each other so Coco doesn't have to go to the kennels. Introducing them should be done slowly. I would keep them in rooms separated by a door. Make sure the cat has a litter box, food, and water in her room. This way, they can get used to the smells and sounds of each other without contact. You can also place a blanket with Coco's smell in the cat's room, and a blanket with the cat's smell in Coco's room. I would also consider get a Feliway for the cat 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 cat in the Coco'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 Coco on a leash to the cat while she is in a cat carrier or on the other side of a baby gate. Reward the dog for being calm and quiet near the cat. Once they seem comfortable with each other, the baby gate can be taken away. Make sure the cat has a cat tree where she can escape from the dog as needed, and I would keep them separated at night until they are getting along better. Hope this helps :-)

Great question! Introducing them should be done slowly. When you first bring Mousewhisker (I love his name!) 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 cat has a litter box, food, and water in their room. You can also place a blanket with the dogs's smell in the cat's room, and a blanket with the cat's smell in the dogs's room. I would also consider get a Feliway for your cat and a DAP for your dogs. These are pheromone diffusers that help with anxiety and should also help ease the transition. Once all the pets seem relaxed with the current situation, swap rooms placing the cat in the dogs's room and vice versa. You can do this switch several times over the course of the introductions. Once they are all comfortable with the smells of each other, it's time for them to meet face to face. I would introduce the dogs on a leash to the cat while he is in a cat carrier or on the other side of a baby gate. Reward the puppy for being calm and quiet near the cat. Once they seem comfortable with each other, the baby gate can be taken away. Make sure your cat has a cat tree where he can escape from the dogs as needed, and don't allow the dogs to chase the cat. I hope this helps!

Great question! I can give you a method of introducing Junior to this dog that will hopefully allow them to live together in peace. Introducing them should be done slowly. When you first move into your new 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 Junior has a litter box, food, and water in their room. You can also place a blanket with the dog's smell in his room, and a blanket with theJunior's smell in the dog's room. I would also consider get a Feliway for your cat and a DAP for the 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 Junior 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 the dog on a leash to Junior while he is in a cat carrier or on the other side of a baby gate. Reward the dog for being calm and quiet near your cat. Once they seem comfortable with each other, the baby gate can be taken away. Make sure Junior has a cat tree where he can escape from the dog as needed, and don't allow the dog to chase Junior. Good luck, I hope this helps!