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SOCIALIZING DOGS AND CATS
If you have a cat, and you have just brought your dog home, you are going to want to introduce the dog and cat. DO NOT JUST PUT THEM TOGETHER! One of the biggest mistakes a new pet owner can make is just putting the dog and cat together and assuming everything will be OK. If you put them together right off the bat there is a very slight chance that everything will be OK. But I think this is a major gamble. Rather than everything being OK, there is probably a better chance your dog might scare the cat, and there is also a slight chance the cat can scare the dog. Depending upon the prey drive of the dog you have, the dog might actually go after the cat, and aside from hurting the animal, it could also have a very negative and mental impact.
This first impression always dictates so much for the future, and if things start off totally negative, that can lay a negative foundation down the road! Getting off on the wrong foot like this can totally mess up the relationship between a dog and cat. Remember too, that if a cat has been in the home for five years and you bring a dog into his home, from the cat’s perspective, this is his territory.
There are many variables to think about when mixing a dog and cat, but the most important part of all is that first initial introduction. If things are done the right way, it could get off to a great start. Here is a great way to help that happen!
THE FIRST CAT AND DOG INTRODUCTION
Certain dogs have a higher prey drive than others. Prey drive is driven by sights, sounds, and odors. The combination of a dog with a high prey drive and a cat that wants to run will start things off with a dog that is going to want to chase the cat. Sometimes the chain of events starts with the cat wanting to just jump off the table in front of a dog with a high prey drive that has never seen that before. Remember that his first reaction is to want to chase the prey. Many times the cat’s body language and how comfortable he is will dictate how quick the animals will begin to socialize. So before you even start to try to socialize these two animals, take a few steps back and take a look at both animals and see what you are dealing with.
From the very beginning you are only going to want to put these two animals together in a controlled situation. This means you have some way of controlling one of the animals. A great way to this is to introduce the dog and cat with the dog being on a leash. It is essential the first time you do this you keep him 10 to 15 feet from the cat. How your cat reacts at this distance will give you a good indication of your cat’s general attitude towards the dog. If your cat is OK, you can start moving a little closer each day.
So much of this really depends so much on the dog. If the dog does not put the cat in a place where he needs to worry, he is most likely to not worry and be nervous. But if the dog is doing something to make the cat nervous and uncomfortable, that nervousness that the cat shows will be picked on by the dog.
I think one of the mistakes that people make is moving to quick. Sometimes they get to the stage where they do a few sessions of the animal being 10 feet away from each other and think everything is OK. Really take your time with this, and remember that every situation is different.
TOOLS
If you have a dog that has a very high prey drive that is very intersted in the cat, you are going to want tools that will give you as much control as possible. As far as leashes go, I would highly recommend some very strong leather leash that is comfortable on your hands, and also strong for a pulling dog.
I would also recommend one any kind of collar that will give your optimum control such as my alternative training collar, a chain collar, a head harness, or a pinch collar for very unique pulling situations.
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