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Introducing A Cat To Your Dog


Decorative Curiosities Staff
Updated: Jun 4, 2024

Have you heard the phrase “getting along like cats and dogs”? Well, it's not a compliment. Both dogs and cats are very territorial. They often fight over space. They fight for food and your attention too. Dogs can be clubbable while cats have a definite tendency towards personal space. Dogs and cats are very different from each other by their nature. That is why introducing a cat to your dog is very tough. But it is not impossible though. A dog and a cat do can become good friends if they are raised together. Read this article to the end to know how to introduce a kitty to your dog in your house.

01.Pick Right Pets
01.Pick Right Pets
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You have to choose the right pet for you first. Ask these questions before getting a cat — is it territorial? Does it have any experience with dogs? Is it tense and jittery? Some cats are not good companions for dogs. So you have to choose the right cat for you and your dog.

02.Create A Dog-free Space
02.Create A Dog-free Space
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Your new cat will definitely take some time to be free with your dog. So create a dog free space in your house to make it easy for your cat. Make a room where your dog is not allowed into. Or you can make an elevated cat platform and mount it with the wall. This will stop the initial between your dog and your cat.

03.Make Them Separated At First
03.Make Them Separated At First
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Both the animals are very territorial. And the dog and the cat will often get into a fight over space. So you have to make sure that they do not bump into each other in the beginning. give them some time, let them be habituated with each other, and then, slowly you can try to keep both of them together.

04.Use Scents
04.Use Scents
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A cat or a dog recognizes everything by the smell. So you can follow the below-mentioned technique. Lock your dog inside a room. Then allow the cat to sniff around the door. Let it happen for one hour. Then switch the pets’ positions. Now allow your dog to smell the cat. But make sure the cat is in some safe position.

05.Train the Dog
05.Train the Dog
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Dogs can be controlled through proper training. So you can train it by making it habituated with a cat’s smell. Bring something cat-smelling-like to your dog on the first day. Make it comfortable with the smell. Continue this process for some days. This will make your dog comfortable around the cat.

06.Schedule Supervised Visits
06.Schedule Supervised Visits
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When all the above-mentioned procedures are done, it’s time to make them meet. Do not force them. Just make it happen. Be in the room and see how they behave while meeting each other.

07.Expand Their Time Together Gradually
07.Expand Their Time Together Gradually
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Slowly try to expand their meeting time. Let them be comfortable with each other first. Then allow them to play with each other. You can trigger them to play too. Make sure they both are safe from each other during this process.

08.Leave Them Alone
08.Leave Them Alone
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This is a crucial part. You have to trust them in this case. Leave them together alone and see what happens. Do not go far away. Be in the house, but not in the room. But you have to keep your eyes on both of them. Carefully observe their behavior. It's good if everything is okay. But you have to stop them if they start fighting.

09.Take Them Outside Together
09.Take Them Outside Together
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Pets become friendly when you play with them. A cat and a dog can be friends too by this procedure. Take both of them out with you. Go to some park. Allow them to play with each other. You will see they have become friends.

10.Keep an Eye
10.Keep an Eye
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Always remember to keep an eye on them all the time. Even after they are habituated with each other. They are animals with their own instincts. So it's possible for things to go out of hand anytime. So you have to be very careful while having a dog and a cat at the same time in your house.

The Final Words
The Final Words

The cat and the dog are not hardcore enemies. They are bound by their own instincts. But you can make them habituated with each other too by following a proper method.