Raising a dog and a cat at home can be a lot of fun as long as the animals can get along. The owner must necessarily support this understanding between them.
This is why we want to give you a few useful tips on how to make a dog and a cat get along 🙂
1. Getting started
Keep the pets separate for at least the first 3-4 days. Make sure the cat has access to a dog-free sanctuary at all times. The goal is to allow the pets to get used to each other’s presence without face-to-face contact. Even if they can’t see each other, they can hear and smell each other.
2. Door feeding
Feed them on opposite sides of a closed door. The idea is to teach them to associate the presence of the other pet with pleasant things, such as food. With each feeding, move their food bowls a little closer to the closed door. Continue this process until each pet can eat calmly right next to the door.
3. Begin face-to-face meetings
Once your pets can eat their food calmly right next to the door, conduct meet and greets in a common area of the house. Don’t use either animal’s sanctuary area. Keep the first few sessions short and calm. Repeat these face-to-face sessions daily.
4. Allow pets loose together
When the animals appear to be getting along well, allow them loose in the room together, keeping the dog’s leash attached and dragging on the floor so that you can step on it and prevent him from chasing the cat if he gets excited. If tension erupts, go back to the earlier introduction steps and repeat the process. Make sure the cat has access to a dog-proof sanctuary room at all times.
And lastly, once they become friends, they will be friends for the rest of their lives.
