How to make introductions that promote friendship, not conflict
By Kim Campbell Thornton
Andrews McMeel Syndication
My dog Harper thinks cats are to chase. She’s the first of our dogs who didn’t grow up with a cat in the household. I introduced her to our neighbor’s cat when she was a young puppy, but unfortunately, I didn’t have easy access to other cats she could meet, and she never learned to live compatibly with them.
That’s a problem when we visit friends and family with cats. Harper growls and barks when she sees them, and she wants nothing more than to chase them away. I keep warning her that one of these days we will have a cat again ourselves, so she had better prepare herself for the idea.
The idea that cats and dogs don’t get along is a common belief -- Harper certainly believes it -- but it’s not necessarily true. According to a survey by the American Pet Products Association, 46 percent of households with pets have multiple types of animals. Cats and dogs are the most common combination, found in 32 percent of pet-owning households.
There is always the potential for conflict between two -- or three, if you count the humans in the mix -- species who have differing habits and communication styles, but pets living together can become good friends. I’ve seen it with our previous pets and those of people I know. In homes where the humans are away all day, a dog and cat can keep each other company and often play and sleep together, groom each other, and team up to get in trouble. If you’re introducing a pet of a different species into your family, the following tips can help the meeting go smoothly and, ideally, a friendship develop.
Introduce them first by scent, not sight. Isolate a new cat in a small room for a few days with everything he needs: food, water, litter box, toys. His scent will drift out to your dog, and the cat can get used to your dog’s scent as well. After two or three days, let the cat explore the house while the dog is in the yard or on a walk with someone else.
Maintain control. It’s never a good idea to just turn animals loose and hope for the best. That’s a recipe for fear, anxiety and stress on the part of all involved. Have your dog on a leash, and make sure your cat has an escape route.
“Having ample getaway spaces for cats, such as tall cat trees or gates with a cutout that the cats fits through but not the dog, is essential,” says Mikkel Becker, lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets and co-author of the upcoming book "From Fearful to Fear Free."
A dragline attached to a harness can help to prevent bolt-and-chase sequences during the settling-in period, Becker says. Until you’re sure pets are getting along, supervise interactions and separate them when you’re not around.
Hand out treats liberally to both parties. This worked well with Harper recently when we were visiting family with cats. She was rewarded every time she looked away from the cat as well as for not growling or barking. You want both pets to think that being in the presence of the other is a good thing.
Dog trainer Liz Palika has fostered many litters of kittens with the aid of her English shepherds. Her best piece of advice in one word? Patience.
“A friendship between a dog and a cat cannot be forced,” she says. “Let them gradually get to know each other and provide safe places where they can get away from each other.”
Q&A
Storms send cat
running for shelter
Q: I have an 11-year-old female domestic shorthair cat. In the past year, she has started behaving strangely when it storms. Instead of wanting to stay indoors when it begins to rain heavily with high wind, lightning and thunder, she yowls desperately and scratches at the door to get out. She won’t let up until I let her out, and she disappears until the storm is over. -- via email
A: Like dogs, cats can develop storm phobias, but we usually don’t notice it as much because cats tend to just hide under the bed when they are scared. And storm phobias can build up over time. Your cat may always have been afraid during storms, but her fear has now built up to the point that she is desperate to escape the frightening conditions. It may also be that sometime during the past year, something occurred during a storm that frightened her, and now she wants to make sure whatever it was doesn’t happen again. She may also have a hidey-hole outdoors where she feels safe.
You can try several things to help your cat relax and stay indoors the next time there’s a storm. Prepare a small, dark, cozy place where she can retreat, such as a closet or guest bath. Spray a synthetic feline pheromone in the area to help attract and comfort your cat.
The snug fit of a Thundershirt can give a comforting hug. The gentle pressure relieves anxiety in some pets. Pay attention to weather reports so you can put it on well before a storm hits.
Relaxing music composed especially for cats may help. An internet search will lead you to “calming,” “relaxing” or “sleep” music for cats.
Finally, you can ask your veterinarian about medications you can give when you know a storm is coming. That may help your cat relax enough to stay indoors. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.
THE BUZZ
AKC adds two
breeds to roster
-- Two breeds have joined the roster of AKC-recognized dogs: the Nederlandse kooikerhondje in the Sporting Group and the grand basset griffon vendeen in the Hound Group. The kooiker (coy-ker), as he’s known for short, is a medium-size dog created in the Netherlands to corral ducks for hunters. The 20- to 30-pound dogs have a medium-length red-and-white coat and a moderate activity level. The GBGV is a low-slung scenthound who is friendly with other dogs and has a high activity level. The grand weighs 40 to 45 pounds and has a personality described as comical but stubborn.
-- Cat trivia? We have it. For instance, did you know that a cat’s sense of smell is about 14 times greater than that of a human? Cats either roar (big cats) or purr (smaller wildcats and domestic cats). No cat can do both. Your housecat can run up to 30 miles per hour -- faster than any Olympic track star -- but can maintain that speed for only a few seconds. A cat’s coat can tell you where and when his ancestors hunted: Cats with light, solid-colored coats evolved to hunt in grasslands, while cats with spotted coats were forest dwellers, hunting at dawn and dusk.
-- If you thought it was hard to give your dog or cat medication, think again. Even snakes need a treat to take their medicine. Denver’s KCNC-TV reported that an 18-year-old king cobra’s lymphosarcoma, which in snakes affects the scales, was in remission after chemotherapy. To “pill” the 13-foot-long snake, Denver Zoo Associate Veterinarian Betsy Stringer consulted a veterinary oncologist at Colorado State University. They came up with plan to insert a chemo pill in the throat of the snake’s supper -- a dead rat. The cobra took a “treated” rat every three weeks for five months. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. They are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and are the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.