Many animal lovers have both cats and dogs. But the first question that worries many people who want to have two different animals at the same time is: how to make friends with each other?
Animal psychologists say that the main mistake of any owner is not to interfere in the relationship of pets in the first days.
Animals are not people, and they cannot resolve conflicts among themselves.
In addition, they speak different “languages”.
Therefore, if you do nothing, the cat will definitely harbor a grudge or be very scared.
It is very important here to adhere to the golden mean: you cannot indulge the animal, but you also cannot use jealousy as a method of education.
The following recommendations and tips will be useful to you:
- encourage good neighborly relationships between dogs and cats;
- do not let the dog very close to the cat, otherwise it will start to hiss and rush;
- If possible, keep the animals in different rooms for the first days, even if the pets do not start fights;
- You cannot feed pets in the same room.
Dachshunds get along very poorly with representatives of the feline species. They take a long time to get used to cats and can injure them in the first weeks of living together.
The most amazing thing is that in the presence of the owner, these dogs behave very friendly, but as soon as you step outside the threshold, at the first opportunity they will grab the cat’s neck. Hunting dogs act this way instinctively.
Animal psychologists recommend arranging the first meeting to get to know each other in 1-2 days, but animals must be kept at a distance of 2-3 meters.
At the same time, pets need to be calmed, for example, by petting them. But first, feel sorry for the animal that was already in the house, and then for the new pet.
After which they need to be treated to something tasty.
Physical acquaintance.
It’s better to do this together, it’s more convenient and safer.
Give the dog the opportunity to sniff the cat, it is better if you start from the back, so that the cat does not show aggression and scratch the dog, thereby provoking aggression and a fight. Secure the dog on a leash (NOT on a tape measure!). Let your cat move freely around the room. Limit the space to one room. If the dog is focused on the cat and tries to make a sudden movement towards the cat, the second person should stop this with a sharp, unpleasant sound. This may take a long time, but we don't want any of your animals to get hurt. When the dog has relaxed, lay down, stretched out, and tummy tucks in, you can let him off the leash.
If you have the desire and opportunity to have both a cat and a dog, do not believe in myths and do not deny yourself this pleasure.
Your desire, love and patience will help your animals live harmoniously and in peace, and you will receive a double portion of positive energy.
The dog's first acquaintance with the house
And so you bring the dog home. Be sure to “hide” the cat. Give your dog the opportunity to explore new territory, calm down and relax. Get used to your place.
Next, you need to introduce each other to each other’s smells (without physical contact) by placing, for example, a cat toy next to the dog’s place. Do the same with the cat. Animals must get used to each other's smell. (DO NOT place the cat litter next to the dog's bed). If the dog and cat react calmly, their fur does not stand on end, they do not hiss or growl, and do not take a hunter’s stance, you can continue the acquaintance.
Place your cat in her carrier and place her on an elevated platform. Hand feed the dog and cat in turns (cat in a carrier). Give the animals time to get used to each other at a safe distance, the cat in a carrier. Pet the dog and cat, behave calmly yourself and calm the animals. You must achieve a calm state for both the cat and the dog. If one of the animals shows aggression, you cannot proceed to physical acquaintance.
Pet care:
- Both the kitten and the puppy need to have all their vaccinations and be given anthelmintics every three months. It is important to consider that the dose for cats and dogs is different, even if they are in the same weight category;
- Do not forget that pets belong to different species and require different care, which also depends on the breed. So, dogs need to be washed more often, especially their paws after a walk, and a cat needs a scratching post;
- Hygiene rules are the same for both puppies and kittens. These primarily include brushing teeth, as well as combing if required by the breed;
- Bowls will likely need to be placed in different places to prevent your puppy from getting to the cat food. The kitten's bowl can be placed on an elevated surface where the dog will definitely not be able to reach it.
So, if you decide to bring a puppy and a kitten into your home, then you need to remember a few important points:
- It is better that they are both the same age and no older than 3 months;
- Double control will be required for pets;
- They will require twice as much attention;
- Caring for them can be even more thorough than with one pet.
About the reasons for the enmity
The roots of the eternal enmity between cats and dogs stretch back to those times when there was no talk of their domestication. In those ancient times, wild dogs were pack animals - they hunted together, shared prey, and guarded their lair. It is from that time that the instinct of protecting their territory lives in them - this was an indispensable condition for the survival of their population in the wild.
Cats, on the other hand, initially led a diametrically opposite way of life: being freedom-loving loners, they freely moved around the space around them, fiercely defending the territory that they considered theirs. Thus, the initial cause of conflicts between cats and dogs is the assertion of territorial claims .
After dogs and cats settled in a human home, their living conditions changed radically, but the ancient instincts are alive in them to this day. That is why conflicts between them often arise and it is necessary to know how to make friends between a cat and a dog.
Even in modern apartments, four-legged pets continue to remain territorial animals.
The desire to conquer the most comfortable territory is one of the most common reasons for hostility between pets.
Cats look for cozy and warm places for themselves, allowing them to relax in complete isolation from everyone, dogs strive to take a place closer to the owner. A conflict arises when one of the pets begins to lay claim to a place already chosen by its rival.
One of the main reasons for hostility between cats and dogs is the jealousy they feel towards their owner. Signs of attention shown to one of the pets immediately give rise to resentment or aggression on the part of the animal deprived of affection.
The cause of conflicts and resentment can be different food in bowls . Other people's food, according to animals, is always more attractive and tastier. There are often situations when an older and stronger pet takes food from a weak, foolish one.
Cat and dog in the same apartment. Love or war?
Or there is already a cat, and due to some circumstances a puppy appears. What to do, how to help them live in peace, and in general, is it possible for a dog and a cat to live in the same house?
Traditionally it is believed that these two species of animals cannot live together. Initially, they hate each other, the most striking example is how dogs frantically chase cats on the street or how a cat immediately tenses up if it sees a dog. But this happens in natural conditions; in an apartment, enemies who are irreconcilable by nature have other problems. The main ones should be indicated:
- fight for food;
- struggle for space (quite limited in a city apartment);
- struggle for the owner’s attention;
- different social styles of behavior, cats are loners, dogs are pack animals.
If you competently help them solve these problems, competition and hostility will no longer make sense, and your animals will love each other tenderly!
The very first task that faces the owner of these animals when they both begin to live in the same premises is to change their personal status. If you still had a cat, you proudly considered yourself a “cat person.” And even if you still had a normal attitude towards dogs, you still looked down on them. The same can be said about dog lovers. Now, since you have become the owner of both, you simply cannot give preference to one or the other, for you they must be equally smart, beautiful and expensive! Animals react very sensitively to the owner’s preferences, and “favorites” are unacceptable in this case.
The moment a new resident arrives in an apartment is the most difficult. Cats are more intolerant of their enemies, so the “first cat and second dog” option is quite dangerous. You can’t leave both of them unattended for a minute at first! If the possibility of conflict arises, it is wise to limit the dog's movement around the house for the first time, unless you have the opportunity to constantly keep an eye on them, and it is very important not to allow the cat to get to where you left the dog.
Do not punish either one or the other for aggression towards the second “tenant”, this will never teach them anything! It is better to reward for friendliness. For example, a dog came up, sniffed the kitten and walked away calmly - treat it with something. The cat stopped hissing and tensed when the dog appeared - the same thing, for this she was given a reward. Cats tend to be more aggressive towards dogs, the process of reconciliation through rewards can be very long, but a dog, if constantly attacked by a cat, will eventually obey its natural instinct - to catch and kill.
An important issue is food trays for dogs and cats. Dogs, as a rule, are not very offended if their food is encroached upon. But cats react to this very painfully, so the cat’s bowl should immediately be placed where the dog cannot reach it - on some not very high furniture, on the refrigerator. It is almost impossible to explain to a dog that you cannot touch cat food; punishing it for eating some kind of “Whiskas” will only cause instinctive hatred towards the owner of this food. Cats are so sensitive to their food that they may even refuse to go to the toilet in a accustomed place out of protest!
Make sure that you show equal attention to both pets. If you pet the cat, pay attention to the dog, and vice versa. One clear preference on your part - and resentment and a desire to survive from a competitor’s house will settle in the animal’s heart for a long time, if not forever.
It may happen that the dog will need special training to develop a “tolerant” attitude towards the new companion. Not only can a cat become a victim of a dog, cats are much more likely to inflict deep painful wounds on their opponent with their claws and can even scratch out an eye. Do not allow them to fight under any circumstances, this is fraught with serious consequences for both!
It is risky to bring one animal to a place where two or more of its “opponents” already live. There are, of course, cases when two dogs accept a kitten well or two cats are liberal with a dog, but these are exceptions. The pack instinct is so strong that fighting it is very difficult and is unlikely to bring results. Therefore, it is better not to experience nature, and if you already have two or three dogs or, conversely, cats, limit yourself to this.
There is always a danger that a dog and a cat will not get along in your home. Think carefully before making drastic changes in the life of an existing pet, consult with specialists, talk to those who already have them successfully coexisting at home. Show patience and equal care to both animals, and your efforts will be rewarded.
Cases are described when, at the death of one animal, the second began to feel sad and slightly worried about the deceased friend... If a cat and a dog can become friends and love each other, it will be so great, and their love will be more than enough for you!
Tags: animal care, cats, pets, friendship, dogs, behavior
Why do animals fight?
There are legends about the relationship between cats and dogs, and they are all about how representatives of these two species dislike each other. The behavior of four-legged friends is understandable: both are hunters with pronounced instincts. Moreover, for a dog, the owner is the leader, and the worst thing for him is to lose his approval. What kind of approval can we talk about when the leader shows interest in a cat?
For friendship between pets, preventive measures are needed: socialization, education and training. In some cases, you have to turn to professional dog handlers.
