Animals, like children, the younger, the sweeter. Favorable time for acquaintance of both pets is considered to be the age from 2 to 4 months. The kitten and puppy find common interests, get used to the smell of each other, do not pose a threat. They start to play together, because for the most part the owner cannot find time for around-the-clock supervision. In cases where one pet is an adult, a lot depends on his upbringing and ability to obey. The saying "Live like a cat with a dog" was not accidental, for the most part it is inherent in nature.
Start dating a cat with a dog
- The first reaction. It is necessary to be careful during the first acquaintance of an adult dog (more precisely, a pet of large breeds) and a small kitten. If you do not hold one of them in your hand, stay on the check throughout the contact. The dog will most likely want to make friends with an amusing little lump, as a result of which it will begin to wave its huge tail and jump from interest. The cat will not understand such a reaction, instinct will push her to cling to the arrogant canine muzzle. It will be worse if the fluffy pet gives to the wood, the dog will have a hunting response, and it will go after it.
Important!
No need to be upset if the first time a dog with a cat can not get along. Like any other creature, they have established habits and wayward character. Do not be angry at the presence of pets, so as not to escalate the situation. Do not put them under each other if animals prefer to keep their distance. Let them get used as fast as their instincts allow.
Signs of location
- Dog. Very often, young dogs wag their tails in the hope of drawing the cat into the game. At this very moment you can be sure that the odds have risen incredibly. The cat, in turn, will be confused for a long time. Stroke her, saying sweet words. Over time, the animal learns to understand the dog's body language and will gladly accept an invitation to frolic.
- Cat. To understand that the cat favorably disposed to the dog, you will help her behavior. In most cases, the animal uses the dog's tail as a sharpener for claws or teeth, played with wool tassels, or pulls paws. Also, cats love heat, they realize that the dog can give it to them. For this reason, go to the top or "under the flank" to a new friend. After a week after the manifestation of such signs, the pets begin to lick their fur together, frolic and clean their ears together as a sign of loyalty.
Is it necessary to start a second pet
- If your current pet has a complex and aggressive nature, do not rush to start a second animal. Your actions can provoke jealousy in a cat or dog towards a new tenant. It is impossible to fix in 1 or even 2 months.
- Revise your daily routine. If you come home from work and immediately fall asleep, you should not start a second pet. Both animals need your participation, kindness, caress and play. In cases where the owner can not give all this to the household equally, the pets will suffer and be hostile. In short, your attention should be enough for both the cat and the dog so that they do not feel hatred towards each other due to jealousy.
- Remember, after you lead the second pet, there will be no going back. The animal may not get used immediately to his four-legged friend, but it will reach for you. This is especially true of boys, they quickly find contact with people.
- Well study your life over the past year. How often have you not had the opportunity to return home in time to prepare to eat? How many times a year do you go on vacation, and to whom will you leave animals now? If it is enough for a cat to put food in a bowl and clean the tray, then things are much more serious with the dog.
Practical recommendations
- You made a decision, weighed all the pros and cons, and now the newly-made friends live side by side with each other. Watch the cat's reaction to the dog and vice versa. Learn the psychology of animals, pay attention to what they like or dislike. Subsequently, you must find a way out of this situation. You can not delay the enmity.
- The dog, which was bailed first, can be jealous of you to the cat. Dissatisfaction with the dog will be a constant growl, whining, barking. In such cases, it is recommended not to show excessive love for the new inhabitant in the presence of a dog.
- Cats are not as sociable as dogs, for this reason they love being alone. Create your favorite cozy nest in which she can hide from the annoying dog. You can place the house on the top shelf of the cabinet or purchase a special scraper with stands at the top. If the dog continues to pester, try to lure her with a new rubber toy or treat.
Before starting a second pet think a few times. You must have enough time for feeding, walking, bathing and socializing. In this case, an important criterion is the presence of a person who can be trusted with animals in case of departure. When the cat or dog arrives in a new home, begin to acquaint them from afar. Do not put the bowls too close, give each pet its place so that they do not violate borders.
Cat or dog: who is first?
First you need to decide on who should start in the first place: a cat or a dog. Many pet owners claim that it is best to start a kitten and a puppy at the same time.
This state of affairs is considered ideal. In this case, a strong and long-lasting friendship is most often established between animals, therefore problems in the future are simply excluded.
However, one should not be upset if the situation is different. If you decide to pick up a kitten on the street, you do not need to abandon this idea only because of the presence of an adult dog in the house. In this case, you need to be patient, understanding and use the recommendations of experienced professionals.
Perfect age for dating
As already noted, it is better to start a puppy and a kitten at the same time, but different situations need more detailed study. For example, if you own a cat, but decided to have a puppy, it is better to give preference to an animal from 3 to 12 weeks old.
If we are talking about the need to make friends with an adult dog with a kitten, it is important to consider the attitude of the first animal to the representatives of the cat family. Most likely, replenishment in the house in the form of a kitten will not be the best idea if the dog on the street behaves extremely aggressively at the sight of cats.
If the four-legged friend does not show interest in the cat, there is a chance to establish a relationship between pets.
As practice shows, it is more difficult to make friends with an adult cat with a small puppy. The fact is that the cat living in the house at the sight of a new inhabitant begins to feel that it is losing its place, so it can behave extremely aggressively, releasing claws and hissing. As a rule, dogs concede superiority and do not respond with aggression.
Size matters
When you first meet a cat with a dog, it is important to take into account the size, because an aggressive-minded animal can not only scare, but also hurt a new family member.
In addition, if we are talking about the first meeting of an adult dog with a kitten, it must be remembered that an adult animal does not know that it is necessary to behave more delicately with smaller brethren. Awareness of this simple fact will come to the dog over time, so in the early stages it is recommended to monitor the pet's behavior and pull it up in dangerous situations.
Building relationships between animals: practical recommendations
In order for the cohabitation of cats and dogs in the house did not give the owners excessive inconvenience, it is necessary to think through all the nuances. You can also use the following practical recommendations:
- The first meeting between animals should take place at a distance so that the animals have the opportunity to get acquainted with the smells of each other. Experts recommend giving preference to the separate keeping of animals in the first two or three days. This will avoid conflicts and at the same time get comfortable with the presence of each other.
- It is important to exclude the excitement of the owners, because it can be transmitted to animals and not the best way to affect their first meeting.
- To serve food, it is also better to choose different rooms so that smells cause only positive associations in animals, which will contribute to quick taming. If this is not possible, you can feed the animals in the same room, but the feed should be placed in its different sides.
- When feeding animals, you must first put a bowl of food to an animal that is older. It is noted that this approach has a positive effect on the subsequent relationship between animals.
- The first four days you need to control the joint stay of animals. As a rule, in most cases this period is enough for the cat and the dog to get used to each other and to be able to leave them in the future.
- Cats and dogs are quite jealous animals. Be sure to try to give equal attention to each pet, because otherwise the conflicts between them can not be avoided.
Experts claim that the relationship between a dog and a cat depends not only on the above factors, but also on the attitude and behavior of the owners.
Before you start so different animals in the house, you need to thoroughly think that this step is quite responsible. From the owners need more attention, because his lack of can cause serious hostility.
Adult purr and little puppy
Of course, it is better that the animals live together since childhood, but if this did not work out, then you should not be upset.
If a cat already lives in your house, then take a puppy at the age of three to twelve weeks. So they can get along easily enough, especially if you first do not let them go on close contact. Just a small puppy is always friendly, and if he wants to lose with a cat, he can meet with resistance. It is better to first acquaint them at a distance. It is necessary to pay attention to the purr, so that she does not think that she is now an unloved animal.
Cats are very smart creatures, they immediately understand who is to blame for the fact that they have lost their primacy in masterly love. As a result, the tail of the pet will have a desire to avenge. As you understand, this can not be allowed. Otherwise, affectionate kitty will be aggressive to the "stranger." Make sure the puppy does not bother the purr, do not bite her by the tail or ears. Remember that dogs do not understand the signs of irritation inherent in the cat, so do not expect that she can teach the lesson "good manners." Warning methods include hissing and twitching tail. Little dog will not understand such "hints."
As a rule, puppies do not show aggression to the cat, because of their friendliness and age. Very often adult purrs take custody of the doggie. Sometimes they remain indifferent. In any case, the existence must be peaceful.
Watch the cat while dating. If she bites a puppy's tail, lies on top or in its place, then she treats the baby friendly. If the little dog wags its tail and takes the characteristic poses for the game, then it also expresses sympathy for the purr.
In the period when the puppy behaves in a friendly way, stroke the cat, as she can hardly understand what this little wretch wants.
Adult animals: how to make a dog friend with a cat?
If both animals are already in adulthood, the situation becomes much more complicated. The first meeting should be carried out very carefully. Seat the dog, command: “Sit!”, Then praise for the execution of the command and show the cat. If she runs, stop any attempts by the dog to follow her. He must understand that you treat the cat peacefully. During the first acquaintance, you can put a collar with a leash and a muzzle on the dog.
How to make a dog friend with a cat? It will take a lot of time until they get used to the presence of another pet. Perhaps the habituation period will take a couple of months. A cat should always have a place where she can feel completely safe. Therefore, take care of this in advance. For example, a desk. The best option is another room. There you need to put a bowl for water and food, as well as a house for purrs. Periodically, you need to arrange meetings for animals in one room, start small - one or two minutes. In this case, always watch the dog, any aggression must be stopped.
Dog and kitten
You need to be especially careful when taking a kitten to the house with the dog. After all, by virtue of natural instincts, the dog always treated cats with hostility and caution, so even in a young creature he can see the problem.
If the dog treats cats tolerantly, then their acquaintance should go smoothly, and further cohabitation will not be a burden to anyone.
The first meeting must take place under vigilant control, you need to carefully monitor the reactions of animals.
Give each of them to get used to the new neighbor, no need to immediately acquaint them closer.
Before the first meeting, be sure to walk and feed the dog. Thus, you will reduce the aggressiveness of the dog and save him from additional concerns.
For a couple of days, isolate the animals so that they can get used to the new smells, feel the neighborhood, but are not too close. After settling, immediately feed both pets, so you can create pleasant associations for them - a strange smell and delicious food. Due to this, the dog will quickly accept a new neighbor.
Then feed the pets in the same room, but at a distance. So both animals will associate a new neighbor with a pleasant one - eating. But still, be alert at first. After a while the animals will get used to each other, they may even sleep together.
Cats and dogs are animals with different behaviors, worldviews, so their acquaintance should be approached thoughtfully. In each house it happens differently: somewhere they get along well, there are cases that are not very good. We hope that you understand how to make friends a cat with a dog. As a result, our advice will help you to introduce two different, but such beautiful creatures of nature.
Causes of feud between dogs and cats
If we recall the work of the English writer Rudyard Kipling “A cat that walks by itself”, then dogs and cats are eternal enemies and there can be no talk of friendship between them. But in reality, these animals have no specific reasons for hostility, they simply perceive the world around them in different ways.
Dogs, like their closest relatives, wolves prefer to lead pack lives, because it is easier for them to survive and defend their territory from strangers. Cats, on the contrary, are by their nature loners and avoid communicating not only with other animal species, but also with representatives of their own kind.
These peculiarities of the behavior of cats and dogs are due to their mutual hostility, since the dog is considering all households and animals living in the house to be members of his flock and will persistently look for their society. Naturally, the cat does not like such an obsession of the neighbor, so the fluffy pet begins to defend itself by taking a fighting stance and hissing at the dog, which ultimately ends in a fierce fight between two pets.
And often, the owners, observing the daily conflicts of their pets, take a radical decision to give one of them to another family, although it is quite possible to make a friend of a cat with a dog, if you show some patience and follow certain rules.
Who is the head in this house?
When a kitten and a puppy enter the house at the same time, the question of how to reconcile them does not even arise, because the kids see each other not as an opponent or an enemy, but as a companion with whom you can play and frolic.
In adult animals, the process of adaptation to a new neighbor is much more difficult, so before you introduce a dog to a cat or a dog with a dog, it is advisable to prepare for this in advance.
If a dog lives in the house:
- Before you get a kitten, you should watch how the dog on a walk reacts to the cats running past. If he rushes off the leash, trying to rush after the cat after him, the pet must be taught the commands "no" or "fu",
- It would not be superfluous to take a dog to visit friends with whom the cat lives and observe the behavior of the four-pointed pet. In the case when the dog does not show aggression towards the cat, but shows interest, you can easily start a fluffy pet,
- It is advisable to wear a muzzle or at least a leash on a large dog or a representative of a hunting breed before meeting a cat, so that it cannot harm the new pet,
- The dog must know and carry out basic commands, such as "sit" and "lie", so that the owner can control it in the process of acquaintance with the kitten.
If the cat lives in the house:
- In order for the cat to get used to the new neighbor more quickly, you can first introduce it to the neighbor's dog and allow the animals to communicate, of course, under the supervision of the owners,
- Перед тем, как принести щенка в дом, коту желательно обстричь коготки, чтобы в случае нападения на пёсика питомец не нанес ему серьезных ран,
- Звуки собачьего лая нервируют и пугают кошку. Therefore, before starting a four-pointed pet, some owners record a dog barking on a cassette or disk and turn it on for a few minutes every day so that the cat gets used to the source of irritation and subsequently ceases to perceive it as a threat.
First acquaintance pets
It is very important to correctly and correctly organize the first acquaintance of animals, because it depends on how their relationship will develop in the future. If a dog screaming loudly at a furry pet or tries to attack him, then one can hardly expect that friendship and mutual understanding will arise between the pets.
If a cat is a full owner in the house for more than one year, then before you move a new neighbor to him you should make sure that he is in a calm and relaxed state. You can run the dog into the room and watch the cat react to it. If she took a threatening look and began to hiss, but is at a safe distance and does not try to attack the puppy, then you should not interfere, it is better to give the animals a few minutes to get to know each other.
But when, when meeting a dog, without warning, the cat rushed at her and clutched at it with claws, the animals should be immediately separated into different rooms and not allowed contact between them for the next two or three days. Perhaps in a few days, the cat will get used to the smell of the new pet and will subsequently react to it more friendly.
In the event that the first dog in the house appeared, before meeting the cat, they put a leash on it and only then launch a new pet into the room. When the dog does not show aggression and does not enter in a violent barking, the cat is allowed to inspect the room, but at the same time it monitors the behavior of the dog. If he calmly watches the movements of his new neighbor, we can assume that the first acquaintance was successful and in the future the cat and dog will make friends, and not become irreconcilable enemies.
If the dog is hostile towards the cat and the owner fears for the life of the furry pet, in the next few days the dog is muzzled and allowed to watch the cat from afar.
You can also apply this method: the room is divided by a reticular partition so that the pets can see each other, and arrange short meetings every day for 15-20 minutes. After some time, the animals will become accustomed to the fact that they now have to divide one territory and may be more relaxed to perceive the presence in the house of another pet.
Advice to the owners: in no case of coma can you force the animals together or lock them in the same room, this will only lead to aggression and hatred between them.
Rules of keeping a cat and dog in the same house
Sometimes a dog and a cat peacefully coexist in the same apartment, but their relationship cannot be called friendly. Pets do not show any interest in each other and try to avoid communication and meetings. Most often, the owners are satisfied with this situation, when a fragile truce prevails between the animals, and they do not plot fights for territory and the attention of the owner.
But if the owner’s goal is to make friends with the pets, then he should help them in this, and not remain an outside observer..
- When the owner takes the dog for a walk, he forgets that cats can also be walked on a leash. Therefore, the next time you should take along a fluffy pet, perhaps a common walk will bring the animals together and contribute to their friendship,
- When the cat comfortably settled on the owner's lap, it is advisable to call a little dog to yourself so that he is not jealous of the opponent and does not feel deprived of attention and affection,
- Love to play and cats and dogs. Therefore, you can come up with a game in which both pets would take part, for example, throwing a ball at a time,
- If the dog during the game unintentionally bit the cat, corporal punishment cannot be used. The owner should express his dissatisfaction with the command “no” and lock the dog in another room for a few minutes. So the pet will understand that he has done something unlawful and the next time he will be careful,
- Equally important is the feeding of animals. A cat, when it is full, will quietly leave food in a bowl and come to the plate when it gets hungry again. This is the main problem, because the dog eats everything up to the last crumb and will not miss the chance to finish eating the food from the cat's bowl, which, of course, does not make the cat happy. In order to avoid this, a fluffy pet's plate is placed in a place where the dog does not get, for example, on the windowsill,
- Must equally care and care for animals. Then they will not have a feeling of jealousy and rivalry and the pets will not start a fight for the attention of the owner.
Despite the deep-rooted stereotype that peace between cats and dogs is impossible, these so different and dissimilar animals often set an example of strong and unselfish friendship. Therefore, reconciling pets is not so difficult as it may seem at first glance, you should only be patient and surround them with affection and care, then a calm and peaceful atmosphere will always reign in the house, and this is the most important thing.