7 Tips for Bringing Cats and Dogs Together

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Generally, when you meet someone and the topic of pets comes up, the first thing you are asked is, “Are you a cat person or a dog person?” There was a time where people assumed that you could either adopt a cat or a dog. No one ever thought that you could get both as pets!

Why? Because there is some truth in the saying “fighting like cats and dogs”!
However, you will see a lot of homes that have both dogs and cats as pets. So how does that happen? Here are few tips for raising your cats and dogs together peacefully.

1. Keep Each Pet’s Personality in Mind

Dogs and cats are different creatures, which means that they have different personalities. According to We Love Doodles, considering your pet’s personality should be your number 1 consideration when choosing to bring in a new pet. 

On paper, some dog breeds look like they will get along better with cats. But what if your gentle Maltese or terrier does not like sharing its space with anyone? A pet owner is the best judge of their pet’s personality; therefore, it is important to understand whether your pet can handle a new addition to the home before making the decision. 

If your cat or dog doesn’t mind sharing their space, has a friendly personality, and generally gets along well with other animals, these are good signs it may be possible to bring a cat or a dog into your family.

2. Adopt Them When They Are Puppies

When you adopt animals at a young age, they are likely to form a special bond. If you raise puppies and kittens together, the chances are that they will come together happily!

Although you need to be careful of one thing: some dogs play a bit aggressively, and it can be a bit too much for kittens. 

A little tip from us! Teach your puppy to chase after toys rather than little kittens from a young age. This will ensure that your dog grows up to be more friendly towards smaller animals. 

3. Make Sure That Your Cat and Dog Blend are Compatible During the Adoption Process

Just like humans, your cats and dogs have natures and personalities, too. So when you are thinking of pairing them up, be sure to ask the animal shelter about their nature, habits, and personalities.

A perfect pairing would be of a cat who is curious but not fearful of dogs, with a dog that is well acquainted with kitties. On the other hand, a stray cat may be fearful of dogs and is more likely to have a rough transition.

4. Ease Your Cats into Meeting a New Pet Dog

When bringing in a new cat, dog, or any other pet into the house, you need to prepare your existing pet to welcome the new pet. Just like a child, you need to ease them into it. Show them a video of cats and dogs playing together, take the pet to the park, and let them see in real how cats and dogs play well together. 

If you don’t ease them into the relationship, they might be scared and use their claws to fight, which can become a messy situation for you and your dog and cat family.

5. Keep Your Dog on A Leash During the Early Introduction to Your Cat

Just like cats, dogs can also get aggressive if they encounter situations that threaten them or their owner. So, suppose that your cat is showing love to you by purring, but your dog seems to think she/he is about to attack you; your dog might attack your cat. So here is the solution: for early meetings and interaction, keep your dog on its leash. 

6. Both The Pets Should Have Their Own Private Space

Both your pets must have a place to rest and we suggest you get pet beds. You can get beautifully made beds for dogs and cats from your local shop or online.

You also need to train your pets not to invade each other’s privacy. This means that they should have separate spaces to eat, drink, and rest that are off-limits to the other pet.

7. Help The Pet Get Familiar With Each Other’s Scents

Dogs and cats can smell each other from far away. We suggest this should be the first step towards bringing them together, and an easy way to do this is by introducing bedding one pet has slept on to the other pet.  This is another way you can help cats and dogs get familiar with each other.

Once they recognize the scent and acknowledge it as family, it increases the likelihood of the pets getting along with each other.

You’re Ready to Get a Pet Dog and Cat!

It is a dream for many pet owners that their dogs and cats can get along well, and they can post cute videos about them on the internet. However, the struggle behind all those cute videos is real and very time consuming. We hope our tips help you and your family get along well. And one day, you will be the one with videos of your cats and dogs playing together like siblings.