Nothing will upend a dog’s life more than the addition of another dog to the household.
Except maybe the addition of a cat.
Let’s consider a cat from a dog’s point of view….
It is another animal but not quite like a dog.
It has a different and very interesting smell.
It eats a different and very interesting kind of food.
Its toilet is not outdoors, but in some kind of (accessible) box.
It makes odd and sometimes scary noises when nudged.
It has really sharp claws.
It gets way too much attention from the humans.
It can jump into and onto unreachable places in a most frustrating manner.
In “Cats and dogs: the dating game” we looked at dogs from the cat’s viewpoint. It’s pretty rare when dog owners consider the type of cat that will be best suited to their dog’s temperament.
As far as a dog is concerned, there are three kinds of cats:
The cat that runs away. The dog therefore must give chase, which causes the cat to run whenever she sees the dog, which makes the dog…you get the idea.
The cat with attitude. When approached by the dog, she will either swat, hiss, rub up against, ignore, or otherwise stupefy and confuse the dog.
The cat with a sense of humor. This cat will tease the dog, drop from high places onto the dog’s back, startle the dog while he’s sleeping, knead the dog’s belly, play with the dog’s tail, and so on.
To introduce a cat into a house with a resident dog, its best at first to have them in separate rooms so they can get used to each others’ smell. Crating the dog for a short period of time and letting the cat have the run of the house will keep them both safe while she explores. Face-to-face introductions should be with the dog on leash, so the cat can vamoose if needed.
Some dogs get obsessed with the cat’s whereabouts. This can be a big problem that often causes the cat to retreat to a hiding place and only briefly appear when the dog is outside.
Some dogs will sell their soul for a taste of the cat’s food, or the contents of the cat’s litter box. Read “My dog eats cat (fill in the blank)” for help with that unpleasant hobby.
If you can’t seem to get your cat and dog to co-exist, read “No cat left behind” and get professional help from an in-home dog trainer who can usually broker peace between them.
