Introducing cats to resident dog?

[parapaul]

Time to introduce my cats to the OH's dog before they think they've been abandoned because I'm never home I know there's millions of pages on the t'interweb about this but they all suggest the same things, some of which aren't possible - I'm looking for advice (or reassurance, I suppose).

• One of the main points seems to be to confine the cats to one room for days or a week. We can't do that. The house is effectively open plan downstairs, and all the upstairs rooms are used. The best I can do is to separate them at night.

• The dog is a Staffy cross, 7 years old, and has never had a 'friendly' experience with a cat. As far as he knows, cats are things to chase out of the garden. He's very excitable, very highly strung, and I have no doubts this is going to be a real challenge.

• The cats used to live very happily with a (albeit placid) German Shepherd, so they're less of a concern - the dog is going to be the problem here.

The best ideas I have so far are (and I'm very, very open to suiggestions):

• Swap bedding beforehand so they are used to the new smells.
• We have a large wire dog crate. Put the cats together in this.
• Put the dog on the lead, and gradually allow him to see and smell the cats - reinforcing calm behaviour and correcting anything aggressive.
• Once he's within touching distance of the crate, let them all have a good look and smell of each other while there's no danger - lead still on should he get too excited.
• Separate them at night - if the dog chooses to stay up all night sniffing under the door he'll be fked and hopefully more docile the next day
• Repeat until dog seems less likely to eatchase cats.
• With dog still firmly on the lead, open the crate and allow cats to leave of their own accord. Again, reward good doggy behaviour and correct any aggressive tendencies.
• Repeat until dog seems less likely to eatchase cats.
• Under CLOSE supervision, and making sure cats have somewhere to bolt to, allow dog off lead.
• Repeat until dog seems less likely to eatchase cats.

[keslake]

I would seriously think long and hard about this as the Dog will be firmly set in it's ways at 7yrs old.
Can't think of any other suggestions to what you have already proposed but i fear it may all end in tears and / or a large vets bill - or worse.

The situation will probably cause a lot of stress for the cat's as well if the Dog isn't too keen on the idea.

Best of luck with the challenge though and please keep us all posted!.

[Simpo Two]

My advice - forget it. It won't work. The cats would rather be in your house in peace and quiet than in the other house stressed to fk with an 'exciteable' Staffy terrorising them.

[bexVN]

I'll check at work. I can't decide which way round will be best, cats in the crate or the dog.

[JumboBeef]

I rehome dogs. I know of cases where people have tried exact this. Some times it works, some times it doesn't. One dog killed the cat in front of it's owner.

The big problem you have is you might get to a point where you think the dog has accepted the cats. He hasn't, but has just learnt not to show this when you are around. The first time you leave them all together you might come home to a bloodbath.

Put the animals first. Consider a rehome for either the cats or the dog. It's not cruel: the rehomed pet would end up living in a relaxed, safe environment.

Good luck whatever you do.

[size13]

We had two cats then got the dog. (now only one 10 year old cat)

Cat leaves the house when the dog comes home. He regularly chases him out.

[edc]

You should get a stair guard and stock up on feliway. We have tried introduction by dog in crate then cat in carrier and moving them slowly together. Also when the dog is out get the cats downstairs to roam and smell.

Ultimately what happened was that the cats camped out upstairs and one jumped out an upstairs window!

Edit - worth mentioning that ours were resident cats and new (young) dog.

Edited by edc on Friday 8th June 14:01

[Who me ?]

Would suggest that dog will not like cats in HIS house. But on the other hand, we regularly meet a three legged Persian on walks, and it has persuaded my little terror to be friendly. I did speak to the owner of the cat ,to be told that cat grew up with dogs and knows how to make friends.Also I believe that mine ,in his former life,shared with a cat/cats ,so possibly another reason. However, any cat in his front/rear garden , or near HIS car gets told where to go .

[parapaul]

Simpo Two said:

My advice - forget it. It won't work. The cats would rather be in your house in peace and quiet than in the other house stressed to fk with an 'exciteable' Staffy terrorising them.

I do agree to a point - but we're looking at moving in together and they're going to have to get used to it at some point. Rehoming is a very last resort - because the cats are so easy to look after it seems a shame to ditch them, and honestly, NOBODY would take this dog.

bexVN said:

I'll check at work. I can't decide which way round will be best, cats in the crate or
the dog.

Thanks. I do think though, attempting to crate this dog would just freak him out and he'd end up injuring himself and damaging the crate,

[bexVN]

In that case crate the cats. I think it's going to be a struggle (knowing what he can be like from part threads!)

Take it slow, cats are good at looking after themselves but they will be the vulnerable ones all the same. Their safety is paramount don't take any chances.

The FAB website has good advice (feline advisory bureau)

[Mobile Chicane]

Gate the stairs so the dog can't get up there. Put a spare litter tray and water upstairs for the cats.

[S10 GTA]

I'd be putting the dog in the crate rather than the cats.

[eybic]

My cat is quite cjhilled out but my Ex brought her staffie round and it was a typical excitable staffie. Almost immediately the dog was in my flat the car arched his back and was hissing/howling at the dog.

Good Luck!!!

[Superficial]

It seems as though you've got it sussed! Just wanted to add that 11 years ago we introduced our Border Collie to cats successfully, he had never lived with cats ever before and was very set in his cat hating ways in regards to ones he encountered. Unfortunately, he even attacked a neighbours cat in our garden when it strayed in once (the cat was okay though - thank god).

We started off by giving our kitten a chance to settle in, fortunately our BC loved to be outside so we'd just shut the door behind him while the kitten explored for a couple of hours a day. The rest of the time she was kept upstairs. At the same time, we also had a very nurturing, once in a lifetime Border Collie so we introduced that dog to the kitten pretty much straight away. The first step was to put the kitten in a crate in the lounge, while the dog came in on a lead. By this stage, the kitten was fairly used to dogs having socialised with our other BC, so wasn't distressing for her.

We took things really gradually, but the basic steps were:

• Kitten in crate, dog on lead
• Kitten in crate, dog off lead
• Kitten on someone's lap, dog on lead with someone else
• Kitten on someone's lap, dog off lead
• Kitten on floor - this was a few months later and kitten was much bigger

We never left them unattended together while we were out, ever. Both of those BCs are now gone and we now have an array of Spaniels and another BC, I still wouldn't leave them unattended with the cats because no matter how bombproof they are, they're still animals and it just isn't worth it.

Hope your introductions go well, with patience and time I don't see why you wouldn't be able to make it work

[bexVN]

I'd agree with the above introductions.

Though our whippet is left unattended all the time with our cats (all have free run of the house when we're out) never been a problem. He is more wary of the cats!

Same with our old collie she was great with our cats (hated other dogs though!)

[ali_kat]

OMG - I was so... innocent when I first had cats & dogs! ( 25 years ago!!!)

I just brought them home & left them to it! Fortunaterly with no damage!

At varying stages - Jack Russell, Heinz Collie, Springer Spaniel, Doberman and 2 ginger Toms!

[parapaul]

Thanks for all the replies - I'll post back with results!

Mobile Chicane said:

Gate the stairs so the dog can't get up there. Put a spare litter tray and water upstairs for the cats.

That's a virtual impossibility - the dog can (and has done repeatedly) jump a 4ft 6 gate from a standing start. Unless we fit a full height wrought iron gate we may as well not bother