Despite the popular cartoon images, cats and dogs can be good friends. As with cat-cat introductions, first impressions matter. You can help smooth cat-dog introductions with careful planning and an understanding of the body language in both species that indicates excitement, fear, anxiety, and aggression.
If the dog is known to have been aggressive toward cats in the past, schedule a visit to a veterinary behaviorist before trying to introduce the pets. Before you begin, the dog should be able to follow basic cues, including “sit,” “down,” and “look at me” or “watch me.”
All introductions should be done by an adult who is in control of one pet. That means a minimum of two adults.
Identify delectable treats for the cat and equally delectable ones for the dog. These should be special, not regular daily foods.
Before bringing a new dog home, make sure the cat has a refuge where he can retreat to whenever he feels the need. This should be a safe place that the dog cannot access, perhaps up high where the dog can’t reach.
The dog should be on a leash held by an adult.
The cat may be free to roam around the room, or also on a harness and leash held by an adult.
Never allow the dog to chase the cat or pick him up in his mouth.
If at any point the dog becomes hyper-focused or agitated, salivates, stares at the cat, or tries to dart at the cat, end the introduction and contact your veterinarian for further steps.
When you bring the dog home, do not let him have full access to the house. Instead, confine him to one or two rooms, using baby gates and closed doors.
Keep the dog confined until the cat is comfortable moving around the house and approaches the baby gate to investigate.
Let the cat investigate the newcomer at his own pace.
When the cat is comfortably approaching the gate, rubbing his cheeks and body on it and not showing any signs of fear, you can progress to controlled meetings.
When you bring the cat home, do not let him have full access to the entire house. Instead, confine him to a single refuge room that contains all of his basic needs, including food, water, litter box, perches, scratching posts, and hiding places. Keep the door closed at first.
After one or two days, when the cat seems calm and acclimated, start giving the dog and cat their favorite treats on either side of the closed door.
If the cat is not hissing or growling at the sound or smell of the dog, you can stack two baby gates in the doorway as a barrier rather than keeping the door closed.
Feed the dog and cat treats a few feet away from each other on either side of the baby gates several times a day.
When the cat is comfortably approaching the gate, rubbing his cheeks and body on it and not showing any signs of fear, you can progress to controlled meetings.
Put the dog on a leash and walk him into the room where the cat is sitting. If the cat is the newcomer, these meetings should take place in a room other than the cat refuge.
If the cat remains still, walk the dog around the room on a loose leash, to avoid transmitting any of your own anxiety with a tight leash.
Do not allow the dog to act inappropriately toward the cat—barking, lunging, or chasing.
If the dog seems distracted by the cat, ask him to “watch” or “look,” or call his name to get his attention and then give him a task to do such as “sit.” Reward him for compliance.
Continue to reward calm behavior by the dog with praise and treats, to associate the cat with good things.
Reward the cat for calm behavior as well, to associate the dog with good things.
Maintain a distance at which the dog and the cat both remain calm.
The cat may hiss, swat, or growl at the dog. Do not punish him (he’s genuinely afraid!), so that he will not associate punishment with the presence of the dog. Move the dog farther away until the hissing or growling stops. If the cat remains fearful, go back to offering treats on either side of the baby gates for a few more days.
Repeat these controlled meetings until both animals are calm and relaxed with each other.
Do not allow the dog to have free run of the house when you’re not home until you are sure the two animals are safe with each other. Separation when they are alone may be prudent.
Most dogs and cats eventually learn to live peacefully with each other. But remember, a dog is a natural predator of cats, so always supervise their interactions in the beginning. Sometimes things don’t go as desired, and your cat and dog may always need some degree of supervision when together, or even separation if their interactions might pose a risk to their safety.