Intro to cat?

MyGirlAbbey · 01-23-2013, 03:08 AM

Hi, any suggestions on intro my pup to our cats?

A trainer friend of mine suggested that we intro them through a door where they can smell each other and treat Abbey whenever she's being calm. We've been doing that for about 3 days and I know it's going to take longer than that, but it just doesn't seem to be going very well so far. Abbey alternates between acting petrified of the cat (and the cat is hissing and spitting) or barking and acting like a crazy woman (which we immediately correct her for).

My friend suggested that we try this for about 2 weeks or until they are both calm. Then move to having them in separate rooms separated by a baby gate. If the pup or the cat act crazy, then back to the door.

I was just wondering if anyone else had any other ideas that might have worked for them, just in case this doesn't work?

One note is that Abbey doesn't seem to have a lot of prey drive (yet!). When I bring the cat downstairs, she usually just lays on the couch and looks at me and the cat. She will only get interested if the cat makes a noise, like a hiss or a spit. We are doing the door intro as much for the cat as we are for the dog!

Thanks!

~Kim

**ames** · 01-23-2013, 05:26 AM

My cat was the troublemaker. My boy minds me so I could get him to leave my cat alone but my cat would stalk him and I knew if I ever left it would be on. I would leave you dog leashed and see what happens. But just have someone else with you so they can intercept your cat if it choses to charge!!

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**kg420** · 01-23-2013, 05:47 AM

When we first got Dosia I had one cat. The meanest cat ever. Lol. He is a wild cat I took in as a rescue and doesn't take any crap from anything lol. He was always the one that turned play into serious

so he'd get tossed out side if he was acting up. Dosia learned to have a healthy fear of kitty claws too lol. Our other little cat was introduced to him when he was about 3-4 weeks old. I'd hold the kittens on my lap and let him sniff them and then I'd sit on the floor with them and let them crawl around on his blanket. The cats about 2 1/2 now and still likes to sleep with his dog

starsha · 01-30-2013, 08:26 AM

When I got my boys, I had a bunch of cats around my apartment. Since they were too young to get their shots, we made the boys a little corner to isolate them from any possible sickness. The cats would look over them and just watch them. After the boys got their shots, we let them walk around the apartment and the cats actually got a long with them, or stayed away. Our two biggest cats would play with them. Since the boys were younger, their bites weren't so vicious and all four of them would just jump around each other. One of our cats didn't like the boys, so when one of them would try and play with him, he would sit there and just paw at them. The boys loved it lol.
What I will say, though, is my pups were not very good with kittens. My brother-in-law had kittens with one of my cats, but the mom developed mange, so I would have to bottle feed them, and one of my boys walked over to me and seemed to just want to sniff, and then he opened his mouth and lunged forward. I pushed him away quick, but yeah, pits and baby kittens didn't do well.

I think if the pit is young when the cat is introduced, there shouldn't be a problem. Most cats tend to stay away from things they don't like anyway.

MamaTank · 02-05-2013, 08:35 AM

The different rooms thing *usually* works. But with my crew (in my very small house) it didn't work. I raised my older cat and my mutt pictured below together so they never really had any trouble. We just adopted a 1.5 y/o cat in November and tried to keep them separated- it lasted all of 3 days. Buddy (the cat) found a way to slip right under my feet and I had a small panic attack looking for him- only to find him sleeping on top of Keira's crate-- with her! Just make sure that both of them are playing nice- cats can be formidable if they get mad. Those claws can easily damage an eye.