How do I get my dogs to get along with my cat?
Friday, February 5th, 2010 at
9:26 am
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Filed under: Cat Furniture
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It sounds like the kitty is used to being an only child and has some difficulties integrating into multipet homes. If he was able to get along with the older dog before the move, then there is hope.
Remember the dogs have the home court advantage. They’ve been together for several months. And dogs tolerate these kinds of changes in environment better than cats most of the time. So set aside a room that is kitty’s, and kitty’s alone. Give him a few days to adjust to just that room, with no contact or interaction with the dogs, but lots of contact with you humans. When he seems settled, swap them. Dogs in the old kitty room, and kitty loose in the rest of the house.
This gives kitty a chance to reconnoiter and find the vantage points while becoming familiar with the terrain. Set up a special dog-free zone for kitty that includes room for sleeping and his food and water dishes. Make sure he can reach a litterbox unmolested by dogs.
Dig out a stuffed toy and spend a lot of time giving it oodles of affection in front of the dogs. If they fuss, it’s "No Kitty!" and then put them out of the room. Wait 30 seconds or until they are quiet on the other side of the door and let them back in. Repeat, until they stop fussing when you make a big deal of the toy. Now you’re ready to repeat with the cat, using the new "No Kitty" command to tell the dogs to back off from the cat.