- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
Contrary to classic slapstick cartoons depicting cats and dogs fighting tooth and nail, they can coexist. Once you know how to introduce a puppy to a cat, you can set them on the path to lifelong companionship instead of furry frenemies.
There’s no set timeline for how long it’ll take for your new puppy and resident cat to get along. The outcome at each step depends on your cat’s age, personality, and previous history with dogs. “A younger cat might decide that a puppy is a great playmate, while an older cat that has been the only pet their whole life might never be completely comfortable,” notes Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison, professional dog trainer, cat behavior consultant, and owner of High Five Animal Training.
“Introducing your puppy and your cat is going to take some time, patience, and practice,” adds Rachel Lane, professional dog trainer, behavior consultant, and owner of Leash and Learn.
With the insight of both certified animal experts, we explore how best to introduce a puppy to cats and how to troubleshoot issues that arise.
Before You Introduce Your Puppy to Your Cat
Before you buy or adopt a puppy, Wachowiak-Finlaison urges pet parents to honestly ask themselves if their resident cat can handle a new pet and all the changes that come with it. “If your cat is old, fearful, or sick, forcing them to live with a dog is not a good idea,” she advises. Stress can exacerbate health conditions, especially in elderly cats.
If you decide your cat might do well with a new canine companion, some preparation can go a long way toward setting your pets up for success.
Create separate pet zones
Establishing safe and separate zones is the main priority when bringing a new pup home. For your cat, that means making an area of the house a dog-free sanctuary. This space should have all their supplies, like their litter box, food and water bowls, bedding, scratching posts, and other enrichment items.
To keep your puppy safely cordoned off from your cat, set up a barrier, or multiple barriers. “There should be at least one, if not two, physical barriers between their space, like playpens, baby gates, and closed doors,” Lane suggests.
Your puppy’s area should also have all their essentials nearby, like a bed, crate, toys, and feeding station.
Get pets comfortable from a distance
Swapping scents is one of the best ways to get your cat and puppy familiar with each other before they meet. You can do this by rubbing a towel or blanket on one pet and letting the other smell it. You can also swap out bedding or toys between each pet’s safe zone and allow them to investigate the item at their own pace.
Next, start introducing your pets visually to each other through a barrier, like a dog gate, puppy playpen, or screen door. Your pup can romp around while your cat roams freely and becomes accustomed to seeing a new creature in your home.
Expert note: While you may have heard of feeding your cat and puppy on opposite sides of a door as part of the introduction process, some cat behaviorists caution against this. Cats aren’t social eaters, so it’s best to keep meals separate.
Ensure your cat’s and dog’s needs are met
“Make sure that the puppy is getting a lot of exercise and social time with other puppies,” Wachowiak-Finlaison says. “That way, the cat is not the only potential source of entertainment.” Puppy classes are a fantastic way to do this, allowing your pup to get their energy out and practice socialization in a safe setting.
For cats, Wachowiak-Finlaison suggests adding more elevated and vertical spaces, such as window perches and wall-mounted walkways, to your home. These spaces offer a species-appropriate outlet (cats love to climb!) and a way for your cat to engage with the new puppy on their own terms.
Introduce your puppy to a leash
Before the initial introduction, work on getting your puppy more comfortable on a leash. A little basic leash training and some simple cues, such as “sit,” “down,” and “touch,” can help redirect your puppy if they’re coming on too strong.
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The First Meeting
For the first face-to-face meeting, Lane advises taking a slow and steady approach. “Interactions should be short and sweet, structured, and a positive experience for both parties,” she says.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to give your new puppy and resident cat a good first meeting:
- Recruit a helper. Ideally, you’ll want a handler for each pet.
- Leash your puppy. Clip a flat leash to your puppy’s harness. (Don’t use a retractable leash.) Hold the leash firmly in your hand and keep your pup close to you. Let your cat roam freely.
- Choose a neutral area. Begin in a neutral room that’s not your cat’s or puppy’s separate safe area. Give them as much space as possible to move around without feeling trapped.
- Create positive associations. Give your puppy a tasty treat for showing calm behavior around the cat. Try a relaxation protocol, or ask your pup to do simple cues and reward immediately. Give your cat treats, too, so they can also build positive associations.
- Carefully monitor body language. When each pet is displaying behaviors that indicate they’re relaxed, you can move them a little closer or extend their time together. If one or both pets are showing signs of discomfort, end the session.
- Keep things short and sweet. Ending the introduction on a high note makes it more likely that their next encounter be positive.
Additional tips
Allow your new puppy and cat to set the pace for the initial introduction. “Go at the pace of the animal that’s less comfortable,” Wachowiak-Finlaison advises. “Take breaks.” Several short positive sessions are more effective than one long stressful interaction that could set your progress back.
You’ll also likely need to adjust your expectations. Don’t despair if you don’t see immediate snuggles—neutral behavior is ideal. Just being calm in the same room together, even if they’re twenty feet apart, is a good beginning.
When to let pets share space unsupervised
It can take several weeks to months of these safe, controlled, and slow face-to-face sessions for your pets to become comfortable with each other. Wachowiak-Finlaison says some positive signs that it could be safe to leave your cat and new puppy alone and unsupervised are if they are:
- Showing friendly behavior
- Engaging in appropriate play, like taking turns
- Grooming each other
- Showing relaxed body language
- Sleeping or napping in each other’s presence
What Not To Do
There are also certain things you’ll want to avoid when introducing your cat and dog. Here are a few “don’ts” to keep in mind.
- Don’t ignore your cat’s needs. “Often the focus is on training the dog and the cat gets treated like a prop,” Wachowiak-Finlaison says. “Both species need to have their needs fulfilled for the introductions to work.”
- Don’t allow your puppy to chase your cat. While this might seem cute and harmless, it could be a traumatic experience for your cat.
- Don’t assume the puppy is the bigger threat. Cat bites and scratches can be serious, Wachowiak-Finlaison warns.
- Don’t force close interactions. Follow your pets’ lead. And always make sure an escape route is available to both animals, Lane says.
- Don’t let your pets “work things out” on their own. “This is incredibly dangerous and can result in undesirable behavior from both your dog and cat,” Lane says. Constant supervision is needed during these sessions.
- Don’t scold or punish undesirable behavior. Disciplining your cat or pup could create a negative association with the other. Instead, redirect your pets and create more space by tossing a treat in the opposite direction for them to chase.
Gulnara Mandrykina via iStock
Troubleshooting
Things don’t always go as planned. Here are some helpful tips to address common concerns as you get your cat and pup accustomed to living together.
What to do if your cat is showing stressed or aggressive body language
If your cat is hissing, swatting, biting, hiding, charging, or displaying any other stressed or aggressive body language, Wachowiak-Finlaison says they’re likely scared. She advises setting up the environment to make them feel safer, like adding more barriers, creating more distance, or reducing the time spent around the puppy. Try to stick to your cat’s daily routine, too, so it’s one less thing that’s changed in their life.
If your cat is really struggling with the new puppy, consider recruiting a professional to help. A fear-free certified feline behaviorist can create customized plans for cat and dog harmony in your house!
What to do if your puppy is displaying predatory behavior toward your cat
“Predation is a strong instinct that is very hard to ‘train’ away,” Wachowiak-Finlaison says. “If you’re seeing true predatory behaviors in your puppy, then they might not be a good candidate to live in a multi-species household.” These behaviors could present as raised hackles, growling, biting or snapping, and lunging and chasing.
If your new puppy has a high prey drive, it could lead to injury in both animals and might even end in the cat’s death. You’ll want to work with a trained professional immediately. In cases where your dog is not responding to training, it may be best to rehome the puppy to a single-pet or dog-only household.
What to do if your puppy and cat don’t want to interact at all
This behavior is actually great, says Wachowiak-Finlaison. “Neutral, disengaged behavior is always my first goal,” she points out. “Remember, we’re asking a predator and their natural prey to live together.”
If your cat and pup can tolerate each other without strong reactions, they might eventually develop a genuine friendship. And if not, they will still be able to coexist peacefully, which is an ideal outcome in itself.
Socializing Your Puppy To Cats
Even if you don’t have a feline family member of your own, creating positive and neutral associations around cats is an important part of puppy socialization. It helps prevent leash reactivity in the future when you’re out on walks and your dog sees a cat. It can also help them feel more comfortable in places where cats are present, such as a friend’s house or the vet.
“Socializing a puppy to a cat at a young age is a proactive way to prevent problematic behavior and interactions with cats later in life,” Lane says. “If your puppy is not proactively taught to coexist with a cat without chasing, harassing, and constantly trying to play, undoing these behaviors is much harder than teaching appropriate behaviors and skills right from the start,” Lane says.
How to socialize if you don’t have a cat
First, you’ll want to socialize your new puppy around cats while they’re young. “A puppy’s primary socialization period spans from approximately 3 to 14 weeks of age,” Lane says. During this time, puppies are especially receptive to developing relationships. What they learn in this brief but critical period is what will ultimately heavily influence their behaviors as adult dogs.
Here are a few ways to socialize your puppy if you don’t have a cat of your own:
- Play audio and videos of cat sounds, such as meowing and purring, at low volumes while your puppy engages in a fun activity, like snuffling for treats or playing with a favorite toy.
- If you have a friend with a dog-friendly cat, ask them to do a scent swap or slow introduction, following the steps above.
- Observe cats from a distance when you’re outside walking or hanging out with your pup. Reward them for calmly noticing the cat without barking, lunging, or fixating.
- Enroll your pup in socialization classes. While these courses may not have actual cats, they can teach your dog valuable skills about how to behave around various stimuli and distractions.
Introducing a New Adult Dog
What about bringing an adult dog home to your cat? Should you do anything differently?
For the most part, things will remain the same. As with puppy introductions, you’ll want to use physical barriers and set up separate safe spaces for each pet. You’ll also let your resident cat and new adult dog set the pace, just with more supervision, time, and precautions.
“The biggest difference between introducing an older dog to a cat is that you should be even more careful and move even slower,” Lane says.
During the initial introduction, give the new dog and your resident cat more time to acclimate to each other at every step. Remember: Slow is fast, especially when building lifelong friendships!
