A dog and a cat together — how to raise them in the same apartment

byLadyMbaby

85 followers

2 years ago

Raising a dog and a cat together is possible, and that’s good news for all of you who wanted to welcome these two pets into your home. In order to avoid unpleasant situations, disagreements and complete anarchy in the home, it is important to find out why cats and dogs do not get along, how you can change it and what to expect from them.

The disagreement between dogs and cats goes back a long way
It is interesting that the disagreement between dogs and cats has its roots in the distant past, several thousand years ago, when these animals were not domesticated. The dogs and cats of that time “used” humans for leftover food and water, and that was generally the only contact these animals had with humans.

As both animals needed food, there was often a conflict between them, so the disagreement is closely related to history today. However, the situation gradually changed as both species became domestic animals, so today it is not impossible to imagine them together.

Dogs and cats have different personalities
Perhaps the key to understanding the difference between dogs and cats is their character. You must have noticed that they react completely differently to certain situations, express emotions in different ways, communicate differently with each other and with people.

Some of the characteristics and behaviors you can expect from a dog are:

Tail wagging when happy;
A dog greets another dog by running in a circle, sniffing, wagging, tail, avoiding eye contact;
Dogs like to be active and run;
Dogs like to be in the center of things;
A dog barks usually in negative situations (when it is scared, when it indicates danger, etc.).
The typical character of a cat dictates that it exhibits the following behaviors:

Cats greet each other by simply walking past each other;
They run mostly when they are scared;
They don’t wag their tails often, and when they do they’re mostly cautious;
Cats purr when they are happy;
They meow in a wide variety of situations;
They mostly like to be in a quiet environment.

Meeting a dog and a cat — what to expect
That moment has come — meeting the dog and the cat.

There are several situations that can happen to you:

A dog and a cat come to your home together
You are already a dog owner and a cat comes to your home
You are a cat owner and a cat comes into your household
Therefore, in the following lines, we will explain what you can expect from the reactions of a cat or a dog when a new pet comes to your home.

The reaction of the cat to the arrival of the dog in the household
A new puppy has come into your home?

He happily jumps, sniffs, wags his tail and runs.

He wants to approach your already domesticated cat, but she evades, and since she feels threatened — she may scratch or attack the dog, especially if it is a puppy.

This is the situation that will most likely happen to you when you bring a new family member into your home where the cat “ruled” until then. She will feel threatened.

The dog’s reaction to the arrival of a cat in the household
Although they are more friendly by nature, the reaction of dogs will not differ much from the behavior of a cat.

As the kitten walks slowly towards the dog and looks him straight in the eyes, the dog will try to avoid that gaze and will feel threatened. Staring in the eyes in the dog world means it’s time to attack, so maybe your pet will react just like that.

A dog’s reaction to a cat also depends on other factors such as early socialization, upbringing and the dog’s breed. Not all dog breeds can accept cats equally. For example, it is extremely difficult for almost all terriers to accept cats, as well as for a certain part of hunting breeds. They will see the cat as prey, so daily conflicts, perhaps extremely large ones, are almost inevitable.

To avoid unpleasant situations and conflicts between cats and dogs, you should know how to meet a dog and a cat and how to make them become best friends.

How to meet a dog and a cat?
When you are familiar with the potential reactions of pets, it is important to prevent conflict and know what to do when a cat and a dog find themselves together.

Patience is the most important thing in this situation.

The first meeting should be well organized. It is best if these pets are kept in separate rooms to begin with or if there is a physical barrier between them, and dog fences can help you in this mission. If you are introducing your dog to your new cat and he is used to the fence, it is his safe space. So the dog can stay in it, and the cat outside the fence.

Trim the cat’s nails before the meeting, and tire the dog out with a long walk, run, etc., so that he can use up as much energy as possible. Also, it is important that the cat toilet is fenced off so that the dog cannot reach it and disturb the cat in any way during defecation.

If a new adult cat or kitten is coming to your home, let her know the territory because it is one of the most important things for her. The same situation is with the dog. You should not allow the cat to threaten the dog’s territory, and vice versa, so as not to create rivalry in the beginning.

Getting to know a dog and a cat does not take just one day. This process will take a long time, and in order for the dog and cat to become best friends, you should fully dedicate yourself to their education.

How can a dog and a cat become best friends?
Okay, maybe not all dogs and cats can become best friends.

But when the prerequisites are there, the introduction of a dog and a cat passed without major injuries, with the effort and persistence of the owner, their union can be harmonious and full of friendship.

How to achieve this?

Obedience training; It is important to teach your dog the basics from an early age, as well as to go through socialization while he is still a puppy. Socialization means familiarization with different situations from an early age, as well as being with other dogs and cats. Also, while still young, the kitten should be introduced to different situations and learn to react properly in them.
At the beginning, when getting to know each other, while the dog and cat are together, you need to be with them at every moment, so that you can protect them when necessary.
Create a safe place for pets; We’ve already mentioned dog enclosures that would be a safe place for a dog, and for cats it’s usually somewhere high up in your home. In this sense, climbing frames for cats are an excellent choice, where she could climb and feel safe. Separate their food and water bowls so that there are no problems when feeding.
Allow them to smell it. While humans mostly use the sense of sight when meeting, the dog and cat use the sense of smell, so it is crucial that they get to know each other in this way when meeting.
Patience; We must not forget to mention this, perhaps the most important item. Even if you apply all the tips we have given you — the friendship between a dog and a cat will not come overnight, so it is important to be prepared when getting to know them and getting them closer.