How To Introduce A Dog To A Cat

It is widely believed that dogs hate cats… but this is a myth. Cats and dogs have their own temperaments, and their genetics play a huge role in the level of their relationship. 

Key factors

If you already have a cat, we recommend you seek the opinion of your puppy’s breeder about how their bloodline gets on with cats. There are no set rules with breeding or genetics, but it is a good idea to check. 

Other key factors include how much prey drive your puppy has, balanced against how tolerant your cat is.

A tolerant cat and a docile puppy should be fine, with a gentle and patient introduction. 

The first meeting: how to introduce a dog to a cat

Initially, use a dog pen to control your dog’s reaction to the cat. Bring the cat into the room and sit with them on your lap. The pen allows you to safely assess their response when the cat is brought into the room. 

It is normal for the dog to be interested in the cat, so it is important not to distract them with treats. This is because you won’t always be around to do this, and your dog needs to learn to behave appropriately. 

The first meeting will give us a good indication of how both dog and cat feel about each other. 

If your dog shows an interest but is well-behaved and wanders off, reward them with a treat and calm, gentle praise. 

If we want calm, gentle behaviour, our voice and actions should promote it. 

Regularly repeat these meetings and gradually increase the time involved, in line with how well it is going. Patience is key here; don’t rush to remove the barrier (pen) between them. 

What if it doesn’t go smoothly? 

If your dog gets excited, it’s ok. Sit at a suitable distance from the pen where the cat is comfortable. 

Again, be patient and give the dog some time to calm down. Do not force interaction. We want the puppy to gradually calm down and lose interest. This may take several sessions, but be patient and reward this behaviour when displayed. 

How to know if genetics is playing a part

If your puppy is overstimulated, fixates, tries to chase, or generally shows a worrying response, this is a genetic response. Give your dog time with short but frequent sessions to calm down around your cat. 

We can’t expect cats and dogs to like each other, but we can have the expectation that they should coexist peacefully, similarly to human sibling rivalry.