So you’re a dog parent hoping to adopt a cat, or vice versa. But will your dog and cat get along? In most cases, if you know how to introduce a dog to a cat, you can teach your pets to live together happily. Follow these steps to learn how to introduce cats and dogs.
Understanding Your Pets’ Body Language
Before allowing dog and cat interactions, familiarize yourself with canine and feline body language. Understanding your pets’ body language will help you spot signs of over-excitement or fear early, so you can step in with a distraction or separate the pets when necessary.
A few signs that your cat is feeling threatened:
Crouching
Arched back
Tucked tail
Ears flattened down
Facing sideways (ready to escape)
Hiding
Hissing
A few signs that your dog is feeling threatened:
Lip licking
Looking away from the cat
One paw raised
Yawning
Tucked tail
Ears back (tight against head)
Growling
IMPORTANT: If either of your pets is stiff and staring directly at the other, they may be about to attack.
What You’ll Need to Introduce a Dog to a Cat
Things you’ll need for your dog-cat introduction:
Towels
A pet gate
Dog treats
Cat treats
Engaging dog toys, like a rope for tug of war
Engaging cat toys, like a teaser wand
A friend or family member to help—this is a two-person job!
How to Introduce a Dog to a Cat: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Begin by Keeping Your Cat and Dog Separate
It might seem counterintuitive, but at the beginning of this process, keep your pets apart. Divide your home into a “cat area” and a “dog area,” so each pet has their own space. This will help them both establish a sense of security in your home, which will help get introductions off on the right foot.
Give your pets a day or two to get used to their new space before moving on to the next step. (This is especially important for cats.)
2. Start a Scent Exchange
Place towels in your pets’ beds or other areas where the dog and cat sleep. Each day, switch the towels so the cat sleeps on the towel the dog used the previous day, and vice versa. Do this for at least a week. This will help both pets get used to each other’s smells.
3. Play With the Door Closed
Now that the cat and dog are familiar with each other’s smells, it’s time to get them used to hearing each other. You’ll need an extra helper for the next few steps.
Have one person with the cat on one side of the closed door, and the other with the dog on the other side. Each person should do something fun with their pet. For example, you could do treat training with the dog, or play with a tug toy or a flirt pole. For the cat, try a teaser toy or do treat training (if the cat likes treats). The idea is to get both pets enjoying themselves, while also hearing the other pet beyond the door. Keep the playtime session to no more than five minutes.
4. Let Them See Each Other
Cover the pet gate with a towel, open the solid door and repeat step three, this time with the towel-covered pet gate as the barrier. Once your pets are comfortable with that, move the towel a little to the side so both pets get glimpses of each other as they train or play.
As long as both the cat and dog continue to stay calm and focused on the fun, you can open the towel a half-inch further at the next practice session. Don’t rush, though! It may take weeks before both pets can stay calm with the towel gone.
If either pet reacts with fear or aggression when they see the other, end the session immediately. In the next session, set up the towel so they can’t see each other as clearly.
5. Remove the Barrier
Once the cat and dog happily play or get treats on either side of the uncovered pet gate, try doing the same routine with no gate between them. Use a leash to keep the dog from getting too close to the cat (imagine there’s a line separating the area into halves, and use that as a guideline). If the cat chooses to get close to the dog, though, that’s fine!
Continue these sessions until your cat and dog remain reliably calm in each others’ presence.
If your pets are still not getting along, consult a Certified Behavior Consultant-Canine or Certified Dog Behavior Consultant. These professionals can help you figure out if your pets need additional training, or are simply not a good fit.
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