Meet and Greet with Resident Animals
To successfully introduce a new animal into your household, plan ahead and be patient. Don’t assume the animals will instantly like each other or, if they don’t, that they will work things out themselves. If your animals get off on the wrong paw, the relationship might not recover. Taking a little extra time is well worth the effort.
Read more to learn about the best ways to make dog-to-dog, cat-to-cat and dog-to-cat introductions.
Dog-to-Cat Introductions
Before placing dogs and cats together in the same home, it's helpful to identify which dogs and cats may be good candidates for living together.
Good Canine Candidates
Puppies or adult dogs that have successfully lived with a cat before
Laid-back, relaxed dogs
Dogs with very little prey drive--a dog that doesn't chase cats or squirrels when outdoors is a common indication of low prey-drive
Good Feline Candidates
Kittens or cats that have successfully lived with a dog before
Laid-back, relaxed cats and kittens
Not-So-Good Feline Candidates
Shy, skittish cats
De-clawed cats, which are more vulnerable and therefore more likely to behave aggressively when cornered by a dog
Proper Etiquette for Introductions
Cats who haven’t lived with dogs almost always behave defensively the first time they meet a new dog. If the dog doesn’t come on too strong, and if the cat is given dog-free zones to retreat to, many cats will gradually become accustomed to the dog and sometimes even become friends. This can take weeks or months, so be patient.
Just like with people, there's a proper way to introduce a dog to a cat. We've broken it down into a few simple steps. First, keep the dog and cat apart for the first week before you try an introduction. During this time, trade blankets or towels between the dog and cat, so they can become familiar with and mix their scents.
After that, put the dog on a leash to prevent any chasing and to avoid stressing the cat. Have the dog sit and take treats near the cat. (Start farther away and work closer as the animals seem relaxed.) Also give the cat treats throughout this exercise. If the dog is calm enough to sit and take treats, allow him to meet the cat. Good signs that the dog is ready are gentle investigation and wagging, as well as respect for the cat’s defensive signals. Bad signs are instant attempts to chase, straining at the leash, whining, and barking. Repeat this several times before moving on.
If the intros go well, drop the leash and supervise closely. If the dog is friendly or cautious with the cat, don’t get involved in their interactions, except to praise and reward the dog for good manners. Immediately interrupt chasing and calmly give a time-out by removing the dog from the room. To make this easier, keep the dog on a leash around the cat until you have worked out a routine.
Watch closely for the first few weeks. Are things getting better or worse? Supervise all interactions until you see a positive pattern in their relationship. If the dog is the newcomer, give plenty of extra attention to the cat to prevent the dog from being associated with reduced attention and affection. If the newcomer is the cat, make sure the dog associates the addition to the family with good things like treats, affection and play. To be safe, separate the dog and cat with a double barrier (like in a crate behind a closed door) when you are not at home to supervise.
Now you're ready to start training exercises with the dog to develop and maintain the dog-cat relationship. Practice sit-stays with your dog when the cat is present and reward them regularly with treats.
Moving from Introduction to Happy Relationship
Above all, be patient. Happy dog and cat relationships are more successful when the introduction process is gentle and gradual.
Use baby gates, cat doors, and high places the cat can access but the dog cannot. Have a dog-free room where the cat can regroup in peace. This will allow the cat to decide when to enter ‘dog territory.’ Make sure food, water, and litter are accessible in this area.
Stress is one of the most common reasons a cat breaks litter box training, so it pays to think about how to minimize it throughout the process. Never force the cat to be close to the dog by holding, caging, or otherwise restricting the cat--this is extremely stressful for cats. Keeping dogs out of the cat's feeding and litter box areas will also set them up to have a happier relationship.
If you’re still not seeing a positive relationship develop over time between the cat and the dog, consider contacting a professional behavior consultant.
If you are caring for a St. Hubert’s foster animal, please contact the foster team for resources and assistance from our behavior department. If you have immediate safety concerns about the dog and cat co-habiting, you’re welcome to return your foster to our Madison shelter at any time.
Dog to Dog Introductions
Patience is key to successfully introduce a new dog to your resident dog. Don't rush things. Proper initial introductions will create an environment for the dogs to develop a good relationship over time.
Before You Get in the House
Arrange an on-leash meeting on neutral ground. This initial meeting should not be in your house or yard and the location should be large enough for each dog to have plenty of space. If the dogs seem calm, keep the leashes loose and let the dogs approach each other calmly. After a 2-second greet-and-sniff, call each dog away with a cheerful voice. Praise and treat the dogs.
You can also start with a short walk with both dogs, rather than letting them approach each other immediately. This is a good option for dogs that aren't relaxed around each other. Begin the walk on separate sides of the street. As the dogs relax, gradually move closer together until they walk side by side.
In the Yard
If possible, allow playtime in the yard. For safety, have the dogs drag their leashes until you are sure they get along well. Should a fight break out, use noise (your voice, clanging or banging pans) to stop it. If that doesn’t work, use the leashes to separate the dogs. Never reach in between two fighting dogs.
In the House
Allow the new dog to enter the house before the resident dog. The first time the dogs are inside the house together, keep them on leash and keep the introduction brief, around 5 minutes. Then confine the newcomer to a comfortable space like a spare room, crate, or a dog-proofed, enclosed area where the dog can start to get used to the new home away from the attention of other family pets.
Over the next day or two, repeat the brief introductions. Keep them to 5-10 minutes and keep the dogs on leash. If a squabble breaks out, leashes make it easy to pull the dogs apart.
Make the time the dogs spend together as pleasant for them as possible. Reward friendly and playful behavior with food treats, praise, and toys. Don’t be tempted to try longer periods of time if the early introductions go well. Slowly work your way to longer and longer periods of dog-dog time. Every now and then, confine your other dog (and any other pets) and let the newcomer explore the house alone.
Training Tip: Never punish your dogs for acting grouchy or fearful with each other; that can make things worse. Just calmly separate them and try again later. With this approach, your new dog should be fully accepted as a family member within a week or two.
To be absolutely safe, separate your dogs with a double barrier (like in a crate behind a closed door) when you are not at home to supervise. If the dogs are still not getting along, consider working with a professional behavior consultant.
If the dogs aren't getting along and you are caring for a St.Hubert’s foster animal, please contact the foster team for resources and assistance from our behavior department. If you have immediate safety concerns about the dogs co-habiting you’re welcome to return your foster animal at any time.
Cat to Cat Introductions
First impressions are very important for cat-to-cat introductions. It is crucial to be patient and go very slow when introducing a new cat to your feline household. Successful introductions can take several days to several months –your cats will determine the pace. Although some cats may be instant friends, it is better to err on the side of caution and go slow. Below are some tips to help you introduce new cats successfully.
Pre-Arrival Preparations
Preventing problems is easier than solving them. Preparing ahead of time for the new arrival can help create an atmosphere that is safe and relaxed for everyone. Studies show that cats must respond to environmental changes before responding socially. Therefore, creating a positive environment from day one is vital.
Before bringing a new feline into the home select a room where you can completely isolate the newcomer. This cat “sanctuary” should include a litterbox, food bowl, water and a bed or box with comfortable bedding where the new cat can hide. Make sure this room is well-ventilated and has been cat-proofed. It is helpful to have a baby gate set up at this doorway to aid in preventing any unplanned entrances or exits to and from the room. It is also helpful to treat the area around the doorway with Feliway, a synthetic pheromone that may help calm the cats, or plug a Feliway diffuser in an electrical outlet in and/or near the room.
It may be helpful to confine your resident cat before bringing the new cat into the house to prevent any unscheduled greetings. When you arrive home, take the new cat directly to the cat sanctuary room. After closing the door, open the carrier and allow the new cat to begin investigating the room. It is best not to try to interact with the new cat at this point since they will probably be occupied with investigating the new surroundings. However, you may gently place the new cat in the litterbox before exiting the room.
When you leave the room, be careful to prevent the new cat from escaping and take the cat carrier with you. Place the carrier outside the room with the carrier door open. You may now allow your resident cat out the area where they are confined. Allow the resident cat to investigate the carrier at their own pace. Watch the resident cat’s reaction. Your cat may hiss, attack the carrier, stalk it, growl at it, or sniff it in a curious, relaxed or excited manner. This may happen once or on several occasions. You can provide treats and/or play around the carrier to help foster a positive relationship with the new scent in the carrier.
Visit the new cat several times daily. For the first few days, wash your hands after each visit to help prevent the spread of any contagious conditions that may have been undetected before arriving at your home.
Building the Bridge One Step at a Time
It is important to observe all cats for stress signs during the process. Often cats will hiss, spit, growl, swat, etc. at the beginning of each step of the introduction process. You may also observe other stress signs such as eating quickly then vomiting, excessive grooming/sleeping/drinking, spraying or other inappropriate elimination, mewing or hiding. Make sure that all stress signs have disappeared for at least 48 hours before moving onto the next step. Each cat should be relaxed, calm and happy before moving on.
It is absolutely critical that you allow your cats to determine the pace of the introduction process. Any aggressive or negative reactions can set you back to Step 1; so be patient and go slow. If a problem develops, back up to the last successful step and move forward carefully. Do not punish either cat as this could lead the cat to associate negative experiences with the other cat’s presence. In fact, you may want to provide food, treats and playtime only when in the other cat’s presence.
Step 1
Begin first with scent. Rub a small towel over each cat before feeding time. All feeding should now occur on opposite sides of the closed door to the new cat’s room. Start at a distance where the cats show little to no stress signs. Place your resident cat’s towel under the new cat’s food bowl. Place the new cat’s towel under your resident cat’s food bowl on the other side of the closed door. Inches at a time, and only when stress signs are gone, move the food bowls closer to the closed door. This allows them to learn about each other through scent while creating a positive association between the other cat’s scent and the appearance of food. Once they are both eating within inches of the door and ALL stress signs are gone, you may move onto Step 2.
Step 2
Carefully switch living areas for short periods of time. Without allowing the cats to see each other, place your resident cat in the new cat’s room and close the door while you allow the new cat to investigate the rest of the house. This allows the new cat to learn about the rest of the environment before a meeting occurs. Your resident cat can learn more about the new cat by investigating that room. Do this several times daily until the new cat appears comfortable and confident in the rest of the house and your resident cat is comfortable in the new cat’s space. Several short visits are better than one or two long ones. Once ALL stress signs are gone, you may move onto Step 3.
Step 3
Allow the cats to have partial visual contact. While providing direct supervision, slightly prop the door open and secure it so that the cats can see each other, but are unable to have full body contact. They may be able to touch noses or paw at each other. Feed the cats on opposite sides of this propped door. Stress signs such as swatting, hissing or spitting may occur at this step. Again, several short visits are better than one or two long ones. Try to end the session on a positive note when the cats are more relaxed than at the beginning of the interaction. Once ALL stress signs are gone, you may move onto Step 4.
Step 4
Allow the cats to have full visual contact. It is very important to maintain safety at this step. You may want to use baby gates or ex-pens to prevent any negative physical interactions between the cats. With both cats safely behind a barrier, feed the cats at a distance where both cats show little to no stress signs. Several short, positive interactions are better than one or two long ones. Inches at a time and only when stress signs are gone, move the food bowls closer together. If you are using crates and both cats are comfortably eating within a few feet of each other you may place one cat in the crate and allow the other cat to roam the house freely. While switching which cat is in the crate, do this several times daily. Once they are eating within a few feet of each other and ALL stress signs are gone you may move onto Step 5.
Step 5
Finally, you can try allowing both cats to freely roam the household. Before starting this step it is a good idea to clip both cats’ nails. If your cat is front declawed, make sure you clip the back nails. You should have one more litterbox than you have cats in your home. Place them in at least two locations to help prevent one cat from ambushing the other in the litterbox. It is also a good idea to pick separate feeding areas (they can be in the same room) and provide separate food bowls. This can prevent competition and help maintain the relationship you have worked so hard to build.
While providing direct supervision, open the door to allow the new cat to emerge from the sanctuary room. Do not force the cats toward each other and allow them to approach at their own pace. As long as there is no physical fighting, allow the interaction to continue. Short visits increasing in length are best. When you are not able to provide direct supervision, place the new cat back into the sanctuary room to prevent any injuries as a result of negative interactions.
Once you are certain that both cats are comfortable being in the house together, you may begin allowing them more and more time free in the house together until they are eventually out together 24 hours per day.
What if a Fight Occurs?
Fighting is a sign that you have moved too quickly through the introduction process. You may need to start over at Step 1 (or at the last successful step) and begin the introduction process again.
The first rule is to keep your hands out of any scuffle. If you must intervene, throw a large, thick blanket over the cats during the fight. Pick one cat up in the blanket and put him or her behind a closed door to allow both cats time to calm down. You may also make a loud noise to distract the cats from each other. While distracted, you may use a thick towel to pick one of them up and place in a room.
Often the encounter sounds worse than it turns out to be. Examine each cat for physical damage after they have been separated and had a chance to calm down. If you find any bites or scratches watch them closely as they can become infected and abscess.
Cats Who Still Don’t Get Along
At times medication can help ease the tension enough to allow for the introduction process to continue. A feline behavior specialist along with your vet can help determine the appropriate medication for your situation. Medicating difficult cats during the introduction process can help take the edge off and allow the introduction process to proceed. After completing the introduction process you may be able to wean the cat off the medication. Occasionally, stress signs and hostile relationships return when the cat no longer is taking the medication. Long-term medication (possibly life-long) may be required for them to live peacefully.
Despite all of your best efforts, some cats will not live peacefully with other felines. Each cat has a unique personality and cannot be expected to get along with every other cat. You may need to keep the cats separated at all times.
If the cats are still not getting along after following the steps above, it might be a good idea to contact a professional behavior consultant to evaluate the relationship between the cats and help troubleshoot the issues you are experiencing in your home. The longer a problem exists, the more difficult it is to resolve, so don’t wait too long before deciding to get help. Please contact our foster team for resources and assistance from our behavior department.
