Dogs and cats are not sworn enemies; they may actually live together without any problems. There are a few rules that should be respected so that the cats and dogs can peacefully coexist and if you have a household with cats and dogs you should be aware of these.
Getting the Cat and Dog at the Same Time
If you get the cat and the dog at the same time and they are young, they can easily adapt to living together and you won’t experience any fights or difficulties with your pets. They may even become good friends or in the worst case scenario learn to tolerate one another.
However, you will need to provide a space for each pet, so that they feel comfortable and have a private space. You should also make sure each of the pets get enough food, as it may happen that one of the pets will attempt to steal the food from the other. Dogs may eat cat food and vice versa.
Introducing a New Pet to the Old Pet
When you have a dog or a cat that has been used to being the master of the domain, getting a new pet is not always a pleasant event for the one who has been around. For this reason you will need to make sure that you introduce the new pet gradually, so there won’t be fights and the pets will get used to one another.
When a new pet is brought to the house, the pet should be kept isolated and allowed to meet with the old pet just a few minutes per day and you should keep an eye on them at all times. Both pets may feel frightened at first, and they may become aggressive.
If you notice that your pets don’t get along, you should immediately isolate the new pet and try the socialization game later.
As the pets get acquainted, you may increase their time spent together, but do this gradually. In this manner, both pets will feel comfortable. The old pet won’t feel threatened by the new one and the new pet won’t tend to be aggressive. Don’t leave the pets unsupervised until you are confident they are 100% comfortable with each other. Otherwise they may bite or scratch each other.
Typically, dogs are more likely to accept a new cat. Some cats may never accept a new dog and will always be hostile towards the dog. This situation cannot be helped and you may experience some altercations once in a while.
Your Behavior and New Pets
In order not to make the old pet jealous, you should not show more affection towards the new pet, even if the new pet is a puppy or a kitten. The old pet may feel neglected and may develop an adversity towards the new pet.
You should include both pets when you initiate games and give each pet a task to perform, so that they feel engaged.
Praise both pets and if your cat looks jealous, make sure to praise your dog when the cat is not around.