Content
- Respect the organization of each species
- introduce the animals
- Start living together from the first stage
- Feed them in separate zones
- toys for everyone
It is possible that dogs and cats live in harmony even though they are different species of very different nature. A peaceful relationship between the animals in the house is very important as it allows you to enjoy your animals without any worries.
Find out in this article by PeritoAnimal these 5 tips for coexistence between cats and dogs to start enjoying a harmonious coexistence in your home.
Respect the organization of each species
Dogs organize their pack society through a hierarchy where there is only one dominant animal. Cats, on the other hand, are solitary animals that simply defend their territory. This difference can trigger some conflicts.
From this we can deduce that we must respect the dog's hierarchy, in which it will be the dominant animal in relation to the cat, but we must also respect and facilitate the cat's territoriality, giving it its own space that cannot be invaded by the dog.
introduce the animals
It doesn't matter if the new animal is the cat or the dog, the animal that already resides in our house must know it, and it takes precedence over the new "tenant".
It's a very important moment, and you should try to avoid over-excitation so that both of you can be calm. For this reason, we recommend that the resident of your house, before meeting the new animal, has eaten, drunk and is tired after a walk or a play session. In this way we are reducing the hunting instinct.
What should we do to introduce both animals?
- Do not take the cat in your arms, it may scratch, and we also recommend that you cut your nails so that you cannot injure the dog if the encounter goes less well.
- Tie both animals with a leash, in this way we avoid that both one and the other can get hurt.
- bring them together little by little without forcing their union. respect their looks, let them sniff each other and observe their behavior.
- If the behavior is correct and both animals are calm, let them interact and go rewarding both with treats for animals.
- If on the contrary the behavior is aggressive, that is, if the dog wants to chase the cat or the cat tries to scratch the dog it must say Not firmly. Separate both animals into different rooms without removing the strap from either of them and repeat the process until both animals are relaxed in the same room.
How do I get both pets to relax?
If the encounter was very negative and both animals are restless and nervous about each other's presence you should work with both. Ask a family member or friend for help in this conciliation process.
Choose a large and spacious room or room if possible and move the beds of both animals, cat and dog together. Leave the doors open so they don't feel anxious about being closed and with the help of another person relax both animals. Some tricks are to exercise with the dog while your family member plays with the cat, for example.
Work home one of the pets and try to distract them and make them feel comfortable, you can put on soft music to create an atmosphere while you caress them. Try to bring them together again and again until the behavior is one of contempt or respect. If this behavior is not possible, keep the dog and cat in different rooms for a while, doing this work in the same space so that they get used to each other's presence, smell, etc. If the job is too complicated for you or the results are too bad, go to a professional.
Start living together from the first stage
The coexistence between dog and cat does not necessarily have to be bad, quite the opposite. Motivate your two pets to learn tricks and orders, just as you should. reward whenever they do something correctly.
must take care of education with positive reinforcement from the first day of coexistence, remember that man and the domestication process made it possible for these two animals, which can be aggressive in nature, to live in peace and harmony. Work domestication together with their education. Make your home a happy home for both of you.
Feed them in separate zones
We can't forget that both dogs and cats are predatory animals, this indicates that it is very easy to start a dispute for food that can end with a bite or a scratch, to avoid any incident it is necessary that each animal eats in a different space and separate from the other animal. With time and if you win friendship you won't need to separate them.
Nor should they allow one to eat the other's food, make them respect each other, whether there is food in between or not, at least in their presence they should respect each other.
toys for everyone
Although it may seem like obvious advice, it is important to reinforce this statement, as this advice is more useful than you might think. Jealousy and the desire to have a toy can make a dog-cat relationship much worse.
Dogs have a social nature and cats tend to have a more active predatory instinct. These very different behaviors can be alleviated through the use of toys that channel the hunting instinct in cats, thus avoiding predatory behavior, it will externalize its nature in a harmless way.
On the other hand, the dog will find in the toy an object that belongs to him, something that will make the dog feel safe and at home.
Give each of them several toys of different colors, shapes, and some may even make noise. Both the dog and the cat will thank you and you are also giving them a distraction for when you're not there.
