How to Get Your Cats to Accept a New Puppy

Introducing a new puppy into a house where there are cats is a potentially risky situation for all animals involved. Though the degree of risk does depend on the breed of the dog, the age of the cats and other factors, you should always exercise caution in these cases to avoid harming your pets either emotionally or physically. Your cats can learn to accept a new puppy, and they can even become good friends under the right circumstances. The key is not to force a relationship between your cats and the new puppy and observe the animals for signs of aggression. Do not rush into things and always allow plenty of time for the animals to become comfortable with one another.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog crate
  • Leash
Show More

Instructions

  1. Instructions

    • 1

      Introduce your new puppy and existing cats to each other under heavy supervision and control. Keep your puppy in a crate or on a leash whenever it is in the same room as the cats. This will teach the puppy that the house is a controlled environment in which it cannot just run wild chasing everything that moves, including the cats. The cats will feel safe knowing that you, the master, are there to control the dog and protect them from harm. This period may take anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

    • 2

      Observe your pets interacting with each other. Perhaps the cats ignore the dog but the dog gets excited around them. Or maybe the dog is the submissive one in the relationship. Whatever the case may be, always supervise the animals interacting until you are 100% confident that they can co-exist peacefully.

    • 3

      Correct your dog if it chases or pesters the cats. In most cases, a stern ̶0;no!̶1; is sufficient to train the dog, though the animal may not learn that easily. Correct the cats if they are pestering the dog or egging it on. Teach all your pets that you are the one in charge and that you will not tolerate fighting.

    • 4

      Provide adequate escape routes for your cats (i.e. their own crates, high perches, etc.) so they can avoid the puppy if it decides to chase them. Cats are generally good at avoiding dogs and will do so if they feel at all threatened.

    • 5

      Designate specific areas of the house or property that are ̶0;cat only̶1; areas and ̶0;dog only̶1; areas. This will allow the animals to enjoy a safe haven if they ever feel threatened by the other.