According to Vicki Brown, “Dogs believe every stranger is a friend they haven’t met yet. Cats wait for a proper invitation.” People who have owned both may recognize that there’s some truth in that. Dogs and cats tend to be very different creatures. So when you try to combine them into one household, it can be a little complicated.
Some friends of mine know all about that. He had two adult housecats, while she had a large dog that also lived inside. He and she were getting married, and so the problem was how to bring these animals together into one happy pet family. My friends made two decisions that they hoped would make that easier.
First, they moved to a new home, a place where none of the animals had lived before. That way, no strong territorial attitudes had been built up.
Second, they swapped pets before the wedding. That’s right, she moved to the new house with his cats, while he took care of her dog for a couple of weeks. That allowed the pets a chance to bond with the other human. It also gave the cats time to become familiar with their new home before they had to share it with a large dog.
Other tips for introducing adult dogs and cats include not allowing the dog to approach the cat – even a friendly sniff may frighten the cat. Keep the dog on a leash at first, so you can quickly gain control of a situation before it goes too far. And keep them separated when you’re not at home. With some patience and understanding, dogs and cats can learn to live together peacefully.
My friends also thought far enough ahead that when they arranged the furniture, they set up spaces for their furry friends to escape for a while if the situation became overwhelming.
So how are they doing? Their plans worked beautifully, and all the two-footed and four-footed family members are getting along just great. I love a happy ending, especially when I’m speaking of pets!
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