introducing puppy to the cat?

[Bug]

anyone have any thoughts on how to introduce puppy when she comes home to our cat? i would really like them to get along well. i know my cat is afraid of barking dogs because i watched a youtube video with a barking puppy and my cat woke up and became very alert looking around making sure he was safe. it would be nice if somehow my cat and the puppy can get along. i love all the photos around doodle kisses with labradoodles and cats sleeping together.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I have done this a couple of times already so I hope this will be helpful.  The first time they both meet should be a 'safe' episode so have the puppy in the crate where the cat will get used to the puppy and vice versa with no possibility of a chase.  Cats can usually get high up and will observe from there.  The Crate or puppy play pen is the best place for your puppy until he gets used to the cat as part of the family.  Everything will be new to the puppy and the Cat will just be a part of that learning process.  When you do have the Puppy out of the Crate keep a long lead on so you are always able to control that urge to chase (if it is there at all).  Main rule is safety for both and a high perch for your Cat where he can watch and be safe while the puppy gets used to all of you. You will find that they will get used to each other even though in the beginning the Cat will be none too happy and they may indeed become friends in time.  I hope that addresses your fears and that it will all work out well.

[Kate]

I didn't know that opposite sexes help. That's great news as I'm really hoping for a little boy puppy and my cat is a girl.

[Jenny & Henry]

I brought my puppy home a little over a week ago and I have an indoor 11 year old cat.  Very calm and lazy.  He is still not happy about this puppy.  He will sleep in our room again now, but it took like 4 nights and the past two nights he slept in my daughters room.  The puppy is in a crate on a my side of the bed next to the wall (more narrow space).  You can't even see the crate when you enter the room.  He will also let me pet him, cautiously, if I am holding the puppy.  He still don't want nothing to do with the pup itself.  The puppy is constantly checking him out and wagging his tail like he wants to play, which obviously my cat won't do.  So, I don't think I'll be sharing cute cuddly dog/cat pics sleeping together but it seems promising with some more time they will coexist. 

[Kate]

I'm also really worried that my puppy (that won't come home until Sept at the earliest) and my 17-year old cat won't get along. My cat is a little skittish with new people and things, but she follows me around and wants lots of lap time when I'm home. I definitely have many moments when I feel like I'm a terrible person for bringing a puppy home. So, as much as I want this puppy (a lot!), I feel very conflicted.

Anyway, I guess I don't have any great solution for you. Just letting you know that you're not alone. And I think the advice already given is really good and validates everything I've read about dog-cat introductions. I'm definitely going to set things up ahead of time so my cat can get used to the new stuff and how it smells. She seems to take a while to get used to anything new.

Please come back and let us know how it goes. Best of luck to all involved!

[Bug]

i think between my cat and my son i will just keep my puppy on a leash near me pretty much all the time. make it so she never gets a chance to chase cat and also keep her from mouthing son and learning to bite.

 

we just moved to a new house so my cat gets only a week to claim the house as his but this house has a funny room upstairs that i think was maybe meant as a child's play room or something and is in the office. the play room has windows to look into the office and the windows have a wide space suitable for a cat to lay on. we decided the play room will be kitties sanctuary. puppy can't be int he office anyway. we are just going to keep puppy downstairs. so hopefully that will help a lot.

 

my puppy comes home next saterday!

[Bug]

i thought i would post a little update. at first our cat echo tried to attack the puppy even when the puppy was in playpen cat tried to attack through the bars. that was scary and i had not really expected that especially since she wasn't even aware the cat was in the room yet. was first time they where in same room and she was facing away busy doing her when thing and before we had a chance to stop it cat ran up to playpen. so we kept them separate longer and then introduced them very very carfully and slowly and fairly quickly they got the the point of laying near each other and tolerating each otehr well. puppy has never tried to chase the cat or my son in fact only persons he chases is me and only when i want her to play chase and ask her to do so and for that i had to teach her how. the trainer suspects that echo and puppy zeb will eventually play together and be friends. i think echo needs to relax more for that to happen but i think it may happen. echo is one of the cuddliest cat's i have ever met and i am pretty sure puppy would if echo was nice enough to her tolorate echo sleeping very near her and that they could be friends. i guess that will depend on echo. trainer is very impressed with both zeb and echo. they got off to a start that left me anxious but now they are doing better and better each day.