Howdo I help my cat deal with a new dog
J.D
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Monday, 9th of August 2010 05:34:36 AM
So l am getting a new dog tomorrow and l know my cat will flip out.How long J.D do you think it will take her to settle down and what should l do for her Registered User to make her less afraid?l do not want her to feel less loved by us Joined: Friday, 28th of May 2010, 20:24:20 bringing in a new pet.
Also, l was told that the dog does not keep Posts: 1502 his collar on.How can l get him to do so?
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Olive
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Tuesday, 10th of August 2010 03:08:32 AM
First of all, you are doing the right thing by preparing for Olive the cat is acceptance of the dog BEFORE getting the dog. Good for you. Registered User It is very important that you do not make the cat feel less important than Joined: Wednesday, 2nd of June 2010, 06:11:35 she is. First of all, give her a safe haven from the dog. Don't allow the Posts: 1714 dog to go there, at least at first. Maybe later, but not for the first Viewed 4910 times week. It doesn't have to be a large place. Even a closet, if that is all
you have. Leave her food where it is & give her a second, special feeding
station that the dog cannot get to, even if you hate the idea of cats on
the counter tops, deal with it. After she knows where her special feeding
& watering place is & she knows that the dog is not allowed to have her
'old' food, let her see you take her old food & put it next to her new,
special SAFE FROM THE DOG feeding station. I have my cat is food & water
in my upstairs bathroom & dogs are not allowed upstairs in my house (I am
a service dog trainer & have different dogs in my house at various times -
my cat HATES dogs). Second, make sure that the cat can have undisturbed
privacy in her litter box. If you have to give her a second box at first
& then move the one she is used to, do that. I have my cat is box turned
toward the wall so she has to jump on top & then down to enter the cave
where she has complete privacy. And if a dog ever DOES come upstairs, he
will not have access to the kitty nut logs that so many dogs are fond of.
If you can not allow the dog into her favorite place in the house that
would be best (like my cat 'owns' the upstairs & only comes down when she
wants to. We also have 3 flighted parrots & she refuses to come
downstairs until they are in thier cages. However, if they fly upstairs,
she is another animal altogether & you can tell that is HER territory).
If ur cat runs from the dog, don't allow the dog to chase her (duh) but if
she stands up to the dog & does the furry chainsaw thing, DO allow that.
They will settle in on their own time. You don't have to worry that one
might harm the other. What you will have to be concerned about is ur cat
showing her displeasure by soiling inappropriately. That is why it is
imperative that you offer her safe, private feeding stations & cat boxes
that the dog cannot get to. Even though my cat hates dogs, she has always
been able to deal with them on her own terms & teach them the manners she
finds acceptable. And I tend to have herding breeds most often. At one
time, I had three Border Collies & a Corgi in a one bedroom, one floor
apartment. Racheal was the master of her universe & the dogs only had to
be told one time (by Racheal of course) not to mess with the cat. If ur
cat is timid & wants to creep away from the dog, give her attention when
she makes herself available for it. It will be fine. Don't worry that
the dog might be jealous of the attention you give to the cat. The cat is
the important one in this instance. Let the cat see you leave the dog to
give it attention, even if she turns away from you when you approach her.
It will help her feel important & more loved than the dog. The dog will
feel fine & will find his way regardless of how you love the cat.
One more note on the fact that Racheal knows that the upstairs belongs to
her: my office is upstairs too. If I am in my office & everything is
quiet, sometimes I hear a little vibration coming from in front of the
bathroom door. I will know that it is Racheal growling. If I lean back
just so in my chair I can often see the top of a head & a pair of black
eyes peeking over the top stair. All the dogs know that Heaven is at the
top of the stairs & they want so BAD to be admitted! But Racheal is the
Devil & they have to go through Hell to get to Heaven.
Your dog not keeping his collar on: get him a simple buckle collar that
fits with two or three fingers between the neck & collar. Do not leave a
'choke' collar on him all the time. That is correctly referred to as a
'training' collar & should be used with you at the other end of a leash.
A properly fitting collar is really difficult for a dog to take off unless
it is attached to a leash. If he has been tied out & the dog backed out of
his collar when tied, then the answer is that he should be walked & not
tied. I have never been a fan of tying a pet out anyway. There isn't
really enough information to anwer ur question on the collar thing - for
me at least. Maybe someone else has more insight.
BABY CHEEKS
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Wednesday, 11th of August 2010 01:59:53 AM
I suggest getting a crate for the dog, keep him in it & let ur BABY CHEEKS cat examine him as she likes i think this approach will tell ur cat its Registered User still her territory. Joined: Wednesday, 5th of May 2010, 08:38:26 Posts: 142 After a while, a few hours or so, give the dog a whole room(with a baby Viewed 14021 times gate if you can) then expand again. Like put the baby gate at the front of
a hallway so the dog has a few rooms, & so on until they are both in the
whole house.
As for his collar, most people put a dog collar on too loose & all the dog
has to do is scratch his neck & it falls off. When you put his collar on
you should comfortably be able to slip 2 fingers in the collar. If the dog
is unbuckling his collar(which Ive seen) try a harness. If you are still
worried get him microchipped. That way if he ever gets away any vet or
shelter can scan him & call you to get him back.
Peaches
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Thursday, 12th of August 2010 10:28:39 PM
Well, what I would do is put the cat in a seperate room and let Peaches them get used to each others scents from the little crack under the door. Registered User But, that is only if you insist on getting a dog. It might be a little Joined: Tuesday, 1st of June 2010, 10:28:31 easier if you get another cat, but that is your decision. Hope I helped Posts: 855 out! Viewed 3147 times
Curious Cookie
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Friday, 13th of August 2010 09:47:52 AM
Well, should you even get a dog if your cat will flip out? Curious Cookie Maybe you could just get another cat instead if a dog. Registered User Joined: Sunday, 25th of April 2010, 00:47:53 Posts: 1385 Viewed 14713 times
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