Pets
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Nervous about new dogs meeting cat
in Pets
Hi guys, this is my first post on this board.
Long story short, DH and I are inheriting two fully grown dogs in a couple months. One is a 2 year old Lab / German Shepherd mix, the other is a 4 year old Lab / Akita mix. We currently have one very skittish and often grumpy cat. I've been reading up on how to introduce a resident cat to a new dog, but I'm just afraid that having two huge dogs invading his house all at once will be too much for the little guy, especially since he's never really been around dogs before.
I would really appreciate any tips/advice. TIA.
Re: Nervous about new dogs meeting cat
It's a possibility but it might stress him out more. The dogs live about an hour and a half drive away right now so it'd be tough to get them to meet without submitting someone to a long and stressful car ride.
The dogs will have their own bedroom in the house and I'm thinking that our bedroom with be kitty's area. Our bedroom contains kitty's favorite sleeping spots and it connects to the bathroom where his litter box is, which also connects to the hall bathroom... I was considering purchasing a pet gate with a cat door in it and placing it in the hall, so the dogs will not have access to the bathrooms but the cat will be able to go through the gate and into his bathroom / access our bedroom.
I can just foresee him running at first sight of the dogs and hiding under our bed for a month...
It would help if you kept the dogs on leashes in the house for a few days or so, at least, or until the cat has gotten used to their presence and the dogs won't up and chase or annoy the cat. If you can, get some of the dog's bedding items before you bring them over, and leave them around the cat's area for him to sniff and get used to the scent. Don't force the dogs on the cat or vice versa. Make sure he has a place up high (bed, cat tree, whatever) that he can get to and be safe from the dogs. Baby/pet gates are a good idea, too. Perhaps a water bottle to squirt the dogs if they pester the cat after you take them off the leashes.
Good luck!
our 12-year old cat, james, is still adjusting to our new pup, and we've had him a month now. james is very much an alpha cat, and has been shamelessly indulged his entire life, so he is being a bit curmudgeonly that he doesn't get ALL the attention now, but it is getting way, way better.
the things that helped are: 1) having kitty-only areas (one that contains his almighty litter box). 2) not letting the dog on the bed, so that bedtime and mornings are unmitigated kitty snuggle time. 3) crate training the dog. 4) time. the first few days were super tense. even the first two weeks, i'd say. we went on vacation last week, and had a petsitter staying at the house, and....well, it seems like something just clicked. we came home from vacation, and the dog isn't trying to go in the kitty zones, and the cats aren't approaching the dog with raised hackles anymore.
and....i'm sitting here with a purring cat on the desk, a purring cat on my lap, and a snoring, farting dog at my feet. life, at its finest! ;-)
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