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How Do We Make Our Dog Friends With A Cat?

Actionable advice only.

By Bryan StormyweatherPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
How Do We Make Our Dog Friends With A Cat?
Photo by sarandy westfall on Unsplash

Surprisingly, unless it's a Rambo put on the slaughterhouse, the puppy is the most vulnerable in many cases when it comes to a first interaction with the cat.

Not the other way around, but he can quickly get a few claws over his face! God forbid that the beast reaches the meow and the eyes so that then the enemy can climb on the highest closet in the house and look defiantly from there, planning his next attack!

On the other hand, when the dog gets upset and catches it, its large fangs can cause deep wounds. And we're not talking about soul injuries.

How do we still befriend a dog with a cat? Even if the friendship between dog and cat seems an impossible mission, they are, by their nature, mortal enemies, there are a lot of tactics through which you can make these enemies tolerate and even end up sharing the same house happily. Learn more about how to befriend a dog and a cat in the following!

How do we make a dog friendly with a cat?

The behavior of dogs that have not interacted with cats

A dog that has never interacted with a cat can react in two ways when it first meets the cat:

Through play

When dogs and cats are puppies, their first interaction is play, with the dog treating the cat-like another smaller dog and trying to play with it. If both the cat and the dog are small, a long-term friendship will be forged between them.

If the dog is a large one and the cat is an adult, play can become quite problematic, especially since cats do not play as aggressively as dogs do. This is also the reason why playing between a dog and a cat should be watched closely, because playful dogs do not react to a cat's signals and can easily get hurt each other, even in play.

By attack

Most of the time, dogs see prey in cats. If the cat runs away, the dog will perceive the cat's movements like those of prey, starting to follow it with the desire to catch it and kill it.

On the other hand, cats will perceive dogs as predators and will either try to run away or become aggressive. These are the kind of times when a few techniques on how to befriend a dog with a cat would help you quite a bit!

The behavior of cats that have not interacted with dogs

Cats that have never interacted with a dog can react in two ways when they first meet a dog:

By avoidance

Usually, cats that have never interacted with a dog will accept an intruder-like dog. Having a distrustful character, these quadrupeds will follow the dog's movements from a distance and will slowly approach, researcher.

Through defensive behavior

Many cats do not readily accept a new member of the family, especially since it is a dog. They consider the dog an intruder who wants to occupy its territory and, as they are not used to socializing, like dogs, they do not want to divide their territory in peace, becoming defensive and showing their claws. That is why we will show you how we make a cat befriend a dog!

First of all, we must take into account the personality of the animals. Are they territorial? Are they nervous? Are they smarter? Is it easy to stress? Are they curious? That way, you make a plan, see who the "victim" might be, and create a safe space for him. It doesn't mean any complex psychological analysis, but just a "well, mine is crazy, it gets stuck in yours, let's keep it on a leash!".

The accommodation period lays the groundwork for how we make a dog and a cat friendly

Dogs and cats need a period of accommodation. The best way is to see, smell and not touch. If the cat is not suicidal, as long as it is tall, makes eye contact with the puppy, and does not intersect at the same level, that's fine.

A sturdy mesh door would be good, but who has such a thing at home? And through a normal door, it's ok, separate them at first in different rooms and let them talk through the door, like a domestic quarrel. Putting one of them in a cage and interacting with it is also a good idea, but only if he is used to it and doesn't stress it out more.

Prepare the quadrupeds before the big meeting

Because the first impression matters a lot to cats, meeting the dog should be a relaxing one for her. Try, as much as possible, to train the cat to be attentive to your gestures, always rewarding her with cat food. After a few tries, the cat will learn to respond when it is shouted, as you give it snacks.

Before the big date, you can do something else: let them smell each other's toys or other objects they came in contact with (for example, your favorite coat they like to leave their hair). Also, be careful that they do not quarrel over food. It is good that before the meeting they are both fed, happy, and do not have their breasts around, on which to fight. No envelopes or rewards!

The first interactions are important for the way we make a dog friendly with a cat

How do we make a cat befriend a dog? From the beginning! Do not leave them alone in any form at the first interactions; you don't know what's going on. It's also good not to be alone either; two or three people separate two nervous animals better than one and panic.

We also suggest that you keep the dog on a leash during the first few meetings. You can leave the leash wide to watch the dog's movements, but firmly enough to stop the dog if it decides to hunt the cat. If you notice this tendency of the dog to be slightly aggressive, use controls. If the quadruped responds to the command, then reward him with dog rewards.

On the other hand, if the cat pulls out its claws and becomes aggressive, shout at it to distract it. If she responds, give her cat rewards and avoid scolding the dog. It is important to have a positive atmosphere from the first meetings so that both pets associate the other with pleasant events. You will see how simple it becomes to befriend a dog with a cat!

Give them both unconditional love

Jealousy is not good either! Don't pay more attention to one or the other if you know that one of them has problems with possessiveness. We understand, we've all been through this! So if you want the friendship between the dog and the cat to take place, these animals need to feel and see the same evidence of affection. The way we make friends with the cat and the dog made it a lot easier for us!

If you often ask yourself the question "how do we make a dog and a cat friendly", we hope we have been able to answer you and give you some of the best suggestions. You will see that, in the shortest time, the two quadrupeds will form the closest and most beautiful friendship. Don't say I didn't warn you when you see the cat greedily enjoying wet dog food right from its bowl! And with him!

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Bryan Stormyweather

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