8 Techniques & Tricks to Help Your Cat and also Pet to Get Along
At the point when people aren't talking about whether felines or pooches are gradually smart, they're contrasting them as temporal enemies. That is a generalization that both feline master Jackson Galaxy, host of the Pet World show My Pet cat From Hell, as well as assured dog instructor Zoe Sandor require to break.
Typically, felines are booked and properly frightened, while canines are gregarious as well as regional. This does not suggest, in any case, that they can not have a comparable space they're merely mosting likely to require your help. "On the occasion that felines and also dogs are elevated with each other in a positive, valuing, empowering problem, they will be friends," Galaxy reveals to Psychological Floss. "Or then once more, anyway, they'll endure one another."
Both have actually collaborated to have an additional Pet World setup, Feline versus Pooch, which shows on Saturdays at 10 p.m. The program stories their endeavors to help pet owners set up dependable harmony-- if not remarkable contract-- among felines and also pooches. (Certainly, it's possible.) Gleaned from both TV and also off-camera encounters, here are 8 hints Galaxy and also Sandor state will certainly assist improve family relationships amongst Dog as well as Fluffy.
1. TAKE PERSONALITY - NOT BREED - INTO ACCOUNT.
Contrary to popular belief, certain breeds of cats and dogs don't typically get along better than others. According to Galaxy and Sandor, it’s more important to take their personalities and energy levels into account. If a dog is aggressive and territorial, it won’t be a good fit in a household with a skittish cat. In contrast, an aging dog would hate sharing his space with a rambunctious kitten.
If two animals don’t end up being a personality match, have a backup plan, or consider setting up a household arrangement that keeps them separated for the long term. And if you’re adopting a pet, do your homework and ask its previous owners or shelter if it’s lived with other animals before, or gets along with them.
2. TRAIN YOUR DOG.
To set your dog up for success with cats, teach it to control its impulses, Sandor says. Does it leap across the kitchen when someone drops a cookie, or go on high alert when it sees a squeaky toy? If so, it probably won’t be great with cats right off the bat, since it will likely jump up whenever it spots a feline.
Hold off Fido's face time with Fluffy until the former is trained to stay put. And even then, keep a leash handy during the first several cat-dog meetings.
3. GIVE A CAT ITS OWN TERRITORY BEFORE IT MEETS A DOG.
Cats need a protected space - a “base camp” of sorts - that’s just theirs, Galaxy says. Make this refuge off-limits to the dog, but create safe spaces around the house, too. This way, the cat can confidently navigate shared territory without trouble from its canine sibling.
Since cats are natural climbers, Galaxy recommends taking advantage of your home’s vertical space. Buy tall cat trees, install shelves, or place a cat bed atop a bookcase. This allows your cat to observe the dog from a safe distance, or cross a room without touching the floor.
And while you’re at it, keep dogs away from the litter box. Cats should feel safe while doing their business, plus dogs sometimes (ew) like to snack on cat feces, a bad habit that can cause your pooch to contract intestinal parasites. These worms can cause a slew of health problems, including vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and anemia.
Baby gates work in a pinch, but since some dogs are escape artists, prepare for worst-case scenarios by keeping the litter box uncovered and in an open space. That way, the cat won’t be cornered and trapped mid-squat.
4. EXERCISE YOUR DOG'S BODY AND MIND.
“People exercise their dogs probably 20 percent of what they should really be doing,” Sandor says. “It’s really important that their energy is released somewhere else so that they have the ability to slow down their brains and really control themselves when they’re around kitties.”
Dogs also need lots of stimulation. Receiving it in a controlled manner makes them less likely to satisfy it by, say, chasing a cat. For this, Sandor recommends toys, herding-type activities, lure coursing, and high-intensity trick training.
“Instead of just taking a walk, stop and do a sit five times on every block,” she says. “And do direction changes three times on every block, or speed changes two times. It’s about unleashing their herding instincts and prey drive in an appropriate way.”
If you don’t have time for any of these activities, Zoe recommends hiring a dog walker, or enrolling in doggy daycare.
5. LET CATS AND DOGS FOLLOW THEIR NOSES.
In Galaxy's new book, Total Cat Mojo, he says it’s a smart idea to let cats and dogs sniff each other’s bedding and toys before a face-to-face introduction. This way, they can satisfy their curiosity and avoid potential turf battles.
6. PLAN THE FIRST CAT/DOG MEETING CAREFULLY.
Just like humans, cats and dogs have just one good chance to make a great first impression. Luckily, they both love food, which might ultimately help them love each other.
Schedule the first cat-dog meeting during mealtime, but keep the dog on a leash and both animals on opposite sides of a closed door. They won’t see each other, but they will smell each other while chowing down on their respective foods. They’ll begin to associate this smell with food, thus “making it a good thing,” Galaxy says.
Do this every mealtime for several weeks, before slowly introducing visual simulation. Continue feeding the cat and dog separately, but on either side of a dog gate or screen, before finally removing it all together. By this point, “they’re eating side-by-side, pretty much ignoring each other,” Galaxy says. For safety’s sake, continue keeping the dog on a leash until you’re confident it’s safe to take it off (and even then, exercise caution).
7. KEEP THEIR FOOD AND TOYS SEPARATE.
After you've successfully ingratiated the cat and dog using feeding exercises, keep their food bowls separate. “A cat will walk up to the dog bowl—either while the dog’s eating, or in the vicinity—and try to eat out of it,” Galaxy says. “The dog just goes to town on them. You can’t assume that your dog isn’t food-protective or resource-protective.”
To prevent these disastrous mealtime encounters, schedule regular mealtimes for your pets (no free feeding!) and place the bowls in separate areas of the house, or the cat’s dish up on a table or another high spot.
Also, keep a close eye on the cat’s toys—competition over toys can also prompt fighting. “Dogs tend to get really into catnip,” Galaxy says. “My dog loves catnip a whole lot more than my cats do.”
8. CONSIDER RAISING A DOG AND ALSO CAT TOGETHER (IF YOU CAN).
Socializing these animals at a young age can be easier than introducing them as adults—pups are easily trainable “sponges” that soak up new information and situations, Sandor says. Plus, dogs are less confident and smaller at this stage in life, allowing the cat to “assume its rightful position at the top of the hierarchy,” she adds.
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