How to ensure a good acquaintance between your dog and cat?

The saying "The more souls, the more joy" doesn't apply to everything, but when it comes to pets, we can certainly agree 😉 Consequently, in many households, dogs and cats live together. But what is the best way to get a dog and cat used to each other? After all, they are two different animals both with their own personalities and social needs. However, under the right conditions, dogs and cats can live together in perfect harmony and may become best friends! In this blog, we will give you tips on how best to introduce a dog and cat to each other.

Different characters

The character of a dog or cat is completely different. Dogs are naturally social animals that like to play with peers or with their owners. Cats, on the other hand, prefer to do their own thing and are fine with solitary living. They therefore prefer to hunt, eat and sleep alone. Cats can live together with other animals, but they decide for themselves if they want company and make it very clear when they do not want it. It is therefore very important to take this into account when welcoming a second four-legged friend into your family. A good preparation is therefore essential to make the introduction between a dog and cat successful.

Create safe places for the cat

Good preparation begins with creating spaces in the house that the cat can have all to itself. These spots are especially important when you first introduce the pets to each other, but will also continue to come in handy when the cat wants to escape and enjoy its peace and quiet without being disturbed by its canine sibling. In case you live a bit smaller you don't have to worry: cats are naturally climbers so you can also make great use of places at height. From a scratching post or cat tower, the cat can observe the dog from a comfortable distance.

Make sure you put all the cat's things in a place where the dog cannot reach them. Consider his food and water bowl, as well as cat toys and the litter box

Exchanging scents

Whereas humans rely primarily on sight, dogs and cats use both smell and sight to assess their surroundings. So scents are a hugely important means of communication for both dogs and cats. Similarly, animals use scents to become familiar with new things. So it's a good idea to first take the new animal's toy or blanket and introduce it to your pet. It is best to put the toy or blanket in a place where the new animal will be often (near the dog's or cat's basket/bench), but not near the sleeping place of the current pet! This way, the animals already get used to each other's scent.

A good second step in this process is by petting the animals (still in a separate room) and letting them get acquainted with each other's scents through your hands. When they sniff your hands, you can reward them with something nice so they associate the "strange" scent with something nice. If this goes well, the next step is to let the animals explore the other's space. This way they can sniff each other's scent without seeing each other.

The real encounter

When you feel that "the time is right" and you feel that your dog and cat are both ready, you can introduce the pets to each other. Take it slow, because as with humans, a first impression is important. It's best to let the cat walk around in an area where the animal has a hiding place or where there is a cat tower, so the animal can literally and figuratively "figure the cat out. Keep the dog on a leash and distract it with something tasty (the Riverwood reward snacks are guaranteed to help with this 😊), so that the dog's full focus is not on the cat. Dogs who have never seen a cat before may still have a tendency to want to greet the cat a little too enthusiastically. Many cats don't like this, which can make for a nasty first encounter and we want to avoid that.

If the cat tends to flee or bark at the dog during the first encounter, let it go its way. This means that the cat is simply not yet ready to interact with its new housemate. It is important to remain calm yourself in such a situation and keep the dog with you. Give both animals some more time to quietly get used to each other's presence, but don't force anything.

Step by step

Keep initial introductions short. Reward both animals if they are friendly to each other and make sure the dog and cat get to know each other at their own pace. Patience is a virtue here. It takes time for cats to adjust to dogs and the same goes for dogs who need to learn how to behave themselves around cats.

The most important thing to remember when introducing your pets is that all cats and dogs are different - what works for one may not work for another. Therefore, give the animals the time they need to get used to each other and only leave them together under supervision so that you can intervene if necessary. In most cases, with a little patience, your dog and cat will be living happily together in no time!