How to make friends between a cat and a dog in the same house or apartment: tips for owners on introducing and arranging the life of pets

Among people there are lovers of cats and dogs at the same time. And these animals, by their nature, do not get along very well with each other. But this is only at first glance: in fact, there are dogs that easily get along with mustachioed neighbors in the same apartment.

But their owners helped them take the first steps towards friendship. A lot depends on a person’s behavior, especially at the beginning of a meeting. You need to be patient and follow simple recommendations that will help make friends with animals and avoid outright conflicts.

Difficulties in communication between cats and dogs

Different representatives of the animal world are creatures with different mentalities and views on the surrounding reality. Therefore, difficulties in communication are inevitable for them.

Reasons for enmity

Cats and dogs have almost opposite temperaments and specific behavior patterns. This is due to the fact that the animals belong to different families of predators.

Since ancient times, canines have been gregarious individuals, but representatives of the cat family, on the contrary, preferred solitude. Therefore, the dog’s obsessive displays of friendliness and curiosity will seem like an interference in personal space or a danger to the cat.

Canines also hunted cats, since the latter were smaller and, accordingly, represented relatively easy prey. This instinct persists for many millennia.

In addition, pets associate a person with a leader and are afraid of losing his attention and affection. The new member of the household is a competitor, because of which the previous inhabitant of the apartment or house receives less affection and care.

Is it possible to make pets friends?

Despite differences in habits and character, pets can become good friends. True, you will have to overcome a large number of difficulties, which only the owner can cope with.

In order for new neighbors to show love or at least respect for each other, the situation should not be left to chance in the first days of acquaintance. Only competent actions of the owner and taking into account the characteristics of the pets will help to establish good and friendly relations.

Common Mistakes

It is easier to properly organize communication between pets from the very beginning than to later try to reconcile them after a conflict. To do this, it is important to familiarize yourself with the most common mistakes when introducing a dog and a cat:

You cannot put pressure on animals or force them to communicate.
No one should feel left out – both cats and dogs should be given equal attention.
In case of conflict, you should not scold the culprit or use physical force against him. In dogs, punishment causes long-term fear, and cats begin to mischief and take revenge.
It is not recommended to have pets in cramped living conditions. Animals should have a private rest area and enough space to move freely.
Since dogs need companionship more than cats and are more active, you should regularly walk them and play outside. This way they will not bother their neighbor, demanding attention.

Cats and dogs can be friends, but only if they demarcate the territory for feeding and have a personal space where they retreat, having exhausted the limit of sociability. It should be remembered that it is not always possible to establish friendship between a cat and a dog, even taking into account all the characteristics of these species. In this case, you cannot put pressure on animals and try to make them “friends” by force. The best thing to do if coexistence is strained is to try to bring their relationship to a neutral level. Peace is achieved through moderate isolation of pets from each other. Over time, they will stop openly fighting, having gotten used to their mutual presence.

Options for the development of events

How quickly and easily the animals become friends depends on how the owner behaves. Another important factor is the age at which a cat or dog appeared in a new family.

How to make friends with kids: kitten and puppy

The best scenario is when both animals appear in the house at the same time as babies. They were just separated from their mother, so they can find support and understanding in each other.

Due to their age, children cannot sleep alone - this is a lot of stress for them. Therefore, they will begin to huddle close to each other in their sleep, and together it will be easier and calmer for them to survive the first days in their new home.

In addition, they will be united by joint games and pranks. The kitten and puppy will begin to explore the world around them together, which will allow them to become even closer and become true friends for life.

Even if the cat and puppy show dissatisfaction with each other when they meet, this will not last longer than a few hours. After sniffing, the pets will quickly get used to it and become indifferent.

However, you should not leave two friends alone for a long time: they can do mischief in the heat of the game. The owner's attention should be directed not to establishing friendly relations, but to ensuring that the animals do not turn into an organized furry gang.

How to make friends between an adult dog and a kitten

It will not be possible to accustom an adult dog to a small mustache right away. In the first days, you should not leave your baby with the four-legged animal unattended. An adult, even during play, can cause severe injuries to a kitten, not knowing how to handle it.

It is necessary to organize a comfortable place for the baby to rest peacefully at a low altitude. Then the dog will not be able to get there, and the kitten will sleep well.

During the first days of living together, animals must be fed in separate rooms. It is important to give food to the older pet first. Each person should have a separate bowl for food and clean water.

There is no point in scolding or punishing a dog for aggression: you just need to strictly explain to him that offending a little one is not a good thing. An adult animal usually feels children and cubs well and does not seek to harm them, but it is not worth the risk. Divide your attention between the two pets, and then try to come up with a joint game under close supervision.

How to make friends between an adult cat and a puppy

Adult fluffies are aggressive towards four-legged animals, but if you limit the communication between the cat and the puppy, then no special problems should arise. New acquaintances should be kept in separate rooms. Then the cat will not scratch the puppy, who will definitely show curiosity and a desire to play.

Pets need to organize different places for sleeping and feeding. The mustachioed friend will quickly get tired of the dog's games and want to be left alone to sleep. He should have his own quiet place, especially if the animals have to stay in the same room for a long time.

A cat can hiss at a recruit for quite a long time, but only when personal boundaries are violated. If the puppy does not encroach on the cat's bowls, beds and trays, then the mustachioed owner will quickly get used to the baby and even begin to take care of him.

How to make friends with adult animals

Accustoming adults to living together is the most difficult process. The dog will perceive the cat as prey or an object to play with. Therefore, they will have to be kept separate from each other for quite a long time. In limited space you can purchase an aviary.

When meeting for the first time, it is better to keep your four-legged friend muzzled and on a leash. Most likely, the new neighbors will not even come up to sniff - visual contact at a distance from each other will be enough for them.

For subsequent communication, you need to bring the animals together for a couple of minutes every day, but keep them at a distance so that the cat cannot attack the dog and vice versa. If this does happen, then you should tie the dog and give the order “Sit”. You need to approach the angry fluffy, talk to him and pet him. This will help relieve tension and defuse the situation. Afterwards, you need to calm and pet the angry dog.

You will constantly have to encourage neighbors to be friendly towards each other with treats. However, it is not worthwhile to fully feed them in one place until they truly become friends. Competition for food can give rise to violent and even bloody conflict.

Ideal age

The easiest option for such cohabitation is pets of the same age. A kitten and a puppy growing up together will easily bond and become playmates. In this case, only one problem arises - the cat gets used to the absence of a threat from the dog. If the pet goes out for a walk on its own, it will not consider street dogs as a threat, which can end sadly.

Adult dog and kitten

An adult dog most often treats a kitten with friendliness. But excessive enthusiasm can scare the baby. To introduce pets without harm to the cat’s psyche, you should pay attention to a number of points:

Animals must get used to each other's smell. To do this, for the first days it is better to keep them in different rooms, arranging a meeting for a while every day. Before a new resident arrives, you can give the dog something with the baby’s scent so that his appearance is not regarded as a threat.
If the pet is very old or angry, special cat-scented pheromones should be used a few weeks before the kitten arrives. This way you can reduce the level of stress and, accordingly, anger.
Dogs are jealous of their food, so food intake areas should be separated. In the future, the dog should always be fed first.
Everyone should have their own corner. If the owner does not create conditions for rest and does not designate zones, the animals will figure it out on their own, which will worsen the relationship between them.

Adult cat and puppy

Puppies are easy-going by nature and aggression will not cause them any special psychological trauma, which cannot be said about physical ones.

The owner should limit the time the pets communicate, because even if the cat normally accepts the appearance of the baby in the house, he will still quickly get tired of noisy games and want to retire.

If animals have separate places for resting and eating, then acquaintance and further life will go smoothly.

Adult cat and dog

It is difficult to breed adult animals, but it is possible. This will take a lot of time. The first meeting should take place under the full control of the person, since a dog that is not accustomed to living with a cat may regard it as prey or an object for play. Therefore, the dog must be muzzled and on a leash.

You should not let the dog get close, otherwise the cat will decide that he is being attacked and will begin to defend himself.

Every day you need to bring your pets together for a couple of minutes, monitoring their communication and possible manifestations of hostility.

Also read the article why dogs don't like cats.

In what cases should you not take risks?

Sometimes there are situations when it is better not to bring together individuals from different families. For example, some hunting and guard dog breeds, especially in adulthood, have almost zero probability of accepting a kitten. In this case, attacks of aggression and attempts to bite the baby are inevitable. There are known situations when a hunter, under the influence of instincts, tried to kill a helpless kitten.

Large single cats behave no better, especially in relation to small breed dogs. Thus, an adult mustache will never stop trying to scratch or bite a toy terrier. Such frequent attacks of aggression will make life unbearable for a smaller creature.

Who is the head in this house?

When a kitten and a puppy enter the house at the same time, the question of how to reconcile them does not even arise, because the kids see each other not as a rival or enemy, but as a companion with whom they can play and frolic.

In adult animals, the process of adaptation to a new neighbor is much more difficult, so before introducing a dog to a cat or a cat to a dog, it is advisable to prepare for this in advance.

If there is a dog in the house:

Before getting a kitten, you should observe how the dog reacts to cats running past on a walk. If he breaks from the leash, trying to rush after the cat, the pet must be taught the commands “no” or “fu”;
It wouldn’t hurt to take your dog to visit friends who have a cat and observe the behavior of the four-legged pet. In the case when the dog does not show aggression towards the cat, but shows interest, you can safely get a furry pet;
Before meeting a cat, it is advisable to put a muzzle or at least a leash on a large dog or a representative of a hunting breed so that it cannot harm the new pet;
The dog must know and follow basic commands such as “sit” and “down” so that the owner can control it while introducing the kitten.

If there is a cat in the house:

In order for the cat to quickly get used to its new neighbor, you can first introduce it to the neighbor’s dog and give the animals the opportunity to communicate, of course, under the supervision of the owners;
Before bringing a puppy into the house, it is advisable to trim the cat’s claws so that in the event of an attack on the dog, the pet will not cause serious wounds to him;
The sound of a dog barking unnerves and frightens a cat. Therefore, before getting a four-legged pet, some owners record dog barking on a tape or disk and play it daily for a few minutes so that the cat gets used to the source of irritation and subsequently stops perceiving it as a threat.

Introduction and subsequent meetings

The choice of dating method depends entirely on the age of the animals living nearby. However, there are general rules that will help make the first meeting and subsequent living together within the same apartment or house more comfortable:

There is no need to rush to introduce animals to each other. A new member of the household needs to get used to foreign smells and unfamiliar surroundings.
At the time of introduction, it is better to keep the cat in a carrier and the dog on a leash. This way they will smell each other, but will not be able to injure each other.
During the first weeks, animals should not be left in the same room unattended. If the owner needs to leave on business, the pets are seated in different rooms.

Making friends with pets that are different in behavior and character is very difficult. Only care, affection and patience will help a person cope with this task.

The first meeting of a cat and a dog

When getting a new pet, owners rarely think about how to teach a cat and dog to live together and naively expect that their pets will get along. But the first meeting is the most important. Further relationships between animals depend on it.

A common mistake owners make is not to interfere with their pets’ relationship in the first days. There is a misconception that animals will sort things out among themselves. But that won't happen. Even if it doesn’t come to a fight, the cat will most likely harbor a grudge or be very scared.

Note! The pet that originally lived in the house experiences intense jealousy towards the other animal. Never use force as punishment if your pet aggressively accepts a new neighbor.

But you shouldn’t indulge an animal for fear of offending it either. You must show your pets that you will love them both and will not allow them to quarrel, that you are the “leader” in the house and nothing else.

The following recommendations and tips will be useful to you:

If possible, before adding a second pet, encourage the dog’s friendly attitude towards kittens and adult cats;
do not let the dog close to the cat, otherwise it will start hissing and throwing itself;
If possible, keep the animals in different rooms for the first days, even if the pets do not start fights;
Do not feed animals in the same room.

The most dangerous dogs are hunting breeds, especially dachshunds. They take a long time to get used to cats and can hurt them in the first weeks of living in the house. In your presence, the dog may behave relatively calmly, but at the first opportunity it will grab the cat’s neck. Hunting dogs act this way instinctively.

Ideally, it is recommended to first accustom the dog to the smell of the cat. Let the animals be in different rooms. A new pet must first get used to the house or apartment. After 1-2 days you can arrange the first meeting. Keep animals at a distance of 2-3 meters. When trying to attack, the dog should be scolded, but not beaten. Prepare treats for both of you. First, pet an animal that was already in the house (it is more difficult to experience jealousy), and then a new pet. Then give everyone their favorite treat as a reward for being friendly.

Home improvement is the key to friendly coexistence

The success of pets living together depends entirely on the arrangement of their home. Neighbors in an apartment or house may have different preferences in feeding, walking, and playing. A caring owner should know and take all this into account.

Organization of feeding

Cats and dogs have slightly different attitudes towards food. The first one calmly eats as much food as he currently wants, without a doubt setting aside excess food in the bowl. The second one strives to eat not only all of his food, but also to lick his friend’s bowl.

To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to remove plates with leftover food and set them out strictly by the clock when feeding time comes. Owners have to closely monitor how their pets eat and prevent malnutrition in one and overeating in the other.

Resolution of territorial disputes

Often “military” actions between pets arise due to the division of territory and clarification of positions about who is in charge in this house after the owner. The place of contention can be the kitchen, a soft sofa, or just a rug by the bed. The animals begin to snarl and hiss at each other, sometimes it can lead to a fight.

Only control on the part of the owner will help to avoid conflicts. A person will have to demand order from the tailed household members. All attempts to occupy a neighbor's sunbed must be stopped by showing authority. The head of the house is the owner, and only he can own the territory. Thanks to attention to the problem, over time it will be possible to ensure relatively normal cohabitation of animals in the same territory.

Walks

Walking is an important part of keeping a four-legged friend. But cats either walk on their own or are constantly indoors. Because of this, the mustaches begin to suffer and feel that they are receiving less attention.

To prevent this from happening, after a walk with the dog you need to pay enough attention to the cat. You can play with him or pick him up and walk around the apartment. Then your furry friend will feel that he is loved too.

How to share your owner's attention without causing jealousy

Even pets who have become friends do not agree to share the attention of a loved one. If a tidbit is given, then two at a time. The same goes for everything else: games, food, affection, time spent together.

If you need to do something for only one pet (give a tasty vitamin, comb it, etc.), you need to do it away from the eyes of the second one. It is better to slowly close yourself in another room and carry out manipulations there.

It is advisable to spend your free hours after work communicating with your cat and dog, while involving them in a common game. Even watching TV will be accompanied by lying on the couch together. Only equal attention from a person to two pets at once can bring peace and tranquility to the house.

Why do dogs and cats fight?

The main factors provoking hostility are:

Territory. It is important to provide not only a separate place for both animals to sleep, but also for feeding, toileting, and playing.
Food. The issue of nutrition most often causes jealousy. You need to feed your pets at the same time, so as not to cause envy, but in different places. They should not be allowed to eat from the same utensils.
Attention. If one pet is still small, it requires more time for care. Then you need to increase your time with the other one so that he doesn’t get jealous.
Personal items. Toys, combs, hygiene items must be individual. If a dog smells a cat on its brush, it will cause jealousy and aggression.

A good way to make friends with animals is to send them for a walk together in the yard of a private house or country house. Usually on the street they quickly find common interests.

To make friends between a cat and a dog, the owner needs to be determined to devote equal amounts of time and energy to both of them. It is important to prepare in advance by arranging a place for them in the house or apartment. The issue of territory, food, and personal belongings deserve special attention; it is important to prevent envy or jealousy of one of the pets.

Errors and prohibited actions

Inexperienced owners often do not understand what to do in a given problem situation and make mistakes. The most common mistakes and prohibited actions include:

Incorrect feeding. If the bowls are nearby, then someone will definitely try to steal part of someone else's portion.
Uncontrolled first acquaintance. It is dangerous to let a cat interact freely with a dog, as this can cause a serious fight and severe injuries.
Lack of separate space. Mustachioed household members are introverts by nature. They are tired and irritated by prolonged communication, so attacks of aggression are possible. It is advisable to provide your cat with a comfortable bed on a hill.
Petting. A fight that happens once will be remembered by the pets forever. The owner's incorrect reaction (punishing only one pet or rewarding both) will provoke a repetition of the situation.
Scolding and punishment for a negative attitude towards a neighbor. Punishing one pet because it is not yet accustomed to the second pet is a pointless and harmful activity. This will only increase the level of jealousy and lead to new conflicts.

It is important to understand that animals always remain animals, so conflict situations cannot be completely avoided. Often fights between individuals of different ages will occur for educational purposes. The owner needs to recognize excessive aggression in time and prevent its repetition in the future.

Take walks together

To make friends, animals must communicate. Buy a harness for your cat and take your pets for a walk together. Give your dog the opportunity to burn off his energy in the fresh air through games and runs. Then at home he won’t bully his furry friend.

Allow pets to play with each other, but discourage aggressive or potentially traumatic behavior. Trim your cat's claws. Reward animals with treats for good behavior.

Choosing pets according to breeds

There are some pets that get along well with all family members. Sometimes they quarrel over trifles, but more often they play, have fun or relax together.

Cat breeds that get along with dogs

Among the representatives of the cat family, there are quite a few breeds that coexist well in the same territory with other cats, dogs and ferrets. If you want to have a mustachioed friend, and there is already a dog living in the house, then it is better to take a closer look at the following breeds:

American Shorthair;
Abyssinian;
Siberian;
Bombay;
Maine Coon;
Japanese Bobtail;
ragdoll;
Tonkinese

These curious and energetic furbabies love to spend time with everyone in the family. They will happily play with their relatives, people or four-legged friends. But we must remember that each cat has individual character traits that it can demonstrate at any time.

Feed separately

At the initial stage, feed your pets at the same time, but separately. It will be better if the owner eats first, like the leader. Then give the cat food.

It is advisable to identify a bowl somewhere at a height where she can safely eat food. Then put food on the floor for the dog. Once they become friends, feeding can be done together.

Preparing for dating

To ensure everything goes smoothly, you need to prepare in advance.:

First, make sure that your dog is ready for the new stage of his life: at a minimum, he should know the basic commands and be accustomed to a muzzle.
The territory should be divided in advance into “cat” and “dog”: animals should have their own place for sleeping, feeding and litter box. If possible, place them as far apart as possible.
Trimming your kitten's nails and filing them with a nail file may seem like an exaggeration, but in reality, a scared kitten can cause serious damage to a dog's walrus.