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Permalink Reply by Mark Sleith on May 31, 2012 at 2:07pm

I brought Jake into a 3 cat household... they were none too happy with me.  I have a spare room that I keep gated off so they have a "cats only" safe space with their food, water and a litter box.   That seems to have helped tremendously.   The youngest took to Jake pretty quickly and after a few swats he pretty much got the message not to mess with her.  He's generally fine around them until they run away and then naturally he has to run and herd them.  If they don't run, he loses interest after about 10 seconds or so.  It took the middle cat a good 2 years to sit still around Jake without dashing for the door.  The oldest will tolerate being in the same room with him, as long as she's on a high spot he can't reach.  I have to say I was a little let down that they're so uneasy around him, but for the most part they put with him on their own terms.  And they're just as affectionate towards me as they ever were, so no problems there.

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Permalink Reply by Chris West on May 31, 2012 at 2:29pm

Here are some articles that may be helpful.  I think as long as the cats have an area they can go to that is dog proof, they will probably work it all out between themselves.

Introducing a Dog into a Cat Household

Introducing a New Dog to a Resident Cat

How to Introduce Your New Dog to Your Resident Cats

Introducing Dog Into Home With Cats

(looks like a video when it opens, but there is article if you scroll down the page)

How to Introduce a Dog to a Cat

I'm sure there are a lot more articles out there.  Frosty was a horrible cat chaser when we brought him home.  After lots of work, he now thinks he is Cat Police and will only go after them when he thinks they are in trouble lol.  Good luck!!

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on May 31, 2012 at 3:20pm

Leave a leash on the dog to drag around so you can put an end to a chase quickly. The corgi will quickly learn to stop chasing especially if she has had previous experience. I have found it best to let the cats figure out how they want to interact by having a safe(no dog) place for them, their litter, and food. Some of my cats have loved the dogs and some ignore them but they have always lived happily together.

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Permalink Reply by Nancy & Ozzy on May 31, 2012 at 10:59pm

When we got our little Ozzy he was only 9 wks old and we already had a 9 yr old cat(Maggie) at home!  Maggie didn't really like him, even though she was 10lbs heavier than him at the time...and still only tolerates him now (It'll be a year in June).  She spends most of her time on elevated surfaces: back of the couch, dinning room table... But if he really bugs her, she swaps him or snaps at his ears...she is declawed so no real harm can be done! lol

FYI:  Watch the litterbox...Ozzy thought it was a buffet!! We have to keep the door to the room almost closed and now we have bells hanging from the door knob...Ozzy hates Bells so it keeps him away! ;o)  Good luck

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Permalink Reply by Ingrid & Ein on June 2, 2012 at 10:58am

Thanks everyone for the great advice and articles! We plan to put up gates, and we have a cat tree. Also, my cats are accustomed to eating up in a bay window, so their food dishes are up high. We have a top-entry litter box called a clevercat, it has high sides and you can add a lid that has a hole for the cat to get into the litterbox from, making it doggy-snack proof, haha. 

So now I just wait and hope for the best!

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Permalink Reply by Beth on June 2, 2012 at 12:44pm

Gates are a good second step, but not a first step.  Cats should always be introduced to new residents (dog or cat) from behind a closed door.  What you do is set up spaces in the cat's favorite bedroom for litter on one side, food and water on the other.  Provide toys and scratching post.

Leave the cat locked in the room so the dog can't get at it and the cat can't see it.  Let them sniff under the door if they want to.   A few times a day lock the dog away somewhere safe and open the door to let the cats out, IF they want to come.  If they are bold cats they will.  Shy cats will stay in the safe room and it may take weeks for them to want to explore an area that's been "invaded" by the dog.

After a few days (maybe one day if things are going great, but not sooner than a day), let the dog and cat see each other through a small crack in the door.   If all goes well then, put up baby gates for closer introductions.  If the cats are food-motivated, try giving them favorite food or treats near the dog, but safe from the gate.  

And if that goes well, then finally you can let them loose together, but keep the dog leashed to be safe.

Dogs practice many behaviors that cats find very rude.  Moreover, dog and cat body language collides, badly.  A crouched dog is asking to play, a crouched cat is ready to attack.  Dogs don't like face-to-face stares, but do like to stare at things that interest them from a distance.  Cats stare at things they are ready to attack.  Cats wave their tales when they are angry, dogs when they are happy.  And so on.  That's why it's always best to keep the dog out of the cats' vision until the cat has had a chance to get used to the sounds and smells of the dog in the house.  Let the cats (not the dog) determine how quickly you open that door.  

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