How can I get my doggy and kitty to be friends?
Nyssa ? Cuppycake Yum Yum ? asked:
We adopted the kitty when she was a baby, and the doggy a year afterwards; he was already full-grown. The kitty seems to like the dog, and tries to snuggle with him, follows him around the house, and tries to play with his tail. Whenever she gets near him, he growls, and moves. I think he is afraid of her, which is funny because she is just a little kitty and he is an 80 pound dog.
We adopted the kitty when she was a baby, and the doggy a year afterwards; he was already full-grown. The kitty seems to like the dog, and tries to snuggle with him, follows him around the house, and tries to play with his tail. Whenever she gets near him, he growls, and moves. I think he is afraid of her, which is funny because she is just a little kitty and he is an 80 pound dog.
How do I get the dog to understand the kitty is a friend?
The safest way to introduce two different animals is to have the more aggressive animal (dog) on a leash and the cat free to run if it feels threatened. Give them time to get used to each other and before you know it, they might not even notice each other.
I’m having the same problem with my dog and my hamster right now. All I do is have one pet in a secure area (your arms, cardboard box, crate) and have the other pet come over to it and smell it. While the pet that is loose is curious, stroke it and be gentle with your tone of voice. Say things like, It’s ok or Don’t be afraid. It won’t hurt you. Do this in your spare time and your pets may either be friends or just won’t want anything to do with each other. It depends if one animal wants to be friends and is afraid or just does not want anything to do with the other pet.
Play with the kitty and the dog will start to see the kitty is a friend. Also try playing group games with the dog, the kitty and you.