When Dog Meets Cat…

Carmen the farmyard cat is no stranger to enthusiastic beagles or excited new pups; both she and the curios Dante have a mutual understanding.
Here on the homestead we are very familiar with those first puppy-cat meetings and with a little human intervention– peace between cats and dogs is kept on the homestead.

When you bring your puppy home it is important that your puppy make friends with all the family including the cats! Know that your new pup will be excited to meet your cat-this new furry creature in it’s brand new home with a sassy attitude- Beagles are curios hounds who will make up their minds quickly as to what to make of the feline occupants of the house. Are they friends… or moving balls of fur? Your puppy may have been introduced to the cats of the Homestead, especially if one of Carmen’s kitten litters is alien with the beagle puppies, so they may have a foundation with cats already in place. But every new cat encounter is a first! So you need to be careful with the first cat-dog introduction in your home.

Puppy games with cats disrupts the harmony of the home. You want your furry members to be friends- Planning that first cat & dog introduction is a must!

Here are a few steps to plan out a peaceful cat-dog introduction:

3.Controlled Sniffs:
For the first meeting, keep your pup on a leash in a neutral area.
Dogs are creatures highly influenced by scent. Beagles especially need a good sniff in order to properly meet.
Let him check out the cat in a controlled way, in a quiet, non-distracting part of the house so the cat doesn’t get spooked and puppy doesn’t get overly excited. Keep him on a leash just in case.
This allows controlled sniffing and makes the cat feel safer, preventing disaster.

2. Boundaries & “Leave it”
The command “leave it” is vital to dog ownership. Let the pup/cat meet, sniff and “leave it!”
This sets some boundaries, and keep his attention on you instead of overly fixated on the feline.
Start with him on a leash. I like to use treats as a reward every time they “leave it” so they are reminded that good things come when you obey.

3.Short & Sweet:

Don’t push the interactions. Keep introductions short and positive, building trust over time.
If you know cats, they like their space when they want their space, and a puppy would be happy to play all day long! So don’t extend the interview longer then needed, let them get used to each other gradually, build up some relationship trust, Who knows, maybe they’ll become best friends!

We had one gorgeous tabby cat “Cheeto” who was absolute best buds with our golden stud Falkor, he literally would eat breakfast out of Falkor’s bowl.
Cheeto wasn’t afraid of the dogs at all. He had grown up with them, and used his confident attitude to get away with all sorts of cheeky stuff like stealing food from their breakfast. His care free attitude came out of confident trust in the dogs, that they weren’t out to get him all the time, this took some good cat-dog interactions to build up. And the Goldens sensed that Cheeto wasn’t scared and wouldn’t play fraidy cat, making him no fun to chase, so they ended up being friends. Living in peace, letting Cheeto have his own cat’s way.

Carmen and Dante have a common understanding of mutual sniffs for greetings and respecting each other’s space. This makes for a good farmyard environment.

I hope these simple tips for your first new puppy and cat interaction are helpful as you try to navigate furry family relations. Household peace is essential for a happy home!

How does your puppy and kitties get along in your house? Do you have any funny dog-cat stories?
Leave your reply in the comments below!

Best wishes for you and your new puppy!

Jenni
~Rosehaven Homestead