How To Know If Your Cat Is Safe With Your Dog

If you'll be bringing a cat home you may want to know if it's okay for a dog to be around. It may be hard to know if either animal will react poorly to this. Here are some tips so you can see if this can be done in the best way possible.

Dogs and cats getting along really depends on how they were trained to get along with other animals. If you haven't had your dog around other animals, then it may not really want to have a cat around at first, but if it's a mild mannered dog there won't be too much of an issue. The best thing to do is get them used to each other slowly. You don't want to just put the cat down and leave them alone as you do something else, they could end up fighting.

When you have a cat at home already and are bringing a dog home, you may want to keep in mind that cats can be very territorial. You'll want to have the cat get used to the smell of the dog, so try to have them keep away from each other because you don't want the cat to get freaked out. Don't let, for instance, the dog go to the cat's food dish and start eating. If the cat feels like it is having its space taken over, it could end in a fight which could injure the animals.

Some dogs and cats get along right away, and this can be great. If you want to see if they can be friendly, just give them time to meet in a large room where the cat or dog can easily escape if they are scared. You need to be around them both when they first meet just in case. Even if the dog is very large, your cat can hurt it or the other way around. Always be wary of this for a few days to a few weeks and if there is any fighting keep them separated for a while.

Now you are clear on what to look out for when you bring a cat home to live with a dog. There are many problems that can happen if you don't do this right. Animals are generally able to get used to each other, so be sure to give it time.

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