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Have a cat and a dog, but the two just won't stop fighting? Try these simple steps!



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    Go slow. Keep the pets separate at first. Animals need time to get to know each other. They are much more likely to fight or be unhappy if you try to force them together suddenly.
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    Begin by showing all your pets equal amounts of love, because animals, like people, get jealous when 'the new kid' gets more attention than them.
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    Alternate rooms in which you keep the animals, so they can sniff where each other have been without the other animal being present.
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    Praise your dog for friendly behavior around your cat. If you have a dog that barks whenever the cat comes in, make it so that when the cat comes in it's enjoyable. Say, "Oh, look, Puppy, Kitty's here! Yay!" and sound very happy and give the dog a small training treat. Your dog will soon learn to associate pleasant feelings with the cat.
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    Provide your cat a place where she/he can get out of reach of your dog. Cats will generally attack a dog only when backed into a corner with no way to avoid the dog.
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    Hold your cat in your arms until she/he is calm and relaxed. Then ask a family member or friend to slowly bring your dog into the room. Gradually bring the dog closer in small steps, waiting for your cat and dog to both settle down as each step of the way before getting closer.
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    Rub a towel on your dog and put the towel under your cat's bowl so that your cat will get used to the dogs smell and will accept it.
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    When you are ready to allow the animals to run loose together, make sure you have an escape route for the smaller animal which the larger animal cannot follow. With dogs and cats, this can take the form of a cat tree or a child's gate across a doorway (A child's gate can be placed 6-8 inches up off the floor so the cat can run under it, but the dog must stop if it is chasing.).
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  • Try not to play favourites. Sometimes these fights are triggered by jealousy. If the dog notices that the cat is getting more attention, it'll respond negatively.
  • Don't leave your pets unadvised..... They may get injured.
  • Don't spray your cat if it's being mean. The cat will only get even angrier.
  • Don't take things too fast!
  • It is helpful to introduce the animals to each other when they are younger.


  • Until your pets are relatively well socialized together, don't leave them home alone together. You don't want to risk one or the other being hurt when you're not home. It's easy and much safer just to close your cat or dog into a room by itself while you're gone.

Article Info

Categories: Dog Obedience | Managing Cat Behavior

In other languages:

Español: hacer que un gato y un perro se lleven bien, Português: Fazer um Gato e um Cachorro se Dar Bem, Italiano: Far Andare D'accordo un Cane e un Gatto, Français: faire s'entendre un chien et un chat, Русский: подружить кошку с собакой, Deutsch: Katze und Hund zusammen halten

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