These pheromones are designed to ease anxiety and can help towards your cat and new dog feeling more comfortable during the settling in period.
If your cat has a preference for going to the toilet outdoors, try to ensure they still have safe access to do so. This takes the pressure off the cat to leave their safe space to go outside to go to the toilet before they are ready to meet the dog. Add an additional litter tray if they already have one in the home. Add a second food and water bowl for your cat in a different area of the house (perhaps upstairs, if this is an option) and give them a temporary litter tray as well.on the bottom of the stairs to prevent the dog going into the cat’s safe space, if it’s upstairs. Baby gates are a great way to section off areas of the house e.g.Try to make higher-up spaces like shelves/cabinets/tops of wardrobes etc available and safe for your cat as places they can retreat to or use as escape routes.
For flats/bungalows, the cat would ideally have its own room, but wherever they are they will need access to all their usual resources like food, water, a litter tray, their bed and scratching post. If this is not possible, then any changes to the cat’s areas should be made well in advance of the dog coming home to allow the cat to adjust to their new set-up and routine. Be mindful of where your cat spends the majority of its time already and try to establish this as the “cat zone”. The easiest way to achieve this is to split you home in to a “cat zone” and a “dog zone”. Preparation around the house should ideally take place at least a week before your dog comes home so your cat is already used to the new routine.Ĭreate a safe space for your cat away from the dog’s designated area. This will involve making sure different areas of the house are only available to either one of the animals for this time while they both adjust. This time allows your new dog to start to settle into their new environment and essentially, to calm down. To minimise the stress a new dog could have on your cat, you should try to keep them completely separate within your home for at least two to three weeks before beginning careful introductions. It’s important to be safe and to set both animals up for success right from the start as first impressions will definitely count. Staff at a rescue centre will take your dog’s history and behaviour into account before deciding whether or not they could potentially live with a cat, and it’s important to consider different personality traits before bringing a dog into a household with a cat.
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