- Joined
- May 11, 2016
- Messages
- 9
- Purraise
- 2
Wasnt sure if this belonged here or in the "other pets" section but I went with this section since I want to focus on the cat side of things. I have 3 cats, 6/7yo. We got a puppy in September. Big adjustment for all! Dog is only allowed in certain areas so cats have safe spaces to retreat. Thus far, my focus has been on training dog manners, in the hope that a dog who displays calmness around cats will be a dog that the cats find easier to tolerate. Shes young so the impulse to chase anything that runs (or blows in the wind!) is a big one. I make it a priority to prevent the chasing. I'm about 99% successful 
I've been thinking lately, is there anything else I can do, on the cat side of things, to help the cats adjust? I dont expect them to become besties, but removing the fear. I feel like we've made some progress. One cat in particular likes hanging out in my bedroom, and they have been spending increasing amounts of time staring at eachother through the doorway. I supervise these moments. As I type, they're laying about 3 feet away, both with relaxed postures, looking sleepy. Slow blinks from kitty. If cat moves much, dog wants to get up. If dog makes a move closer, kitty hisses. I insist on dog remaining in "down" during all cat watching. We have had exactly one instance where the 2 have been close enough to get a good calm sniff in without any hissing, swatting, chasing, etc. Is there anything else I can do to help this process along?
I've been thinking lately, is there anything else I can do, on the cat side of things, to help the cats adjust? I dont expect them to become besties, but removing the fear. I feel like we've made some progress. One cat in particular likes hanging out in my bedroom, and they have been spending increasing amounts of time staring at eachother through the doorway. I supervise these moments. As I type, they're laying about 3 feet away, both with relaxed postures, looking sleepy. Slow blinks from kitty. If cat moves much, dog wants to get up. If dog makes a move closer, kitty hisses. I insist on dog remaining in "down" during all cat watching. We have had exactly one instance where the 2 have been close enough to get a good calm sniff in without any hissing, swatting, chasing, etc. Is there anything else I can do to help this process along?
