{"id":4234,"date":"2023-08-08T17:37:06","date_gmt":"2023-08-08T21:37:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/?p=4234"},"modified":"2023-08-08T17:37:07","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T21:37:07","slug":"introducing-a-cat-to-your-dog-in-3-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/introducing-a-cat-to-your-dog-in-3-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing a Cat to Your Dog in 3 Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Is there anything cuter than animal friends of different species? Finding a feline friend for your dog can add a lot of enrichment to his life (and cuteness to yours). When introducing a cat to your dog, though, you have to take it slow. New animals need time and space to get used to one another and to start feeling comfortable. If you don\u2019t want to see the literal version of fighting like cats and dogs, OVRS<\/a> explains the 3 steps for carefully introducing a cat to your dog<\/em><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Step 1: Keep them Separate at First<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You should never put animals together without supervision for their first meeting. You can never be sure if an animal will feel afraid or threatened by another, and this can lead to a violent confrontation. Instead, set the cat<\/a> up in her own room as you slowly start to introduce them from a distance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spend a few days feeding the dog and the cat food or treats on either side of the door (but not directly next to it). This helps the animals get used to each other\u2019s scents in association with a positive activity. You can also put a towel or toy that smells like one animal with the other and vice versa. Switch their living spaces once or twice to give them an even bigger chance to get acclimated to each other\u2019s smells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Introduce them Slowly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once the animals recognize<\/a> (and feel comfortable with) each other\u2019s scents, you can set up a controlled face-to-face meeting for them. Use these steps to ensure the meeting goes smoothly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n