People always assume that cats and dogs will fight.  I can tell you from first hand experience ,caring for puppies and kittens that grow up to adore each other, that I have never had any problems.  The opposite in fact; my cat regularly shares her bed with two huge retrievers and enjoys getting groomed by my Flatcoat daily who licks her from head to toe!  This equilibrium is achieved through careful introduction and respecting the individual animals needs and this article will show you how to make the transition as easy as possible.

Bringing a new puppy home to your cat

Keep your cat and puppy separated for the first two days, allowing both puppy and cat to acclimatise to each others smells.  Play, train and interact with your new puppy until she is very tired.  Once she has fallen asleep allow your cat into the room to explore.  Allow your cat to wander all over the room and up to the puppy.  Try not to encourage your puppy to wake and interact with the cat, remember we want this first introduction to be stress free especially for your cat.  Make sure that there is an escape route for your cat should the puppy awake and the cat becomes uncomfortable.  Repeat this process over two days several times.  Begin to build up by bringing the cat in whilst the pup is eating or playing.  Your ideal it to have them ignore each other at first.  Once they are comfortable around each other they will become the best of friends.

Appeasing pheromones for your cat

I would also recommend buying a product called Feliway, which is a synthetic analogue of an appeasing pheromone which will allow you cat to feel more relaxed. 
The new pheromone Feliway spray or diffuser duplicates the smell of a cat’s natural scent glands. Containing the synthetic scent hormone, the plug-in diffuser allows the Feliway scent to permeate throughout the environment. Each plug-in will cover an area of 50 to 70 square metres and lasts approximately four weeks. Alterations in the cat’s environment such as visits to the vet, moving house, new arrivals, or nervous cats may manifest themselves as a change in behaviour such as urine marking, scratching, loss of appetite and refusal to play and interact. The diffuser helps to restore a feeling of calm in the cat. You should also consider putting your cats bed in an out of reach area, either a room the puppy cannot enter or ideally high up so your cat can observe the new addition in a place when he or she feels secure.  If you have cat litter make sure you put it in a place that is out of reach of the puppy as they do like to dig and occasionally eat litter!

TOP TIPS: Don’t be afraid to tell your puppy ‘no’ for chasing the cat. Don’t encourage the puppy to interact with your cat (an overexcited puppy leads to a stressed out cat).  You can also use the leave it command.

Bringing your new cat  home to your dog

If you are introducing a new cat into your home and you are worried about your dogs reaction then you should consider taking a blanket to the original home of the cat.  Rub the cat with the blanket and bring it home allowing your dog to investigate it and become familiar will the scent of the new cat.  Animals communicate many things through scent including social status and by using them for introductions we can help ease the transactions.  Keep your dog on a leash when you introduce the new cat and try not to restrict the cats movement.  Allow the cat to have somewhere to get away from your dog and vice versa.  By having a cat bed on top of a secure shelf your new cat can avoid any unwanted attention.  Allowing your dog access to a crate that they love can also give them a safe haven from your cat.

Dog Appeasing Pheromones

Dog Appeasing Pheromone also known as DAP can help reduce anxiety, especially during novel situations such as introductions. It is odourless to humans but will help calm dogs which can aid smooth introductions to your other pets. It is a synthetic analogue of a pheromone that whelping bitches secrete that calms the puppy shortly after birth and beyond. This product can have the same effects upon adult dogs and is used frequently to promote calm, relaxed dogs and puppies. DAP is currently available in three forms., which acts just like an air freshener, easily plugging into a socket and releasing a constant flow of pheromones. You can also opt for the which is handy as you can spray it on their bedding or in your car to help reduce stress. The latest innovation is a collar , they look and feel much like a flea collar, the pheromone lasts for up to four weeks in these collars and allows the dog to benefit from the calming properties of DAP when out walking. If you are based in the UK you can purchase DAP from any veterinarian or online at petsupermarket by typing DAP into the search and scrolling down a little.