As your local Hatfield pet sitter, I have a lot of experience with multi-pet families. My own “furbaby family” consists of 2 cats and a dog. In my experience, cats and dogs can be raised together and live side-by-side for many years, but sometimes can never “just get along”!
I’ll provide you with some examples I have seen over the years. When we adopted Alley as a puppy, we were sure she and our little, sweet cat Mimi would get along great. We were a bit nervous over how our dominant male cat, Monty would feel. Much to our surprise, Monty and Alley are now best buddies! They sleep together and never bother each other. Mimi, on the other hand, is deathly afraid of Alley. She hisses and growls at the sight of her – which only excites our dog more! No matter what we try – these two never seem to get along.
I pet sit in some households where the dogs do not even seem to notice or care about the kitties. In other houses, the cats and dogs must be completely separated. I’m no animal behaviorist, so I cant completely explain whats going on here. I can say that I think it comes down to 2 things.
- The confidence level of the cats
- The maturity or training of the dog
If your cat, like Mimi, isn’t super confident they wont hang out around the dog enough for the dog to become used to their presence. Mimi will continually hiss, growl and run away and never stand her ground. Alley still acts somewhat puppy-ish and thinks all the growling and hissing is her cue to chase and try to play with Mimi.
So in my experience, cats and dogs can be the best of friends – or the worst enemies. Sometimes proper introduction and socialization will never fix their relationship. Sometimes you just gotta hope for the best!
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