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My kitten hisses at my dog. What are the next steps for introductions?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | 3 months old

I have a 2 month old kitten, Zoey and a 7 year old Golden Retriever Guayo. I started introducing Zoey and Guayo by placing Zoey in her crate and having Guayo sit in the same room with a leash on. Zoey will growl at first and then begin to meow and reach for him. I moved on to letting Zoey out of her crate and placing a dog gate at the door of the room while keeping Guayo sitting on the other side. Zoey will ignore him sometimes but other times she will hiss. What should me next steps be? Thanks!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Laura Johnson VMD

Veterinarian

Published on October 1st, 2018

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The next step should be allowing them to be in the same room while Guayo is on a leash and Zoey is out. Allow the dog to do her thing while you hold the leash. If that goes well for 1-2 weeks then Guayo is allowed off the leash while adults are present. I wouldn't leave them out alone together until Zoey is an adult and you have had MONTHS of no issues. Good luck!

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    Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 22nd, 2018

    I would wait until Zoey is comfortable in your home. Introduce her to spaces your dog also occupies, but without Guayo. When she feels confident and does not hide anymore you can have them sniff at each other through a partition and check how it goes. Make sure she always has a safe place to retreat to. There probably will be a lot of hissing and spitting in the beginning.

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