My dog and cat aren't friends. How can I help them get along?

Question

Is there a way to make my dog and my cat to get along? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | 1 month and 22 days old

Rodrigo Roca, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, sorry to hear about your pets. This is a complex situation that will likely require a long time and patience to resolve. This is also multifactorial and a few ground rules must be implemented before working on the long term management. First thing is, cats will be rulers and your dog will have to learn to respect Calvin's space and tolerance. From there on, your cat will have to get used to Calvin being around and learn to keep her distance from your dog. You must set expectations for yourself, as you may never be able to get them to interact in a social manner but you could realistically get them to be able to live in the same place. Specific recommendations on how to approach this will need to be made by a behaviorist whom has obtained important information about your household and lifestyle to then assess the best way to approach this situation. When modifying a behavior, there are multiple methods to achieve whats desired. You should plan to see a behaviorist to truly get a full plan for your pets, in the interim however, do not overwhelm then by having unlimited exposure to one another. You should keep them separate and interchange items in their separate rooms so that they become accustomed to their different scents. You should play and interact with each separately but wearing the same clothing so that they become used to that as well. Hope this helps and best of luck.

My dog and cat aren't friends. How can I help them get along?

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