My cats are fighting after new puppy. How can I help them get along?

Question

I feel like my cats are stressed out, lately they’ve been fighting more often. Typically they don’t mind each other and often get annoyed, they will fight but not to physically injure one another. I just got a puppy that is a small dog and is 5 months old, the cats have never been around a dog. I’ve tried everything as far as calming aids, calming diffuser, I’ve tried to get all animals to play together. I just don’t know how else to get the cats to relax with the pup. Will it just take time?

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

Yes, it will likely take time, considering the cat's routines have been shaken up by the new puppy! Expect a few weeks to even months before things return to "normal". That said, making sure your cats have a place where they can relax without the puppy present (high perches, closed off rooms, etc) and can get to their food, litter, etc without the puppy is best for helping them to settle in. Make sure yo reward your puppy (and cats) for calm behavior. If someone gets too worked up or excited, taking a break with everyone in separate rooms until calmed down, and then trying again after can help teach your puppy that they get to have fun when quiet and calm, but that fun stops when everyone is too excited. This article may also help: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-introduce-a-dog-to-a-cat/

My cats are fighting after new puppy. How can I help them get along?

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