Need to introduce my shy cat to a dog household

[charlie and algernon]

I'm in the midst of having to move out of my current apartment and will be moving in with a friend. I've got a cat and was finding it nearly impossible to find a place that 1) I can afford and 2) will accept pets. So a close friend, who recently moved into a new place herself, is renting out her spare room to me. It's a great place and I'm taking the offer, but there is one issue, she's got an active Shih Tzu.

I brought the cat over earlier this week and while they didn't attack each other, my cat was still pretty terrified.


So I come to you, the pet experts of DU: what's the best way to peacefully introduce a fairly shy cat to an active dog? I did read that it may be best to alternate keeping one of them confined to a bedroom while the other has free roam of the house for a day. I'm also considering getting a pet gate so the cat could have her own section of the house by my room to hang out in while the dog keeps the rest.

What are your tips for getting the two to coexist?

Thanks!

[Walk away]

1. A gate is a good idea...

not because it will keep the cat and dog apart, but a short gate is usually high enough to stop a Shih Tzu but low enough for a cat to easily hop. The important thing is to give your cat the ability to eat, poo and pee and rest without the dog bothering her. Eventually they will become friends but if your kitty is shy she will appreciate a safe option until they are both acclimated.

[Auntie Bush]

2. That's good advice. Maybe you can find

a gate that's low enough for you to step over.

[charlie and algernon]

4. yeah, I figured the gate would be the second phase

after a couple week or so period where one of them is always confined to a room. That way the cat is either in her safe area in my room with the door closed, or the dog is confined and the cat can roam in peace. Then once the cat is comfortable, we introduce the gate so the cat can leave the room while the dog is out roaming.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. I have never been in this situation,

but I do know that with two cats who are thrown into the same household, it takes at least a month before the get used to each other (unless you are extremely lucky and have the perfect cats). The best way for introductions in the case of two cats (and I would assume it would be the same with a cat and dog) is to have the new cat confined behind a closed door while the resident still have free roam. They will get to know each other by scent through the door before they have time to get into fights.

It is important to understand that the resident animal is dominant in that house before you get there, and he may not be happy about the intruder. Also, the new animal will be surrounded by the scents of the resident, that that can be very intimidating. If it were me, I would keep my cat in the room that is yours for a while, so that she/he can get used to the new surroundings in peace, plus get to know the dog without that awkward face-to-face immediately.

[charlie and algernon]

5. Oh I've done the cat and cat introduction before

The last place I was at (before my current place) had a resident cat. THAT introduction went great and I think it only took a couple days before we were able to have both cats out roaming together unsupervised. But in that case, both cats had basically the same calm personality. So we were extremely lucky there.

This time the resident animal has a very active, exitable personality while the cat is shy and would rather be left alone. So this will take more time.

[TorchTheWitch]

7. eventually they'll figure out how to peacefully co-exist

Though the dog is active at least it isn't a big dog that would look at kitty like a snack though even bid dogs usually back off from a kitty... all of my Akitas learned very quickly that kitties won't put up with them wanting to either play with them or eat them. I always warned them to be nice to kitties or they'll take out their eyeballs so fast they'll be staring up at themselves wondering what happened. As long as the dog doesn't resent the cat's intrusion into the household (and though you haven't explicitly said it seems that the dog doesn't have a problem with the cat but is more interested in wanting to play with it). It will take about a month or so for them to both settle down and live peacefully together in the same house though they may not ever become buddies.

When I was a kid we introduced a puppy to a two cat household. Though they learned to live peacefully all together they never did become friends but they did accept just avoiding one another. All of them were loners in that they didn't want any pet friends even though the two cats were brother and sister kittehs. When the dog was a puppy of course he wanted to play with them, but the cats let him know right quick that they weren't interested in playing with him and to respect their personal space... a swipe at the dog's nosy nose without putting their claws out was all it took for him to figure out that the kitties didn't like him getting so personal. Sometimes they would get close to each other (though respectfully not touching) when winter came and they'd all hog the area in front of the kerosene heater. That was as tolerantly close as the cats ever allowed with the dog and even each other.

As others mentioned, for at least a month keep them physically separated. They'll both get accustomed to the scent of each other and accept it as part of the home which is simple since they both have great noses, so they don't need to actually physically come into contact with each other to get used to each other's scent in the house. I still think especially with a rammy doggie that the cat will at some point give him a good swipe at the nose to make him respect their personal space. Though your kitty is shy, eventually it will probably lose the fear of the dog and then get annoyed with it if it gets too personal. Once that attitude changes kitty will let doggie know to get a grip and back off. Cats are really good at that. LOL!

It'll work out whether they become buddies or just learn to tolerate each other while respecting each other's personal spaces. As long as you and your new roomie are both on the same page as to how the pets learn to tolerate each other or even become friends, then all will be just fine. After a month or so they can likely be fine both having full run of the house with each respecting what the other wants.

[hamsterjill]

6. I second this completely!

Including the fact that it's going to take much longer than a day. A month is a good estimate. And don't rush anything even at that point.

[applegrove]

8. You could also prepare them before

the move by putting something with the dog's scent right by the cat for a few days.

[charlie and algernon]

9. UPDATE: So far so good

I moved in on Monday, but I left the cat at the old place until Tuesday, which allowed me to get the new room sorted out. When I brought the cat in, the dog immediately went over to her carrier to check it out. Again, it was more of a curious thing, not a defensive "I must fight this invader" thing. The cat was thoroughly freaked out though and when I got her in my room, she hid in the closet and started panting pretty heavily.

Since then, she's calmed down quite a bit and has grown comfortable in the room. It helps that the room is upstairs and far away from where the dog hangs out downstairs. She's eating and going to the bathroom normally which is very good.

Last night, I actually carried the cat downstairs and held her while the dog came over. That didn't last long as the cat tried to bury her head into my neck, but once I brought her back upstairs, she calmed down very quickly and started purring again once I petted her, none of the panting from the first time.

So she at least recognizes that my room is her safe zone, but it will still take some time until she's comfortable around the dog.