Cats and Dogs

Many people’s idea of a happy family includes our two most popular pets—the cat and the dog—living together in harmony as an integrated part of the family unit. However, our English language also has the phrase “they fight like cats and dogs” used to describe humans or animals who don’t get along. This phrase has its origin in the fact that relationships between dogs and cats can be problematic, or that it might require work for them to truly become friends. If we want both animals in our home, there are several things we should do to help them get along , but first, we must understand why it is they tend to clash.

 

One common reason is that cats have an instinct to fear dogs. The dog’s wolf ancestor is a natural predator that hunts wild felines of a similar size to domestic cats. This means that our family cat is likely to react to a new dog companion with fear aggression, and it is our responsibility as owners to plan their initial meeting accordingly. In most cases, it requires a carefully structured training plan to teach a cat that dogs can be friendly and harmless. Puppies add another layer of complexity, as their playfulness makes them even more unpredictable than an adult dog in the eyes of a cat.

Another reason for a strained cat-dog relationship is the language they speak. Cats and dogs both use scent and scent marking to communicate amongst themselves, but the two scent languages are completely different. Cats primarily use scent marking to instruct other cats to stay away, while dogs use scent to tell the rest of the pack where to find them. Therefore, cats and dogs often misunderstand each other’s signals, resulting in conflict, so we must take measures to prevent that. Barking is another factor of dog behavior that might stress out your cat, and cats often need to be desensitized to the sound before concluding that it is harmless. Finally, we also need to ensure that the environment we offer has sufficient resources to accommodate both a cat and a dog. Here, it is important to remember that we, their humans, are also resources to them. We provide them with food, water, attention, and companionship, so it is not uncommon to see competition and even spouts of jealousy between cat and dog family members. To prevent them from developing territorial behavior directed at us, we must plan the attention we give them and set aside specific playtime for both.

Cats and dogs can live happily together and become lifelong friends. It just requires knowledge, patience, and training. If you are interested in adding a cat or a dog to your family, Smiling Kitty can help! We offer tips on how to introduce cats and dogs, set up their home environment, mix scents, and desensitize a cat to a dog’s bark. Book a Cat Care Consultation with us to discuss what you and your pets need! Click here to read our section on failed cat-dog introductions.