AJ P
Posted : 12/31/2006 8:12:11 PM
I introduced a full-grown dog to my two cats three weeks ago. One of the cats is 3 years old and the other 5 months old. The cats are mainly indifferent to the dog, who had no idea what they were. I do not allow him to bark at them--that makes all the animals tense. I supervised them closely, and warned the dog in a low voice whenever he got too bold with the cats---for his sake. Before you know it, he'd startled the 3 year old. She whipped around and delivered a stern Chun-Li-esque 98-hit combo to his muzzle. (Or that's what it looks like, anyway.)
However, even though she has all of her claws, she did not use use them. Her upper-body power and speed was enough to startle him. Now he strictly respects both of the cats, and they carry on being aloof, as cats do. However, the older cat has forgiven him and will walk beneath his legs and rub her tail against the underside of his body. The younger one tries to engage him in play, but she is all of 6 lbs, and he is 99 lbs, and they can't seem to work out how play is supposed to go. [

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Despite all this, he is STILL in his kennel whenever I am asleep or no one is in the house. I cannot take the chance that he will hurt one of them, or they will hurt him--the potential for harm to BOTH is always there.
Above all, be patient. Teach the dog to respect the cat, and do not push the cat into anything.