We are adopting a 2.5 year old dog and need to introduce him to a 9yr old house cat?

[bugz]

Need opinions on how to make this transition smoother.
He is a well behaved dog- very well trained and the cat has been on her own for about 3 years.
Thank-you for the great tips all of you

Well we tried the crate- however we put the cat in a crate, lifting a 100 lb dog in a crate- not happening.
LOL- Anyways, he went to smell the cage she hissed, he cocked his head and walked away- Surprising to say the least. So we put the cat in the basement and left the door open. He went down once or twice, but I think He is thinking the cat rules. As soon as she hisses he walks away. This morning the cat seen him lying in his crate walked up the stairs, hissed and walked away- so far so good.

 

[pruin1]

Leave the cat in a room for a couple of days and let them smell each other through the door...I have always used a crate to intro dogs and cats as they can see each other and you can see how they will react in a safe environment. It may take a week to let them be together, it may take a month, it really depends on them. Once you can let them out together have a baby gate or something that the cat can escape to without the dog being able to catch her so she can get away if she needs and I wouldnt leave them alone together while you are out for a quite a while. It will take some patience and time but if you are patient they get used to each other eventually with possible a spat or two along the way.

You can also leave your dog leash during non seperated interactions, let it hang but have it so you can grab it. I wouldnt intro treats to the mix as it can cause a tif between them.

My cats accept new dogs but will kill a cat, go figure.

 

[Janet712inEngland]

This really shouldn't be a problem, Bugz, unless the two of them cannot work out who is The Boss. Sometimes the long-time resident will remain the leader but sometimes the new kid on the block will be more aggressive. Once they work out on their own who is in charge, everything will fall into place naturally.

To make this happen, be sure to introduce them to each other while you are in the room. Then, unless they become overly aggressive with each other, just let them get to know each other on their own. Don't interfere and don't, under any circumstances, get uptight or upset. Just be relaxed and happy. They'll pick up on that -- and will probably be relaxed and happy themselves.

 

[grndprx08]

Let them be together only while you are with them until they get accustomed to each other. There will be some curiosity between them at first and they might try to establish dominance over each other but that's ok. This is normal between animals. While together make sure you play with each of them and give them a couple of treats. This will reinforce to them that good things happen when they are together. Good luck!