New Puppy

[QTkitty]

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Hi all! I could really use some suggestions on my current situation. I just moved out to Colorado with my 2 cats (both 8 years old). They took the trip really well and adjusted to the new house immediately (they were rolling around on the floor and playing by the end of the first day). So it has been about a week and we decided to adopt a 10 week old pointer mix puppy. She is so sweet and smart but has the regular puppy energy. After 2 days she has learned stay, sit and leave it. Anyway, my cats have since decided to isolate themselves in my bedroom (with their food, water and litter box). They seem content to just lounge around on the bed or their kitty condo all day but they don't want to come out. When they do come out it's only at night when things have really settled down and they will only sit on the top of the couch for a few minutes where the puppy can't reach them and they watch her (puppy) the entire time. When I try to bring them down to my lap (where they used to sit all day) the puppy runs up (curiously) and the cats hiss and run back into the bedroom. I try to discipline the puppy (by telling her to stay, etc.) but the stern voice also freaks the cats out. They do the same when I try to hold them near the puppy (also restrained) in an attempt to introduce them. I am heartbroken that I may have destroyed my kitties happy lives, but am glad that I was able to save the puppy and give her a home. Does anyone have any experience/ advise for me? Thank you so much!

 

[chris03333]

Hi all! I could really use some suggestions on my current situation. I just moved out to Colorado with my 2 cats (both 8 years old). They took the trip really well and adjusted to the new house immediately (they were rolling around on the floor and playing by the end of the first day). So it has been about a week and we decided to adopt a 10 week old pointer mix puppy. She is so sweet and smart but has the regular puppy energy. After 2 days she has learned stay, sit and leave it. Anyway, my cats have since decided to isolate themselves in my bedroom (with their food, water and litter box). They seem content to just lounge around on the bed or their kitty condo all day but they don't want to come out. When they do come out it's only at night when things have really settled down and they will only sit on the top of the couch for a few minutes where the puppy can't reach them and they watch her (puppy) the entire time. When I try to bring them down to my lap (where they used to sit all day) the puppy runs up (curiously) and the cats hiss and run back into the bedroom. I try to discipline the puppy (by telling her to stay, etc.) but the stern voice also freaks the cats out. They do the same when I try to hold them near the puppy (also restrained) in an attempt to introduce them. I am heartbroken that I may have destroyed my kitties happy lives, but am glad that I was able to save the puppy and give her a home. Does anyone have any experience/ advise for me? Thank you so much!

It took my cats a good 3 months to tolerate the dog. Give it time. Let them learn on their own. As the puppy gets more disiplined, they will be more likely to accept it (my puppy had to learn that lunging at the cats was not the way to greet them)

 

[sofficat]

i agree with above. give them a few months and they'll be fine.

 

[kate_g]

My SO and I used to live with some housemates who decided to bring home a lab/golden puppy without warning. Our cats were not pleased. BUT... They were adults, and considerably more agile and coordinated than the puppy. I never witnessed a situation where I thought the puppy was endangering the cats, and the cats always escaped her easily, so I didn't try to protect them too much or even to keep the puppy away from them (she was crated at night though). This was specifically because I wanted to let nature take its course - that is, puppy annoys cat, cat gives puppy a really good swipe across the nose, puppy learns to respect cat, cat tolerates puppy...

 

[QTkitty]

Thanks all, I really appreciate your timely responses. This has been bothering me immensely and it's really nice to know that I'm not the only one who has gone through this and that it does get better. I am definitely working on the "leave it" command, and although she has picked it up, when she gets excited she sometimes decides not to listen to me. My biggest fear is that by the time the cats are more comfortable and ready to come out of hiding, the puppy will have grown to a size where she will be a threat to them. Hopefully by that time I will be in command and she will listen to me when I tell her to leave them alone. That's my goal for now anyway! I'm still making sure to take time out of the day to visit the kitties in the bedroom and let them know that I haven't forgotten about them. Thank you sooo much!!!! 😀

 

[silverelf]

yeah my parents have a jack russell (well its technically mine, but lived with them while I was in college) and when i brought home my "college cat" I thought it was going to be a total mess...yes my jack had been raised with cats, but poor Roo was 4 and had never seen a dog before. Its only been a month, and she gets better every single day. It does take a LONG LONGGG time, but eventually your cats will come around. The hardest part for me is coordinating litterbox runs...the litter box is in the furnished basement where the dogs spend 90% of their time...

 

[QTkitty]

Well it looks like I spoke too soon. One of my cats has, as of today, taken to coming into the living room and cuddling on my lap. She still freaks out if Daisy (puppy) gets excited or anything, but it makes me think it wont be long before they can completely tolerate each other. I'm also looking forward to seeing my other kitty out here! On a side note, I took Daisy in to the vet today for my free vet check with the adoption and she's infected with isospora. I called to make the appointment right away when I noticed the diarrhea with a tinge of blood and am glad that it wasn't worse than coccidiosis! She's under treatment now and will hopefully be feeling better within the next few days.
Thanks for helping me out, you guys are great!!!

 

[Equus caballus]

I'm glad to hear the kitties are starting to feel more comfortable around your new puppy. I agree with the others that it will probably just be a matter of time. Maybe, dare I say, they will become inseparable?

😀

 

[PAThbrd]

My german shepherd is petrified of my roommates 9lb one-eyed cat. It took them a couple weeks to get used to each other but they have a nice relationship now where they basically ignore one another and everyone is happy. I would say, just as everyone else has, just give them time, a little bit of hissing and a smack or two across the face and the puppy, regardless of size, will learn to respect the cats and the cats will figure out that their life is still pretty good.

Good luck!

 

[VelcroSky]

They do the same when I try to hold them near the puppy (also restrained) in an attempt to introduce them.

Be careful about doing things like this. You may be making things worse. Think about it like this...suppose you were afraid of something, say snakes, and somebody restrained you and forced you to come face to face with a big old copperhead. Now say that person didn't speak your language and you had no idea what the heck they were doing. You might leave this situation even more afraid of snakes than you started. I think it's best not to force the situation and just let the kitties go at their own pace.

Good luck!

 

[kate_g]

You could also try getting a Feliway diffuser, and put it out in the living room. Might reinforce a general sense of well-being for the cats and make them more comfortable coming out there, since I'm sure right now that room smells overwhelmingly of dog to them.

(Anecdotal stats from my vet were that Feliway reduces anxiety to some degree in about 2/3 of the cats he's recommended it for.)

 

[Angelo84]

You could also try rescue remedy to reduce anxiety. It can be found in the health food stores and is a bach flower remedy ( one drop on the tongue). I have never actually used it myself but client often use it before bringing animals in to the small animal vet I work at. good luck!