Animal help (dog and cat intergration)

[the kid 05]

Ok so my dad and mom just got 2 new kittens from an animal shelter and our 5 year old dog doesn't like it. We've tried next to everything (last and final resort is a shock collar which im againts) are there any other tips or tricks we can use?

I've held annie (our dog) and ma n pa brought the kittens next to her and she just growls and barks like she wants a snack and the dumb kittens stroll right up to her (quite funny actually). but if i hold the cats and walk them up to annie she doesn't do anything just sits there. I really want them to be intergrated into the house and allow the cats to be able to rome free instead of being cooped up in my parents bedroom.

Thanks,

Tim/Kid

 

[DallasCowpoke]

are there any other tips or tricks we can use?

Duct tape.

 

[ShiningStar]

Ok so my dad and mom just got 2 new kittens from an animal shelter and our 5 year old dog doesn't like it. We've tried next to everything (last and final resort is a shock collar which im againts) are there any other tips or tricks we can use?

I've held annie (our dog) and ma n pa brought the kittens next to her and she just growls and barks like she wants a snack and the dumb kittens stroll right up to her (quite funny actually). but if i hold the cats and walk them up to annie she doesn't do anything just sits there. I really want them to be intergrated into the house and allow the cats to be able to rome free instead of being cooped up in my parents bedroom.

Thanks,

Tim/Kid

What kind of dog is it and did anyone do research on the breed and how they are with other animals? How old is the dog, age plays a part, younger might be more aggresive older might be more tolerable.

How long has the cats been there, did the dog get to smell the cats?

 

[DallasCowpoke]

What kind of dog is it and did anyone do research on the breed and how they are with other animals? How old is the dog, age plays a part, younger might be more aggresive older might be more tolerable.

How long has the cats been there, did the dog get to smell the cats?

"shhhttt!!"
​

 

[the kid 05]

What kind of dog is it and did anyone do research on the breed and how they are with other animals? How old is the dog, age plays a part, younger might be more aggresive older might be more tolerable.

How long has the cats been there, did the dog get to smell the cats?

She is a Jack Russell Terrier bout 5 and a half years old. Cats have been here for bout 2 weeks and yes the dog got the cats smell. Cats are male so we ruled out the female territorial option, she hates all female animals and generally gets well with male dogs

 

[Faerluna]

Start with some cut up pieces of chicken. It's usually a favorite for dogs. Bring the kittens into the room (like in a carrier) where she is and when they come in, give her a piece of chicken.

Keep her attention with the chicken, get her to focus on you. If she looks at the kittens, get her attention again, then when she looks away from them, praise her and give her the chicken.

Take the kittens out of the room and stop the chicken. Then bring them in again, rinse repeat.

You might have to do it for an hour or more, but she will begin to understand that when the kittens are there, good things happen. Pretty soon, she will associate them with the good feelings without needing the chicken. When she's starting to get it, you can bring them in without the carrier.

Jack Russels are smart. Hopefully she learns the behavior fast.

 

[Duane]

Start with some cut up pieces of chicken. It's usually a favorite for dogs. Bring the kittens into the room (like in a carrier) where she is and when they come in, give her a piece of chicken.

Keep her attention with the chicken, get her to focus on you. If she looks at the kittens, get her attention again, then when she looks away from them, praise her and give her the chicken.

Take the kittens out of the room and stop the chicken. Then bring them in again, rinse repeat.

You might have to do it for an hour or more, but she will begin to understand that when the kittens are there, good things happen. Pretty soon, she will associate them with the good feelings without needing the chicken. When she's starting to get it, you can bring them in without the carrier.

Jack Russels are smart. Hopefully she learns the behavior fast.

That's great advice Faerluna. Do you have any experience integrating cats from different homes into one?

My fiance and I are going to be joining her cat with my two cats in a few months and I'm a bit worried that they are going to mix like oil and water.

 

[burmafrd]

cats are very territorial and you probably will have problems. Unless brought up together as kittens its hard to get cats to get along.

 

[Faerluna]

I have integrated lots of cats, all of them one at a time. There will be a time at the beginning that that they will not get along, especially if they are all non-kittens.

If you have the room, you could keep the new cat separated in another room with the door closed for a day or so. They can smell each other through the door. Although there will still be grouchy feelings, they will have a little familiarity when you let them out. Not everyone has the room to do this, and I've never really done it, but I understand it can help.

I like to keep the newcomer beside me for awhile on the couch. Let the cats who are the regular residents come up and growl and hiss and carry on for a second, but then shoo them away.

It usually takes a week or so for everyone to get less aggressive, sometimes more.

Sometimes it will never happen, because some cats just won't get along. In my experience, these cats mostly just stay out of each other's way.

Some other things you can do to help

- Play with a feather type toy with all of them at the same time.

- If you are a dry feeder, split a can of wet food between them all as a treat. Give to the resident cat first, then to the newcomers.

- I've used Feliway plug-ins and I think they have helped. You can get them cheaper in bulk on Ebay or Amazon. Price around.

- A little baby powder on all the cats so they have the same scent I've heard helps. I've tried this, but I'm not sure how much it really helped.

- Make sure the resident cats aren't blocking the way to the litter box or food dishes. One of mine likes to do this to intimidate some of the more timid cats sometimes.


The most important part with integrating cats is patience. Don't get angry or punish them for just doing what comes naturally for them, but don't be afraid to correct them for unnecessary grouching. (I clap my hands loudly in their direction or call their name to break the focus on the other cat.)

 

[TheCount]

I've been told it's better to introduce them on neutral ground than at home, where the dog is used to feeling like he runs things, but I don't have cats myself so never had to try and integrate the two.

 

[Faerluna]

I've been told it's better to introduce them on neutral ground than at home, where the dog is used to feeling like he runs things, but I don't have cats myself so never had to try and integrate the two.

That's great for 2 dogs, but cats not so much.

 

[Duane]

A bunch of good advice.

It's going to be a new home for all the cats and all the people since we're moving from two separate apartments to a single home. Hopefully some of the same advice will apply. Thanks for the help - hope I didn't sidetrack Kid's thread too much.

 

[ShiningStar]

cats, like wolves have pack, cat's use "pride". So the cats have to intergrate with the new smells. Some use rooms, others hope for the best. We have a young male with an older female and it actually went quickly. It was easier to let the male run around and get his smell all over and the female just ignored him for a while and kept to herself until he wanted to play, than they set their standards and all has been well.

Neutral territory may not be the best bet because the territory is new to the cats and they might be more concerned with making it their territory and see the other cats that need to be run off.

And i agree with all of Far's post. For us tho it was easier than the whole long tranisition stage, but it works for some cats, some you get lucky with, others not so much.

Than again, theres always putting the cats in the bathtub with tuna smeared on them and let them lick each other clean.

Also if you have to, if the cats also dont use the liter box, clean them out, use some arm and hammer baking soda to dent the smell and refill with clean litter and let the cats each have 1 for each pride, til they get older and cant hold it in.

You may get lucky and they all work it out in a few days, or it might be a migraine for a little while til the other great advice you got works.

 

[Faerluna]

Than again, theres always putting the cats in the bathtub with tuna smeared on them and let them lick each other clean.

This made me LOL irl.

:laugh2:

 

[bbgun]

awwwww

 

[Hoofbite]

That shock collar is useless for this situation.

The dog will learn that its the human making the shock, not the band around his neck.

So he'll lay into the cats when humans are gone.

Muzzle the dog and declaw the cats. Watch the dog head butt the cats while they pop him on the face with what amounts to be a cotton ball.