those with a cat and dog....HELP

We've had a cat since November 2011, and my dh just got a Maltese/Pug Mix. The cat is male and the dog is female and they don't get along. My cat appears afraid of the dog. What did you do to get them to get along???

Re: those with a cat and dog....HELP

Our cat was terrified of our dog, we just monitored them and had our dog leave our cat alone for a bit. It took a little time (about 2 weeks) and now they're the best of friends

Re: those with a cat and dog....HELP

That's an adorable pictures of your cat and dog!! I love how close they want to be to each other.

To the OP, I had a cat that I got after I had a dog. The cat was never the type to really want to be around the dog, and the dog was afraid of the cat, so we actually kept them separated for a long time and eventually when we introduced them to each other they really just did their own thing and coexisted without getting in each other's way. We had a german shepherd who was older by then and she was afraid, the cat wasn't really afraid of anything, but the dog being afraid set the tone and she just steered clear of the cat. I know from dealing with cats and dogs that cats become more acclimated over time and are more likely to go from being standoffish to friendlier, so hopefully after a little time the cat will be more comfortable and relaxed with the dog. They'll get used to each other and adapt!

Re: those with a cat and dog....HELP

I have two cats and two dogs...

The cats were in the house first, and when we brought the dogs in.. we put up a gate so that the cats could go into an area that was 'dog free'.
We originallyl crated the puppies when we weren't home...
We were very stern with the puppies to they knew they couldn't chase the cats... we never forced them together and just let them become used to each other on their own terms.
One of my cats is still a bit standoff-ish with the dogs, but will on occasion rub her head on them...the other thinks she is a dog and spend the most time with them!

This is a very regular occurance in our house now...

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Re: those with a cat and dog....HELP

We kept a baby gate up so the cat had a safe area away from the dog. They are now okay and he knows how to get away from her if she is too much. You can also have a high place for the cat to escape to if needed.

Good luck!