How To Make Friends Between A Cat And A Dog?

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 12:41

In the houses of our readers, both cats and dogs very often live together, so the question of how to make friends of these notorious "irreconcilable enemies" worries very many. Here's what German zoopsychologists advise.

Many are convinced that it is easier to keep a cat than a dog, since a dog, as a more social animal, needs communication, and an independent animal, a cat, does not need it. Most dogs are hunters by nature, some breeds (terriers, dachshunds, huskies) have been selected for centuries for their unsurpassed hunting qualities, and therefore it is in the genes of dogs to catch up and bite possible "game". Cats are hunters too, because their ancestors are formidable predators of the feline family, and modern cats have not lost their desire to track down and catch small prey. Usually a cat takes the role of a leader in relation to a dog (and often a person), but if the hierarchy turns out to be the opposite, then large dogs may well cause harm - the cat's flight serves as an involuntary impulse to pursue it. A dog bowl can also become dangerous for a cat. But the cat, too, can stand up for itself and cause serious injury, especially to small dogs or puppies.

Popular rumor ascribes eternal enmity between the cat and the dog, but mutual affection also occurs between "enemies" - can it be called friendship? Prominent animal behaviorist Konrad Lorenz wrote: “As my personal experience shows, true friendship between different species of animals is extremely rare. For this reason, I called this chapter "The Truce" and not "Animal Friendship" or something of the same kind. Mutual tolerance is certainly not synonymous with friendship, and even when animals are united by a common interest (for example, when they play together), still, as a rule, one cannot say that there is a real social connection between them, and even more so a lasting friendship ". And yet, is it possible not to make friends, but at least avoid conflicts between these beloved pets?

Many people ask the question: who should be started first - a dog or a cat?

It is difficult to answer unequivocally. In addition, there is rarely a choice, as a rule, most people already have a dog or cat, and they want to have another "beast".

At what age is it better to introduce these four-legged?

Babies get used to each other most easily. If you already have a cat and want to have a dog, then get a puppy (3 to 12 weeks old). The ideal option is when you have an adult dog who is good or at least indifferent to cats. Get a kitten and let him see the dog from time to time. The first meeting must be under your control. Let the beginner sniff and get used to it a little, and the “master of the house” will get to know his smell. Do not force pets to acquaintance by nudging each other, usually at first they study each other from a distance. At first, feed the cat and dog in the same room, but in opposite corners (so that they get used to each other's smell and associate it with something positive). But even if later your cat and dog eat from the same bowl (usually a dog's), you should still feed them separately.

If the dog wags its tail and invites the cat to play in characteristic poses, then you can be sure that it has sympathy for it. Pet the cat, as such "attacks" from the dog's side are most likely not clear to her, but over time she will learn to join the game.

A cat often shows its affection for a dog by biting its tail, or using it to sharpen its claws. Cats love warmth very much and quickly grasp that the dog is a real “living warmer”, so they often lie down on the bedding or even on the dog itself. Accustomed to each other, the animals take care of their "comrade": they wash, clean their ears, and rest together.

Sometimes a truce between a cat and a dog never comes: in this case, it is not bad if the "enemies" try to avoid each other. During constant conflicts, the warring parties can injure themselves, so it is better to separate especially irreconcilable pets and do everything so that they do not meet.

Prepared by V. Shaurova, Kurgan