New Dog to home with 4 yr old rescue cat

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MemphisMourns - 16 Apr 2007 01:52 GMT

Greetings,

About three years ago I rescued a feral cat that was at a shelter. Now he has
completely taken over my home and owns the place. I have a cat door, and he
hangs out with my neighbors cats and lies in the grass and does what he wants.
He spends probably 20 hours a day sleeping on the couch, tho. The other day a
friends french bulldog came running in, and my cat was out the catdoor in
half a second. He didn't come back for awhile either. Well, the reason why I
adopted him was because he was the next to be euthanized at a local shelter...
and now I have found another animal with the same problem. A cute 18 lb
chihuahua mix dog around a year old. I fell in love with him and have decided
to adopt him. I'm concerned that my cat just isn't going to have this. The
dog is great, it loves every dog that was around him, and even didn't notice
the cats. I am worried about my Cat taking off now and never coming back...
how do I get my cat to give this new pup a chance? This pup deserves a home
also, and I am excited for the new buddy. But I would die if my cat never
came back...

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Yugo - 21 Apr 2007 19:47 GMT

> Greetings,
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> friends french bulldog came running in, and my cat was out the catdoor in
> half a second. He didn't come back for awhile either.

> I am worried about my Cat taking off now and never coming back...

Cats have habits. For instance, I got mine last October and the
windows were closed at that time. Whereas she often stays in front of
the window when it's closed, she now runs away when I open it. I don't
see her until I close the window at night. Rest assured she'll get
used to it and spend all summer in the open window. I must not try to
rush things, that's all.

Greeting another animal in your house is a much larger change, mainly
that your cat has spent 4 years alone inside. It's going to take some
time getting used to. Don't believe cats and dogs stories. They can
get along very well and even become very affectionate friends. But, at
4 years, your cat might just come to accept the dog, no more. It
depends on character.

Don't try to make them friends. For a day or two, it could be a good
idea to keep the dog in a room when the cat is inside. Make sure you
give your cat at least as much attention as usual. If he flees, don't
worry, he'll come back when he's hungry. Maybe you could give him a
special treat when the dog arrives.

I see no problem in this situation.

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