Introducing Dogs to Cats

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Welcoming a new pet into your family? Read this comprehensive guide to learn how to prepare your home, facilitate safe introductions and help your dog and cat coexist peacefully. For the quick guide to introducing dogs and cats, click here.

If you’re not sure whether your current pet would be able to live comfortably with a new dog or cat, take a look at our Tips for Picking a New Pet.

When You’re Preparing to Introduce a Dog and Cat…

Set up safe spaces for the cat:

Before bringing home the new dog or cat, set up the cat’s safe space — a room that the dog can’t access. You’ll want to keep the cat and dog completely separate and out of each other’s sight for the first week or so. This space should have everything your cat needs: food, water, a litter box, places to hide, multiple scratchers (offer a variety), places to rest and sleep, and toys and enrichment.

If the cat is the new pet, they should stay in their safe space for the first few weeks without meeting the dog or gaining access to the entire house.

If the cat is the resident pet, it may be difficult to keep them in one room if they are used to having access to the entire home. If this is the case, consider setting up multiple safe rooms for your cat using doors or baby gates — just make sure they are separated so that the dog and cat cannot interact.

The safe space will be important during the introduction process.

Set up success stations for the dog:

Before bringing home the new dog or cat, set up at least one “success station” for the new or resident dog. A success station is a dog-proofed area where your dog can relax and entertain themselves when they are unsupervised or becoming over-aroused. This should be a playpen or an area of the home blocked off with baby gates or exercise pens. (For more information on how to train your dog to be comfortable in a success station, check out: Train Your Dog/Puppy to be Calm in a Pen.)

A success station should have everything your dog needs: food (if it's mealtime), water, a place to rest and sleep, potty pads/access to a potty area, toys and enrichment. There shouldn't be anything in this area that you don't want your dog to chew on or destroy.

A success station sets your dog up for success because it gives them a controlled space where they can make good choices — they can walk around, play with toys or sleep, but they can’t chew your items or get into other mischief!

If the dog is the new pet, a success station offers them a place to decompress and relax unsupervised if they haven’t learned the potty routine and other rules of the house yet. (Check out this resource on setting your new dog up for successful alone time.)

If the dog is the resident pet, they are likely to be excited or stressed when they discover their new kitty roommate. The success station will prevent them from trying to interact with the new cat or redirecting their excitement onto someone or something else.

Some dogs need help relaxing in the presence of exciting things. If your dog is easily excited, you can introduce them to a “Calm Settle” behavior that can be practiced and strengthened in the time leading up to the introduction process. During each stage of the introduction, you can ask for a calm settle in their success station to keep interactions positive.

Provide Your Cat With Escape Options:

Set up at least one high space in each room (cat shelves, cat trees, cubbies, cat walls, etc.) that only the cat can access. If your cat doesn’t think they can escape the dog, they may feel threatened and resort to swatting, scratching and biting.

When the New Pet Arrives:

If your new pet is a dog:

Put your cat in their safe space before bringing the new dog inside.
Once the new dog is home, immediately bring them to their potty spot and then to their success station.
Offer your dog a chew, bone or other form of enrichment to help them relax and stay busy.

If your new pet is a cat:

Put your dog in their success station, the yard or on-leash outside the home before bringing the new cat inside.
Offer your dog something to occupy themselves with (enrichment, toy, chew, bone, etc.) or work on some training exercises.
Bring your new cat straight to their safe space. Place the cat carrier on the ground and open the door. Let your new cat come out on their own time.
Don’t let the dog explore outside your cat's safe space. They will smell and hear each other, but they shouldn't be able to "meet" yet — even through a barrier or door.

Body Language: What to Look for and What to Expect

For additional information on body language, check out our YouTube playlist: Reading Body Language.

Successfully introducing your cat and dog takes patience and time. The introductory period can take weeks or even months of brief, gradual and supervised introductions.

At each stage, observe both pets' body language and behavior to determine how they are feeling about their new roommate. Only move to the next stage of introductions when both pets appear comfortable and relaxed.

Because learning how our pets communicate through body language is a crucial step in successful introductions, we highly recommend you start by watching our Behavior & Training Lecture: Can You Speak Dog or Cat? and referring to our body language resources.

Dogs:

Through their behavior, dogs will communicate whether they can comfortably and safely share space with a cat or not. Signs that your dog is relaxed and feeling positive around a cat include:

A soft, relaxed body
An open mouth (not panting or drooling)
A loose "happy" wagging tail
Choosing other behaviors while in the presence of the other pet, such as checking in with people, sitting or lying down, looking away from the other pet and sniffing or moving away.

Signs your dog is experiencing stress, hyperarousal, reactivity, frustration or other negative emotions include:

A stiff and alert body
Tense facial muscles
A tightly closed mouth, panting or drooling, spatulate tongue
A high and stiff tail with tight, very quick "stress" wags or a low, tucked tail
Being unable to break focus from the other pet (fixation)
Straining and pulling at the end of a leash
Whining, barking, growling, lunging, snapping, biting and hard stare
Puffed up tail and fur (piloerection)

If your dog is showing these signs, they aren’t ready for interactions yet. Many dogs will fall somewhere in the middle at the beginning of this new phase. The goal is calm, relaxed body language and signs of positive emotions towards the cat. If the dog is not calm, move back a step and slow down.

Cats:

Cats will also show signs of comfort or discomfort around dogs. Signs that your cat is experiencing relaxation or positive emotions include:

A soft, relaxed and "neutral" body
Narrowed, soft eyes with small pupils
A loose low or softly swishing tail
Choosing other behaviors while in the presence of the other pet, such as calmly moving away, grooming, sitting or lying down

Indications that your cat is experiencing stress, overstimulation, fear or other negative emotions include:

A stiff and alert body
Tense facial muscles or showing teeth
Wide eyes with large pupils
Puffed up tail and fur (piloerection)
Stiff tail vibrating up high or large swishing tail
Ears back
Being unable to break focus from the other pet (fixation)
Swatting and clawing, hissing, yowling, spitting, biting, fleeing and hard stare

More serious signs that indicate your cat is experiencing high levels of stress and may not be comfortable sharing space with a dog include:

Consistent hiding
Changes to or loss of appetite
Litter box issues
Changes in bathroom habits
Medical issues like upper respiratory infection (URI) or urinary tract infection (UTI)
Sudden disinterest in playing or other changes in your cat’s behavior

The goal is calm, relaxed body language and signs of positive emotions towards the dog. If the cat is not calm, move back a step and slow down.

Tips to Begin Introducing Your New Cat or Dog

Let the new pet decompress before starting the introduction process and remember the 3-3-3 Rule. We want to give the new pet lots of time to decompress and become familiar with the household routines before adding the extra stress of meeting the resident dog or cat.
Spend equal time with both pets. You should spend time with each pet separately and allow them to smell their scents on you. Be sure to pay extra attention to the resident pet, so they don’t associate the change and presence of a new pet with less affection and attention.
Physical Exercise & Mental Enrichment: Be sure that the dog has gotten plenty of playtime and physical exercise before meeting the cat. Provide mental enrichment and physical play for the cat to help them de-stress and avoid overstimulation.
Follow the pets' lead: It’s important to go at your pets' pace and not pressure them to interact before they are ready. Observe and read both pets' body language throughout the process, and only move to the next step when both pets are comfortable. Signs your pet is ready for the next step:
- Showing calm behavior and body language
- Able to relax in the presence of the other pet or the other pet's sounds and scent
- Enthusiastically taking treats and interacting with the other pet
- Not showing signs of stress, being shut down or feeling conflicted
- Not showing signs of hyperarousal, overstimulation, overexcitement, reactivity, frustration or fixation.
Safety First: While it can be tempting to jump right to the face-to-face interaction, it’s crucial to go slow to ensure your pets will interact safely when the time comes.

Remember: For most dogs, chasing cats is a natural instinct, and they can seriously injure them. Many cats are naturally inclined to be fearful of dogs. However, cats can cause injury to a dog if they feel threatened. To keep both pets safe, keep the dog leashed throughout each step of the introduction process, especially for face-to-face interactions.

Redirection, Interruption and Initiating Breaks:
- During the introduction, make sure you can redirect the dog’s attention if they become frustrated, over-aroused or fixated on the cat. Redirect your cat's attention if they become overstimulated, frightened or fixated on the dog. You can use toys, treats and praise so that they’ll focus on you.
- Interrupt and redirect your pets if they are engaging in direct eye contact, hard staring at the other pet, vocalizing, showing stress, fear or overexcitement behaviors and body language, playing too rough for too long, or are not taking breaks.
- The goal is for both pets to be able to take frequent breaks and check in with each other on their own. However, many pets need humans to help them take breaks and be redirected to more appropriate activities. For an example of appropriate play between a dog and cat, check out this video: Grace & Millie Playing.
Freedom to Flee: DO NOT force the cat or dog into each other’s space by holding them, caging them or restricting their ability to escape. The pets, especially the cat, need to be able to flee at any time. While we recommend the dog be on leash, you can minimize feelings of restriction by keeping the leash loose. If an animal feels trapped or pressured to interact, they will form negative feelings about the other animal.
Decompress and Regress: If the dog and cat get into a scuffle, completely separate them again so they are unable to interact or see each other. Make sure neither pet is injured and spend time with each of them individually. Allow time for them to decompress from the stressful and unpleasant event. Wait three to six days and then begin the introduction process again, but this time, go much slower. You may need to go back a step in the process for a fresh start.
Patience and Vigilance: In the first few weeks, observe whether things are getting better or worse. You may have to stay on one step for a while, repeat steps or go back a step if your pets are not comfortable. There is no universal timeline it — depends on the individual animals. The introduction process can take a long time, and it can also be stressful. Be patient and continue to monitor their interactions for progress.
Pheromone diffusers: Pheromone sprays and diffusers, such as Feliway, can help cats feel calmer and more comfortable, especially in a new environment with unfamiliar smells. Cats are very sensitive to scent — new smells, the smell of another animal and the lack of their own scent in an environment can cause stress and discomfort. Pheromones provide cats with a calming scent that can reduce signs of stress.
For more information on sociability and animal interactions: Check out our YouTube playlist on Sociability, Reactivity, Leash Skills & Play.

Let’s Begin the Slow Introduction Process!

Step 1: Complete Separation

Keep the dog and cat completely separated without access to each other for at least a week.
Be sure that the dog does not have access to the area right outside the cat’s safe space.

Step 2: Scent Swapping

While they are still separated, start building enthusiasm through scent swapping.

Present a blanket or toy with the other pet's scent and reward calm behavior with treats when the other pet’s smell is present.
Immediately start rewarding any interaction your pet has with the scented object (looking at, smelling it, touching it, laying on it) and then remove the object after a few minutes or before your pet can react negatively towards it.
In the beginning stages, the scented object should only be present if someone is there to give treats for calm behavior.
Over time, extend the length of time the scented object is present. Eventually, you can leave the scented object alone with your pet, but only if they have shown calm behavior with it.
Once you observe consistent calm, relaxed behavior from both pets while scent swapping, you can move on to Step 3.

Step 3: Through a Door

Have one person in the room with the cat and the other outside the room with the dog on a leash.
With the door closed, give treats to both pets. Keep these sessions short and always end on a good note before either pet becomes stressed, frustrated or overexcited.
If either pet starts showing signs they are uncomfortable or fixated, stop and call them both away from the door using treats or a toy.
End the session before it can escalate. Once both pets are comfortable with this step (no hissing, growling, barking, puffed fur, etc.), move to the next step.

Step 4: Through a See-Through Barrier

You can use a baby gate, ex-pen or glass door, or crack open the door to the safe space just enough for them to see each other.
Have someone on one side of the barrier with the cat and someone on the other side with the dog on a leash.
Repeat Step 3, allowing the pets to see each other while being given treats. The pets should be able to see each other but not touch.
Allow the pets to approach the barrier on their own — do not force them. Only allow the dog to approach if they are both calm.
If both pets seem relaxed or cautious, don’t intervene in their interactions except to praise and reward them for appropriate behavior. If either of them is not calm, redirect them and interrupt any negative interactions that may be happening (staring, vocalizing, swatting, lunging etc.).
Keep this session very short and end before it can escalate. Once both pets are comfortable with this step, move to the next step.

Step 5: Open the Safe Space Door

Put the dog on leash and keep them away from the cat’s safe space — preferably in their success station.
Open the door to the safe space and allow the cat to venture out on their own time. Treat and praise both pets to continue building positive associations with one another.

Step 6: In-Person Meeting

Be prepared with treats and do this in an open area of the home with space for the cat to run and hide from the dog if need be.
As soon as the cat begins to enter an area where the dog is present, redirect the dog’s attention with praise, treats, toys, etc. This will help the cat feel comfortable knowing that the dog isn’t focused on them.
Try to keep the dog's leash loose, as a tight leash can cause pressure and frustration.
Reward both pets for looking at each other AND for looking away from each other (see infographic: The Engage-Disengage Game).
If either of them is not calm, redirect them and interrupt any negative interactions that may be happening (staring, vocalizing, swatting, lunging etc.).
Keep this session very short and end before it can escalate.
Repeat this step many times, gradually extending the length of the sessions, before letting them interact unsupervised or for long periods of time.

Ask for Help

If things are not working out, San Diego Humane Society is here to help. We understand that being a pet parent can be challenging — especially with multiple pets — which is why we offer numerous options and resources for pet parents in need.

If your dog and cat are not getting along, here are your options:

Completely separate the dog and cat. Restart the slow introduction process from the very beginning.
If you adopted one or both of your pets from San Diego Humane Society, book your free, one-hour Post Adoption Consultation online over Zoom with a member of our Behavior & Training team.
Book an online Private Lesson (one hour, online over Zoom). Open to all community members, these sessions focus on environmental management, troubleshooting and training exercises.
Find a positive reinforcement trainer who can come to your home to assess the situation.
Consider the well-being and quality of life for everyone involved. If you decide you need to rehome a pet, we offer rehoming resources here.