How to prevent your cat being scared of your dog
Practical tips to help you ease your cat's anxiety around your dog.
Practical tips to help you ease your cat's anxiety around your dog.
April 6, 2024
It’s the age old stand-off - cats vs dogs. However these two very different species CAN learn how to live together safely, comfortably and dare I say it…happily. Sometimes they’ll even become best friends.
But that all depends on a few factors, so today I’ll take you through how to set your cat and dog up to live happily together, and what to do if the relationship has gone sour and your cat is now scared of your dog.
Cats are known for their cautious nature, and being a naturally solitary species, it’s not necessarily in their nature to automatically bond with family dogs. Usually, a cat will fear dogs if they have not had exposure to them early in life, or if they’ve learned that dogs are prone to chasing them.
If you want to raise a kitten that is confident with dogs, make sure you socialise them with a variety of calm, gentle dogs from an early age and ensure they don’t get chased, by carefully managing any dogs they come into contact with.
If you’re planning to add a dog to your household, there is some prep you can do in advance to help your cat cope. Firstly, help your cat learn to be relaxed in a crate, as this is the best way to manage early introductions between your cat and a new puppy or dog.
Make the crate enticing by filling it with a very comfortable bed and leaving it in an area of the house that’s accessible and appealing to your cat. In winter, consider including something warm like a lightly heated wheat bag for your cat to snuggle against. Cats naturally love small, contained spaces so it shouldn’t be too much work to attract them into the crate, however you can also regularly give your cat their favourite treats in there to further add to the appeal.
Allow your cat to adjust to the crate before you start shutting the door and closing them in for periods of time. When they seem happy in the crate, give your cat a long lasting chew treat to focus on, then close the door. Start with very short periods of time (less than a minute) and work up to longer stretches. Feed your cat all of their meals in the crate too.
Secondly, if you have friends with very docile dogs who are friendly with cats, invite them over to give your cat some exposure to gentle dogs before your new one arrives. Treat your cat with something they love (like small pieces of cheese or some butter for them to lick off your finger) while the dog is around, to help create positive associations.
Note - this technique can also work well if you already have a dog and a cat, and your cat is fearful and avoiding the dog.
Introducing a new dog into a household with a resident cat can be a delicate process. How their first few interactions go is going to determine the future of their relationship, so it’s very important to get it right from the get-go.
Start with your cat in a crate and your new puppy or dog on a lead - this allows you to safely bring your pup into close contact with your cat, without your cat being able to scarper. It’s important they have a chance to actually interact without your cat running off! Being in a crate will also help your cat feel more safe, as they’ll know they are contained and protected from this new creature.
Maybe cover one end with a sheet that they can retreat to.
Approach the crate with your puppy on a lead and allow your pup to sniff the cat. Use a clicker to click and reward your puppy or dog for any calm, sociable behaviours. Do this a few times over a number of sessions and if everything is going well, next time have your cat out of the crate but still in a closed room. Repeat the technique, keeping pup on a lead to begin with and clicking and rewarding nice calm behaviour around the cat. Give your cat some high platforms they can retreat to, so they can observe the puppy while feeling safe up high.
Continue to practise this, always rewarding your puppy for being calm around the cat and ensuring they never chase. Keeping the cat contained in a crate or closed room to begin with helps considerably, as if they bolt it is more likely to stimulate the puppy to chase and then it becomes a game that’s hard to stop! I would suggest keeping puppy on a lead for all interactions with the cat until you’re confident they are not going to chase.
Doing this is a two way training process for both the cat and the puppy, you are desensitising and introducing them both to each other.
Be careful not to get scratched or bitten if holding or moving a cat, even when reaching into the crate. A cat can lash out when frightened.
If your cat is particularly fearful of your new pup or dog, extend the introductory period with your cat in the crate. Your cat might feel a bit anxious, but as they learn that the puppy or dog is not going to harm them or attack them, they will gradually feel more calm. The crate will help the cat feel more protected and closed in while the pup gets to know them and learns to behave calmly, this process helps the cat desensitise to having the puppy or dog close by.
Normally you’ll find most cats are wary at the start, but once your cat learns that the puppy is not going to lunge, attack or chase them, most will adapt quickly (we’d expect this within a week usually).
If you have a puppy or dog that already wants to lunge for, chase or bark at your cat, then you’ll need to step up the training approach. To do this, I’d suggest you join either my Virtual Puppy School or Virtual Teenage School to learn techniques to teach your pup or dog to leave your cat alone.
Once you’re confident that your pup is not likely to chase or attempt to harm your cat, you can begin doing supervised interactions off lead. Keep the initial interactions short and gradually increase the duration as they become more accustomed to each other. Be prepared to intervene if tensions arise, and ensure your cat has high spots they can retreat to throughout the process.
Reward your cat with high value treats throughout this introductory process, to help your cat build positive associations with having the pup or dog around. Cheese, small pieces of cooked chicken or fish, or a bit of butter to lick up works well.
Cats feel most secure when they have places to retreat to where they can observe their surroundings without feeling threatened. Provide your cat with high perches, hiding spots and shelves where they can escape from the dog if they feel overwhelmed. If things are taking longer than you thought, you can also set up some “cat only” zones in the house, by using baby gates to create partitions that your puppy or dog can’t get through - for example, the bedrooms, a bathroom or the laundry could be cat only spaces.
Pay attention to your cat's body language and respect their boundaries. If they show signs of fear or discomfort, give them space and don't force interactions with the dog. Pushing too hard can exacerbate their fear and make the situation worse.
Swap bedding or toys between your cat and dog to familiarise them with each other's scent. This can help reduce anxiety and facilitate acceptance between the two animals.
Engage both pets in activities that divert their attention away from each other's presence. Interactive toys, puzzle feeders, and play sessions can help alleviate tension and build positive associations.
If your puppy or dog is already in a habit of chasing or in some way scaring your cat, you are never going to teach your cat to be comfortable around your dog without first addressing this issue.
It’s essential that dogs learn to respect cats and behave calmly around them. If you need help achieving this, check out our Virtual Training Schools - with options for new puppies, teenagers and adult dogs.
Overcoming fear takes time, and progress may be gradual. Stay patient, consistent, and supportive throughout the process. Celebrate small victories and remain optimistic about the potential for your cat and dog to develop a harmonious relationship.
However, if your cat is at risk of being harmed, I’d suggest you get in touch with us so we can help you make a plan to keep your cat safe.
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