Fido + Fluffy – Best Friends Forever?

In 2008, Professor Joseph Terkel and his graduate student, Neta-li Feuerstein, from the Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University conducted scientific research on pets living in the same home. They interviewed almost 200 pet owners who owned both a cat and a dog. They videotaped and analyzed the animals’ behaviour, and found that two-thirds of the homes reported a positive relationship between the two species.

But it wasn’t necessarily love at first sight. There was a reported indifference between the cat and dog in 25 per cent of the homes, while aggression and fighting existed in 10 per cent of the homes. Research concluded that the animosity could be the result of crossed signals, that is cats and dogs may not be unable to decipher each other’s body cues. For example, cats

– Are solitary animals; dogs live in packs

– Tend to lash their tails when angry; dogs growl and arch their backs

– Purr when happy; while a dog wags its tail

– Avert their heads to signal aggression, a dog’s averted head signals submission

– Run away when startled, dogs are prone to chase

– Roll onto their back to slash prey with their hind claws; dogs signal submission

When a truce existed, researchers felt the two species had learned to speak each other’s language.

Fido meet Fluffy

You can’t simply throw the Fido and Fluffy together and expect instant harmony. The dog-cat introduction process will take several days, even weeks. Below are a few tips to help your pets find a happy compromise.

– Don’t make the decision to bring a new animal into your home quickly.

– Make sure you have the time and resources to provide for both animals.

– Prepare your home ahead of time. Make sure each animal has its designated area for its bed, food, and litter, and that they can’t access each other’s territory when no human is present.

– Clip both animals’ claws before their first meeting.

– Give each animal plenty of attention and praise when one on one.

– Give the cat food and attention first when the two animals can see each other.

– Even after they are co-existing peacefully, make sure that the cat’s food bowl and litter box are out of the dog’s reach. Keep the cat from approaching the dog when the dog is eating or chewing on a bone.

– Don’t assume your existing pet can adjust well to the other species.

– Never leave them together while no one is home before they have really bonded. This takes at least thirty days, sometimes more. Always separate them behind a solid door, not just a baby gate.

– And, if they never get to more than mutual tolerance, always separate them before leaving for an entire day.

Don’t be surprised to find Fido and Fluffy playing together, greeting each other nose-to-nose, and sleeping together on the couch once they’ve worked out their inter-species differences.