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Dogs and other pets

Looking to introduce your cat to your dog or other pets? Find out more about how to get them settled in with our guide.

Dogs and other pets

Looking to introduce your cat to your dog or other pets? Find out more about how to get them settled in with our guide.

Topics covered:

  1. Prepare your dog
  2. Prepare separate spaces
  3. Swap their scents
  4. Introduce them through a transparent barrier
  5. Face-to-face introductions
  6. Repeat short, controlled meetings

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Introducing a cat to other pets gradually can improve their chances of living together successfully. It’s much easier to manage a controlled introduction than to repair a damaged relationship, so do not be tempted to let your pets sort it out themselves. First impressions matter.  

Cats and dogs are often portrayed as natural enemies, but they can actually get along well. In fact, it can be easier to introduce a cat to a dog than to introduce two cats. If the cat and dog have had previous positive experiences with animals from the other species, particularly when they were young, this may help.  

Every cat and dog is different. Before beginning, consider: 

  • their individual personalities 
  • their ages 
  • any medical problems 
  • their previous experiences with other species 
  • how they’ve reacted to other species in the past 
Tortoiseshell cat sitting on an upholstered footstool, with a dog resting on a sofa in the background.

How to introduce your cat to your dog

1. Prepare your dog 

It’s important that your dog has a good level of training and responds well to simple commands such as “sit”, “down” and “come”. They should also be able to remain calm.  

During introductions, use training tasks to keep your dog’s attention. Reward calm, non-threatening behaviour with treats and praise. Commands such as “down” and “stay” may be useful. 

Taking your dog for a vigorous walk before any face-to-face introduction with your cat may help them remain calm. 

2. Prepare separate spaces 

When introducing a new animal into the home, it's important to give them space to settle in. 

For a new cat, create a safe room that your dog cannot enter. Ideally, this should be a spare room away from noisy appliances and busy areas of the home.  

Your cat’s safe room should contain: 

  • a bed or blanket 
  • a litter tray 
  • food and water bowls 
  • somewhere to hide, such as a cardboard box with holes in it 

For a new dog, keep them in a separate, sectioned-off part of the house, away from the cat. Avoid restricting the dog to one room or any space that is too small, as this may cause frustration.

3. Swap their scents 

Scent swapping allows each animal to become familiar with the other’s smell before they meet. This can provide some familiarity when they eventually see each other face to face.  

How to swap scents 

  1. Take two separate clean cloths. Use one for the cat and one for the dog. 
  2. Rub the cat’s cloth around the cat’s cheeks and forehead to collect their scent. 
  3. Rub the dog’s cloth around the dog’s armpits and along their sides to collect their scent. 
  4. Place the cat’s cloth in the dog’s area of the house. 
  5. Place the dog’s cloth in the cat’s area of the house. 
  6. Allow both animals to choose whether to approach, sniff or avoid the cloths. 
  7. To keep the scent on each cloth topped up, repeat the previous steps once a day. 
  8. Observe how each animal responds. When both animals show no reaction to the smell of the cloths, you can progress to the next stage.

4. Introduce them through a transparent barrier 

Allow the animals to see each other through a transparent barrier before they meet directly. This lets them see and begin to smell one another without being able to make physical contact.  

You could use: 

  • glass patio doors or French doors 
  • a reinforced screen door 
  • a baby gate 
  • a clear sheet of Perspex 
  • any other suitable and affordable barrier you can find 

Have two people present, with one person responsible for each animal. This means you can respond quickly if either animal has an unwanted reaction.  

Begin with a session lasting five minutes. If the dog becomes overly interested in the cat, use their training to redirect their attention and prevent frustration or fixation.  

Repeat these sessions over several days. If both animals remain relaxed, increase the length of each interaction by about a minute at a time. It’s better to end a session early on a positive note than to continue until something goes wrong. 

If either animal has a significant reaction, do not move on to the next stage. Contact your vet or seek support from an animal behaviourist.  

5. Face-to-face introductions 

Move on to a direct introduction only after completing the scent-swapping and transparent barrier steps of the process. Only move onto this stage when both animals can remain relaxed when they see each another. 

Set up the first meeting 

  • Have two people present, with one person responsible for the cat and the other for the dog 
  • Keep your dog on a lead and make sure they cannot reach the cat at the full length of the lead 
  • Keep external doors and windows closed to reduce the risk of the cat bolting 
  • Make sure the cat has a safe escape route. If possible, provide them with a high ledge or piece of furniture that the dog cannot reach 
  • Never restrain the cat or force them to approach the dog 
  • Allow the cat to leave the room whenever they wish 
  • You could try plugging in a pheromone diffuser before the first face-to-face interaction, as it may help keep the cat calm. A similar product may be available for dogs 

The cat should have as much control over the situation as possible. Being able to move away, hide or reach a safe high place can help them feel safer.  

Do not put the cat in a carrier for the introduction. Many cats have negative associations with carriers, and being confined removes their ability to run away or hide, which may make them feel more stressed.  

During the meeting 

Allow the animals to approach each other in their own time. Observe them carefully and look for signs of stress, fear, excitement or fixation.  

Avoid focusing your attention on the cat, as this may make the dog feel the cat is more important. Instead, do simple training activities with your dog and reward calm behaviour with praise and treats. Do not allow the dog to chase the cat if the cat runs away.  

Keep the first interaction short. If both animals remain calm, reward them both with a treat to help them form a positive association with the experience.  

  • Backing away 
  • Ears down 
  • Wide pupils 
  • Hissing 
  • Swiping 

Signs that the cat is relaxed include normal-sized pupils, ears facing forwards and a relaxed body posture. 

Cat stress. 

A fearful dog may: 

  • hold their tail in a lowered position 
  • show the whites of their eyes 
  • growl 

An overly interested, reactive or frustrated dog may: 

  • become unsettled 
  • vocalise towards the cat 
  • pull strongly on the lead 
  • fix their gaze on the cat 
  • react strongly to the cat’s movements 
  • appear to want to chase the cat  

Use your dog’s training to refocus their attention if they become overly interested or fixated.

6. Repeat short, controlled meetings 

Repeat brief introductions over several days. Gradually increase the length of the sessions while both animals remain calm.  

Only remove the dog’s lead when you are confident that: 

  • the dog shows little or no interest in the cat and will not chase them 
  • the cat is relaxed in the dog’s presence  
  • both animals will remain calm 

Never leave your cat and dog together unattended until you are completely sure they are happy and secure in each other’s company. 

When both animals have access to the entire house, keep your cat’s food and litter tray out of your dog’s reach, so they can eat and toilet in peace.  

When to seek help 

Monitor both animals closely throughout every stage. If either animal has a significant reaction, do not continue to the next stage.  

If you experience problems, seek help sooner rather than later. Contact your vet first to check for medical issues and then ask for a referral to a qualified cat behaviourist.  

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