My house was a very happy dog/cat home for 23 years. Obviously, I did not have the same dogs and cats for all of that time. As I have been a member of both dog and cat communities and seen the same question come up often, I thought that it might be helpful to know what worked in my home.
It happens that my dogs were working guide dogs. Dog guide schools often provide exposure to cats while a person is still in training. This gives a general idea of how much an individual dog gets excited around cats and how hard it will be to control the dog. At home, it is a longer term process to develop the degree of calm that one prefers as a general rule. This same process is equally useful for people who have new pets. In fact, I used it when I brought new cats home.
I expect my dogs to be able to lie still around cats and other dogs while off leash–in fact, to be able to sleep while the cats run around and play. My dogs play with the cats if given permission. If this seems mean, remember that it translates into good working habits: the dog who can ignore cats at play while off leash will also ignore them while working.
When I bring a dog into the house for the first time, the cats are loose. The dog is naturally excited; but the dog is required to heal, and if she lunges at the cat she is then required to sit until she calms down. Since I have three cats, the responses to her are quite varied. When Loretta came home for the first time, she walked into the dining room and was swatted and spit on by Sable; and ten feet later, she was greeted by a very friendly Inca who was very happy that I had brought a new dog for her to play with.
After the initial entry into the house, I sit down and have the dog lie down. This next part requires assistance from another person if someone is available. Otherwise, I have to wait until the opportunity arises naturally, and that can take some time because the cat will have to approach the dog and stick around long enough for me to pick her up.
Ideally, someone else approaches with the cat in their arms while I continue petting the dog and reminding her to stay down. The trick to making this successful is for the person to approach at normal speed as if to hand me the cat, not to approach slowly. A slow approach gives the dog opportunity to become overly excited and the cat opportunity to become nervous. The best place for the person to stand while holding the cat is on the opposite side of my legs from where the dog sits.
If the dog stays down or sitting and is not whining, the person can put the cat in my arms. The key to success is that I must continue to alternate attention between the cat and the dog. Whatever the dog does, I must not raise my voice–it will escalate the likelihood of the dog and cat getting excited. The calmer my voice is, the calmer all animals stay.
When the cat is ready to leave, whoever is holding the cat gently places the cat on the floor at the same time that I give the dog the stay/rest command. This is very important because once the cat is on the floor, she is likely to run streaking from the room. For the health of the dog/cat relationship, it is important that the dog not chase her.
If this goes successfully, she will come back and try walking through the room in view of the dog to test the dog and see whether the dog will chase her. This will likely go on for days, and if she is a highly intelligent cat she may even taunt the dog before coming to a point of trust. Some cats may attempt to jump on furniture that is near the dog and test the waters. It is important that the dog be discouraged from initiating overtures toward the cats during these early stages. If the cats are permitted to control the trust-building process, the resulting bonds become unbreakable.
Inca was deeply close to my first four working guides. Sierra was close to my last three guides. These cats slept with my dogs, comforted them when they were sick, and became upset when the dogs retired. Even Sable, who didn’t like dogs, was not herself when there was no dog in the house.
I think the most impressive testimony to the relationship that can exist between a cat and a dog, though, is the fact that Kira often slept in Kathie’s crate–with Kathie–when she was a kitten. Almost every night, I had to get up in the middle of the night to open the crate so that Kira could get out after she had enough sleep. When Kathie returned to the Seeing Eye after 15 months because of some special needs, Kira continued to sleep on top of the crate for a period of time. Kira now has a special bond with the other cats in the house.
- Learning From My Younger Self - February 10, 2024
- more reflections on ITD - June 30, 2023
- On travel while at ITD: reflections after day 1 - June 27, 2023
- ITD day 1 - June 27, 2023
- ITD day 1 - June 27, 2023
- Job Descriptions, Inclusivity, and Equity for People with Disabilities - October 15, 2022
- Traveling without a Guide Dog: Experience with Cane and Walker - October 14, 2022
- Disability and Church, Intersection - June 11, 2022
- Review: When Chronic Pain and Illness Take Everything Away - June 11, 2022
- Grammar and Style Resources for Writers - June 9, 2022
