cats, dog guides

Helping the Scaredy-Cat and the New Dog Adjust

Written by Sarah Blake LaRose on . Leave a comment

One of the cats, Kira, has had a great terror of dogs for several years. Kevin and I have been concerned about how she would handle Pepper’s homecoming. Kira’s phases of adjustment to the dog in the house:

  • Thursday homecoming: shaking in terror but allowed me to hold her while Pepper sat at my side — Pepper did not touch Kira. However, when Kira jumped up on the piano, Pepper became interested and attempted to jump up to see her. I corrected and she got down. Afterward Kira retreated downstairs and Pepper was crated for the afternoon except for our mealtimes, at which Pepper was out and was with us at the table.
  • Thursday evening: Kira snuck into the bedroom to eat. We were not supposed to know about this. Angel was with me and Jade was with Kevin, so we knew. We did not acknowledge Kira in any way.
  • Friday morning: Kira meowed plaintively from the floor on Kevin’s side of the bed and allowed me to pick her up and hold her, facing away from the crate. She peered over my shoulder at the crate. Pepper was quiet.
  • Friday afternoon: Kira bounced on the bed and went over our heads to get to her food in order to avoid being near the crate, which is at the other end of the room facing the foot of the bed. Pepper was quiet.
  • I once caught Pepper jumping up and being noisy inside her crate after Kira whizzed past when the room was dark. I turned on the light.
  • This morning: Kira was sleeping on the piano, relaxed.
  • Today, early afternoon: Kevin babysat while I took care of some dog proofing downstairs. While I was down there, Kira showed up and insisted on some private love. I gave it to her.
  • This afternoon: Kira is asleep on one of her perches at Pepper’s nose level. Pepper approached her and sniffed her. Kira hissed her away and went back to sleep. Pepper left and stayed away.

These phases provide several highlights that can help if you are bringing in a new dog to your space:

  • Dog needs to be controlled in order to communicate to cat that dog does not need to be feared.
  • Cat must maintain some control of her environment in order to feel safe.
  • Dark rooms make animals feel suspicious of one another and behave aggressively.
  • Cat (or dog who is accustomed to human’s love) needs to feel reassured that they can still get it without new dog bursting in and hogging all the love.

About Sarah Blake LaRose

Sarah Blake LaRose teaches Biblical Hebrew and Greek at Anderson University School of Theology and Christian Ministry in Anderson, Indiana. She is one of three blind academic scholars who received the Jacob Bolotin Award from the National Federation of the Blind in 2016 in recognition of innovative work in the field of access to biblical language texts and tools for people who are blind. In addition to her work as a professor, she provides braille transcription services specializing in ancient languages. Her research interests concern the intersection of disability, poverty, and biblical studies.
Hide Author Bio

About Sarah Blake LaRose

Sarah Blake LaRose teaches Biblical Hebrew and Greek at Anderson University School of Theology and Christian Ministry in Anderson, Indiana. She is one of three blind academic scholars who received the Jacob Bolotin Award from the National Federation of the Blind in 2016 in recognition of innovative work in the field of access to biblical language texts and tools for people who are blind. In addition to her work as a professor, she provides braille transcription services specializing in ancient languages. Her research interests concern the intersection of disability, poverty, and biblical studies.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *