Puppy and cats

[Fido77]

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Hi, we’re hoping to have a cockapoo pup in a few weeks. We have two 9 yr old cats. We will scent swap, put in a stair gate so cats can have upstairs to themselves, use feliway plug ins and do very gradual introductions. Any other tips to make the meetings go as well as possible? Will also praise and treat the pup for behaving calmly and not chasing. Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[JudyN]

I would have your pup on a trailing house lead - a light nylon lead with no loop to catch on anything - so it's easier to control him if a cat appears unexpectedly. Also maybe introduce a cat tree downstairs (before pup comes so they can get used to it before this big upheaval) that they can jump up on and he can't reach - unless you have some other bit of furniture they can escape onto easily.

Think about how they will toilet if they're wary of coming downstairs - you may need an upstairs litter tray to help them relax. Maybe you need stairgates so that pup can't get into the hall when unsupervised so they feel safe coming and going.

Also, think about what happens if your pup is unhappy being left alone from the start. Do you want the cats to have access to your bedroom at night, or could you take pup in there at bedtime, maybe using a crate. Or would one of you be prepared to sleep downstairs with pup till he's more settled?

It didn't go well with my 12-year-old cat and lurcher pup. The pup was meant to sleep downstairs but howled (at that point we thought you were meant to leave them to cry, but that is the wrong approach). And the cat, who was supposed to be able to have 'quality time' with us at night, was so stressed he started peeing and pooing on our bed. Which at least meant we could have the pup in the bedroom with us at night and the cat had the run of the house!

 

[Fido77]

I would have your pup on a trailing house lead - a light nylon lead with no loop to catch on anything - so it's easier to control him if a cat appears unexpectedly. Also maybe introduce a cat tree downstairs (before pup comes so they can get used to it before this big upheaval) that they can jump up on and he can't reach - unless you have some other bit of furniture they can escape onto easily.

Think about how they will toilet if they're wary of coming downstairs - you may need an upstairs litter tray to help them relax. Maybe you need stairgates so that pup can't get into the hall when unsupervised so they feel safe coming and going.

Also, think about what happens if your pup is unhappy being left alone from the start. Do you want the cats to have access to your bedroom at night, or could you take pup in there at bedtime, maybe using a crate. Or would one of you be prepared to sleep downstairs with pup till he's more settled?

It didn't go well with my 12-year-old cat and lurcher pup. The pup was meant to sleep downstairs but howled (at that point we thought you were meant to leave them to cry, but that is the wrong approach). And the cat, who was supposed to be able to have 'quality time' with us at night, was so stressed he started peeing and pooing on our bed. Which at least meant we could have the pup in the bedroom with us at night and the cat had the run of the house!

Thanks for that, lots to think about. I think to start with the pup would only be in our kitchen area (kitchen/dining area). If she doesn’t settle at night we do have a spare room downstairs that one of us could sleep in with her. I really wouldn’t want the puppy upstairs as the cats are really established up there with a bed each to sleep on. Would be able to have their food/litter and access to outdoors in downstairs rooms assuming puppy is shut in the kitchen like we have planned.

 

[JoanneF]

You might be interested in the helpful posts in this link, particularly the 'first few nights' one.

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