Pets are wonderful, they bring untold joy to your life. Once you have had one pet, the chances are you will want more. If you already have a cat and want to introduce a dog to your home this article is for you.

Cats usually like dogs

The first thing to realise is that most cats actually like dogs. They enjoy having company while you are out. Over time, most cats become very attached to their doggy friend.

However, some cats are genuinely scared of dogs. Often, this is simply because they were not exposed to dogs as a kitten. Fortunately, you can usually teach your cat not to be afraid of dogs. This article explains how to go about doing this.

Start slowly

Regardless of how confident your cat is around dogs, you need to introduce them to each other in a controlled fashion. If you are getting a puppy, ask the breeder if you can take home something with the dog scent on it. Cats have sensitive noses, so will pick up the scent and grow used to it before you bring the dog home. He or she will soon realise that the owner of the scent does not represent a threat to them.

When you bring the dog home, give it time to calm down before introducing it to the cat. The calmer the dog is the better that first interaction will go.

Try to engineer the situation so that your cat is not on the floor when the dog enters the room. But, do not stress your cat by trying to make it go somewhere it does not want to go. Rather wait until the cat has settled on the sofa, but is not asleep, then bring the dog into the room on a short leash.

Let the cat react to the dog. If he or she runs off or reacts badly, just leave it for a few hours, and try again.

Supervise contact in the early days

At first, you need to be with the dog and cat while they get used to each other. You should only leave them alone together in the same room when you are 100% sure that they are comfortable with each other. This can take a few weeks, so be prepared for that.

Provide your cat with plenty of private space

It is important for your cat to have access to places where he or she can rest without the dog touching them. This will help them to feel secure, and help them to accept the new member of the family.

Finding a dog

If you are looking for puppies for sale Lancashire is a good place to start. There are plenty of good breeding kennels located in that part of the UK, so it is easy to find the breed of dog you really want. Usually, if you tell them that you already own a cat, or other pets, they will offer you more in-depth advice than I have been able to share with you here.

* This is a collaborative post.