Expert: Jessica - 12/28/2009

Question
Hi, I have 2 10year old cats that lived with our previous dog (euthanized at 17 years old), for 10 years and got along great with him, as he did them; my question is, we long for another dog and are considering two sibling Labrador pups. I need to know that my cats aren't going to be traumatized with this and if so, how to go about the transition...thank you!:)

Answer
Hi Nick.  Introducing new pets to the household will probably be stressful to the cats, but most cats adapt fine.  And bringing in puppies may be much easier than bringing in adult dogs.  Cats are less threatened by their size, obviously, and the behavior of puppies is more moldable than that of adult dogs.  Puppies tend to respond to a swat from a cat by correcting their behavior rather than snapping back.  You should expect a swat here and there – this is the way cats set boundaries for the puppies, and without this lesson, you will have dogs who don’t know where to draw the line.  Try to let them work this out unless the cat is giving chase or cornering the puppy.

The drawback with puppies is that their energy level can annoy cats, especially with such a high-energy breed, and their behavior is unruly.  It will be very important for you to do strict obedience training with the puppies, and be sure not to give them an inch when it comes to chasing, jumping on, barking at or bounding toward the cats.  It’s generally a good idea to keep training puppies held on a leash when they’re in an area where they will have access to the cats, to prevent the puppies from giving chase should the cats wish to escape (however, never leave a puppy tethered unattended – use a crate for confinement, instead).  When the puppies engage in an unacceptable behavior toward the kitties, give the leash a quick pop to get their attention, and give the puppy a verbal command.  All of this will be covered in obedience classes, of course.

To ease the stress during the introduction, you may want to use a product called Feliway.  It’s a synthetic facial pheromone, a hormone which helps to promote a feeling of relaxation and safety.  I use the plug-in diffusers at all times in my home.  You can learn more about how it works at www.feliway.com.  It’s available through many websites and at pet stores.  So far, I have found the initial set ups least expensive at amazon.com.

Additionally, be sure to provide the cats with tall furniture that they can leap onto where the puppies won’t be able to reach them.  You will also want to provide at least one room that’s off limits to the puppies, where the cats can go for some peace, if needed.  You can use a baby gate to allow them, but not the puppies, access.  It would also be wise to place their litter box on the other side of the baby gate, since puppies are notorious for visiting the box looking for a snack.

Good luck with all!

Jessica