Does Your Dog Speak Cat? Living With Cats & Dogs

Living with multiple cats & dogs in one household can be quite an experience...  not because they don't get along, but because they get along SO WELL!

I am never sure who starts the game, but at least twice a day it sound like a herd of elephants are racing through the house.  Depending on the rotation, it is either a cat chasing a dog or a dog chasing a cat.  This is a favorite game with our pets, and they are all playing equally.  It is really amusing to watch how the roles are then reversed so the chaser becomes the chasee.  I marvel at how they 2 species have invented such a mutually enjoyed game!

Cats & dogs don't have to be enemies when living together.  Our cats do not hide in fear of the dogs (in fact at night the cats & dogs will curl up and sleep together) - and we have young, high drive herding breeds with very high prey drive!

Our dogs do not "hunt" for cats to stare down and torment them with the "run, kitty, run!" look on their face.  The dogs are not allowed to chase the cats with ill-intent, and the cats have always set boundaries for younger dogs on when and how any mutual games will be played. 

Since our cats are smaller than our dogs, the dogs are taught to respect the cats from the moment they enter our house.  We always make sure that the cats will not be harmed by an exuberant puppy by accident. 

The key to having a harmonious household of cats & dogs is for the human to set up for success by being proactive rather than reactive...

Young puppies are monitored around the kitties, and we properly exercise the pups (mentally and physically) prior to being integrated with the cats. This helps take the edge off the dog's energy and prey drive.  We also teach the puppy  the joy of playing with toys so we can redirect their energy when needed.  And of course, teaching the puppy basic obedience and manners helps as well!

Our cats also have higher-elevated areas to go when they want a break from sometimes-overly-friendly- dog-tongues.  Everyone deserves their own space.  The dogs all have crates and take Puppy Naps (see my previous post for more information on Puppy Naps!) - cats need the somewhere that is all their own, too.  This also gives the older cats some peace and quiet when the "youngsters" are playing!

The circus must be in town...  I hear elephants running down the hallway....