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Lv 4
? asked in PetsCats · 9 years ago

Cats not getting along with new labrador puppy?

I apologize, this is going to be pretty long, but I dont want to leave any important details out.

I have two outdoor cats, one male DLH 7 years old, one female tabby, 2 1/2 years, both desexed of course. I picked up my new purebred labrador puppy (8 weeks, therefore not spayed) from the breeder over the weekend, she is also outdoor. (I'd just like to add that all my outdoor pets have appropriate bedding and everything they need, so please dont tell me they should be kept indoors. They are all content outside.) Anyways -

When I first bought the puppy home, I put her inside in a box, then introduced the cats to her (indoors). I had to do this by holding them down as they were very threatened by the dog.

After the introduction, I let them out. I have never seen my cats run so fast over the fence. The puppy then went out to explore. It has now been 3 days. My cats used to always be in the backyard. They only hang around in the drive away now, and I am lucky if I see them once a day. (Food is always left around the front alongside water.) Basically, they're too paranoid to be in their own backyard.

I got desperate today, so I grabbed one cat from the front yard into my arms, let him snuggle up for a few minutes, and then took him outside. All was good so far as the puppy was on the ground. Unfortunately the lab got a bit excited and thought it was a good idea to jump up and bite the cats tail which absolutely terrified the crap out of him and caused a lot of hissing and growling, so I quickly put him back inside. I popped the cat to sleep on my bed. 15-20 minutes later, I also added the puppy to my room and shut the door. The cat hissed at her which caused her to start whimpering, while the cat hid under my bed. Yet again, I am back at square one.

If it matters at all, I only introduced the older cat because he is much calmer, and I know the tabby will be much much more ferocious. She also tends to copy everything the older cat does, so I believe that if I can sort him out, she'll trust him and adapt to the puppy as well.

The older is still fast asleep at the end of the bed, so it is such a relief that he has not lost trust in me.

I would just like to say, please no answers suggesting I should give one of my pets up. I love all my pets and they are all well provided for, so this is not an option. This is just a case of getting my cats to adapt to the fact that they need to share their yard with a puppy. My yard is massive, so there is more than enough room for them all. I just need some guidance or how to fix the problem. It's been 3 days since my cats even sat on the backyard fence let alone have come into the yard. Do they need more time? Is there something else I can do?

Again I apologize for the length of my description. Thanks for any help!

1 Answer

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  • Kara
    Lv 6
    9 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    I don't have to much advice, but start now!! I got a samoyed when she was around 8 weeks, and had three cats. Before the Samoyed, my cats LOVED my golden retriever (he passed, then we got the samoyed). Then, my cats HATED the samoyed. We did a bad job at introducing them, and didn't push it. I wish we would have. The cats won't even come upstairs anymore (thats where the dog is). I feel it's too late now.

    The best thing to do would be to keep introducing the cats and dogs. Let the dog sniff the cats, but don't let the dog bite them. Use a spray bottle or loud noise when the dog starts acting up.

    I'm sorry I don't have more advice. Just keep trying! You want your cats and dog to live in harmony! Not separate households like mine! :(

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