Introducing cat to dogs.

[AliciaD]

I originally wrote this huge long post and then deleted it, lol, but basically...

I have a 9.5 week kitten, named Layla after Eric Clapton song.
I have two dogs, Cameron who wants to play maul the kitten, and Duncan who is capable of ignoring the kitten.
The dogs have both lived with cats before, and Cam had good manners before, but seems to have forgotten (we know this because the kitten has escaped the room she's being kept in and met the dogs).
Kitten and dogs both have access to the other's smells because they share a common area but at different times.

So, how do you teach dogs manners with cats? I think that she is so little and fragile that there is not need to rush anything, but the end goal is for the cat (as an adult) to be able to be alone with the dogs, and unless Cameron changes on her own when the cat grows up Cameron is going to make that pretty difficult.

Thoughts? I do clicker training with the dogs, and timeouts are usually sufficient punishments for Cameron. I was thinking I could have Cameron on a leash, sufficient distance between her and Layla, and click-reward for calm behavior or ignoring, and then timeouts when Cameron pulls, barks, jumps, etc.

But I don't know, maybe I should give it time? Or maybe there's a better first step? Or maybe there's some awesome guide out there I have found yet, lol.

Thoughts?

 

[Maxy24]

Can you put kitty or cameron in a crate ? It's possible that the newness of the cat is simply too exciting for cameron but once she gets a good sniff and watches her for a while she'll calm down. Being able to watch kitty from behind a gate may also be helpful for getting cam used to kitty's movement.

 

[Barb04]

I have this gate across the room where the cat's food and litter box is so the dogs can't get in. The cat can come and go as he pleases. This may help until the cat & dogs feel comfortable around each other:

 

[Barb04]

I use this across the room where the cat's food and litter box is. You can use this so the cat and dogs can slowly get used to each other; the cat will have a safe place to go.

 

[AliciaD]

I will look into getting a gate. That would certainly help give the cat a safe space and the choice of whether or not to interact with dogs.

At first I thought Cam would be the biggest problem but it seems like the kitten won't go into any room where the dogs are even if they're crated (and they are totally quiet and still in their crates- Duncan doesn't even sit up).

So for now I'm holding the kitten and feeding her treats as we stand in the doorway to the room where the dogs are crated.

Thanks for the advice. I'm hoping Cam can begin chilling out because her barking every time the kitten makes a noise is giving me headaches.