Rural Diaries – country life, the countryside and rural issues

Posted by Sally on January 20th, 2011 in Pets

Researchers, studying the relationship between cats and dogs, have concluded that cats and dogs are more than adept at reading each other’s signals. Dogs actually adapt their own greeting behaviour to accommodate the cats in the house.

Although cats and dogs have very distinctive personalities, depending on how you go about setting the relationship up, dogs and cats can often learn to become real friends and even play and nap together.

Most cats can happily live with a dog as long as they are introduced to each other slowly and at first under strict supervision. Allow your Dog and Cat to sniff and inspect each other to their hearts content. It is important owners provide timely corrections to any unwanted behaviour right away as this will help fix any communication problems between dog and cat at the start.

Introduction tips:

· Beforehand, make sure your dog has been well fed and exercised, in a relaxed mood and on a short leash or in his crate.

· Let your cat walk around and be armed with lots of for good behaviour.

· It’s almost time to let your dog approach the cat, allow your cat and dog time to check each other out at a distance.

· If your dog bolts towards your cat, it needs correction with the leash. Keep your dog calm, if your dog is over excited try again later.

· Repeat these short visits several times a day, gradually giving your dog more leash when appropriate.

It is possible that most dog breeds can live together, especially when introduced from an early age. However, some suggest that dog breeds with a high prey drive may never get along. If this happens and you’ve been trying for a long time, you may need to evaluate your pet situation.

Post supplied with thanks to Net Pet Shop, providing online for the UK