If you love both cats and dogs and don't want to choose which of the two you have in your household, don't fret, contrary to popular belief, they can co-exist quite well together. The old adage "fighting like cats and dogs" doesn't have to be the rule when it comes to dogs and cats living together. In fact, although their body language is often incompatible, cats and dogs can learn to adapt to each other and even become close friends.
To make things easier for you, you can adopt a pet from a local shelter such as the MSPCA in Methen, where the staff can let you know whether or not your new pet has lived with cats or dogs in the past.
When a puppy is raised with a cat, or a kitten is raised with a dog, or they are raised together, you will be surprised at how well they get along. This is actually quite amazing, as they often have body language that is opposed. Let's take a minute to touch upon some of the differences in body language between cats and dogs: When a dog is being submissive, its ears are pinned back against its head. When a cat pins its ears back it means that its angry. A straight back wagging tail on a dog means it is feeling friendly, a wagging tail on a cat means it is agitated. When a cat rolls onto its side it is often a defensive posture and it is getting ready to swat. When a dog does the same thing it means it is being submissive. These are just a few of the body postures that would make communication between dogs and cats difficult.
Luckily for us, both cats and dogs have the amazing ability to learn and to communicate with both us and with one another. After some trial and error, both species learn quickly what they should and should not do with each other. Once they figure each other out, there's nothing cuter than seeing these two historically opposed creatures snuggling, playing, and even grooming each other!
Of course, when it comes to older cats and dogs who have never been exposed to one another before, this adjustment period could take a much longer time than one would like. It can take months of attention and management on your part to get these two species to get along if they are both adults. This doesn't mean it is impossible, just that it will take more work on your part to make sure neither one gets stressed out and has their own safe place in the household.
Something to keep in mind in a household with both cats and dogs is that is is your job to even the playing field and keep them both safe. If your dog is a lot larger than your cat, or is overexhuberant, it is your job to supervise and intervene if it looks as if the dog is stressing the cat out. A treat and the command "Leave it" can work wonders in regulating how much attention the dog is paying to the cat. Don't forget your dog's safety either, make sure you keep your cat's nails trimmed so that your dog doesn't lose an eye or end up covered in scratches. Once you get past the initial stage of the cat and dog learning to read and respect each other's signals, you won't have to be quite as diligent in supervision and you can enjoy the new relationship between these two animals often believed to be incompatible.
You no longer have to be a "dog person" or a "cat person", you can have your cake and eat it too. Enjoy!
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