Introducing Diesel to a Kitten

[LOVEGSD]

Help.....my o/h's sister has just bought a kitten (soo cute) and we are all going to be spending Christmas Day at their parents house. Diesel has never really had much to do with any cats, we'd really like to introduce Deez to the kitten so we can also go and stay with them in Bournemouth.

Does anyone have any do's and don'ts for this? I would appreciate any advice......

Thanks
Lynn
x

[quincys]

I have a 8 month old British Blue cat. When I bought him, I was scared that if the boys got to him, I would be in trouble with the wife. I therefore introduced him very slowly through a slight slit in the window. I then put some of the dogs bedding for the cat to sit on and vice versa. Very quickly they became inquisitive about each other. The dogs started wagging their tails when they saw the cat in the window and very carefully I introduced them.

Soon they said hello to each other and one day the cat got out where the dogs were playing (I had a mini heart attack).

They just played with each other, and then the cat ran and hid under a parked car in the courtyard.

I would say do it slowly, and you will be amazed.

Best of just and show some pictures when they are playing with each other.

[Wooferhound]

Enjoy! HAAAAAAAAAAAA!

We had a similar dilemma as we had Ben before the dogs came along, but he wasn't a kitten!

Is Diesel a chaser by nature? If so, careful introduction with him on a lead would be advisable, don't yank him back if he tries to lunge in, just be gentle and praise and reward when he goes to say hello, also teach him to be gentle/steady/careful when kitten is around.

If he isn't a chaser by nature, he may well become why after meeting the speed of a cat HAAAAAAAAA

Sorry, I'm sure you'll be just fine, they have a funny way of sorting themselves out, the kitten will likely be a huge facination for Diesel at first, but the more they see each other the less interesting the kitten MAY become!

Let us know how you get on.

Jo
xxx

[zaclucy]

Originally Posted by LOVEGSD

Help.....my o/h's sister has just bought a kitten (soo cute) and we are all going to be spending Christmas Day at their parents house. Diesel has never really had much to do with any cats, we'd really like to introduce Deez to the kitten so we can also go and stay with them in Bournemouth.

Does anyone have any do's and don'ts for this? I would appreciate any advice......

Thanks
Lynn
x

DO wear your running shoes.

DONT let the dog eat the cat.

: laugh:

[LOVEGSD]

Thanks for your replies everyone.

Diesel does chase yesbut he also knows the word "gently" and if we say no he does stop chasing.

Janet I'll wear my running shoes and I really hope he won't eat the kitten, omg how awful that would be that's a sure way to ruin Christmas

I think we'll leave the kitten in a pet carrier, lead Diesel and let him sniff around and slowly introduce them to each other....and hope for the best

He did meet a friends cat in the vets last night funnily enough, she was in a pet carrier and he sniffed around wagging his tail but the cat was still so I know that's not a true reflection of his reaction.

[dilvid]

When we bought our little pup (well not so little now) we allready had a 2 year old cat. They get along to an extent but as Gus is still a pup he wants to play with her (I think in some silly way he thinks she's a dog lol).

his puppy play envoles jumping on her, which she does not like. They aren't too bad and if he has something else to occupy him its fine. As I'm typing this I have the cat asleep on the settee and Gus asleep in his puppy crate.

We basically just introduced them slowly, the cat has her own room with a pet gate on which has a cat flap built in. So if she got scared she could just run off into her room. Occasionally now they have their little moments of madness were Gus tries to pounce on her and she hisses and swipes at him but he knows better now.

Good luck.

[LOVEGSD]

Thanks a lot for your advice, they are going to meet for the first time this weekend....we'll see how it goes