Cat and fiance moving in with me and my needy dog! How to adjust?

[tattoobunnie]

So my fiance is moving into my small place. A last minute thing. He has an indoor/outdoor cat, and I have a corgi that follows me everywhere. I know it's best to keep them separated in the beginning, but based on the space, it's rather impossible. Currently, my dog is curious about cats, but not the biggest fan. And the cat is scared of her. (They've met a few times, but the cat usually hides when I would bring the dog to visit my fiance's place).

 

Are there other ways to get them use to eachother? Do you think they will both be okay if I gate separate them? How long does it normally take for a cat and dog to tolerate each other?

 

Thank you!

[OptomisticGirl]

Every animal is different. Cats even have trouble getting use to other cats in the beginning. It took my two cats about a month to get use to each other with the older one being terrorital. I have seen dogs and cats co exist though. Perhaps look for a book that deals with the subject?

[tattoobunnie]

Yeah...I've been reading, but it says to separate them. I was gonna buy a bigger house in a few months, but since we just found out he needed to move in like in 16 days, I am not sure by experience how to set things up, so they have a space. I haven't lived with a cat in a small space before...a giant space, yes (over 10 years ago) with a roomie. And I'm not sure if anyone on the forum has a corgi (known for following their owner everywhere), and a cat...what it may be like...

[Seraphim]

A cat will climb onto high things to stay out of the dog's way. My cats HATE does I mean HATE. That she seems timid about the dog is better, she might get used to it. I had a cat that when through a screen door to rip apart a German Sheppard and he HATED dogs. Allow the cat to have high places the dog can not get to.

[Sunny1607307996]

Just give the cat plenty of places to retreat to that the dog can't follow. As Victoria suggested, a high place, or another room the dog isn't allowed (can you install a 'kitty flap'?). It wouldn't be a bad idea to put a baby gate up and keep them separated. A cat can jump the baby gate, hopefully the corgi won't attempt it. That way they can sniff each other through the gate if they want, but they're still separated.

 

Also, make sure that the dog doesn't have access to the cat's litter box or food. It could cause all sorts of problems if the cat doesn't fee safe enough to pee or eat.

 

If your dog is just mildly curious, I'm sure after the initial meeting the dog will just leave the cat alone. Cats can take several months to adjust to changes in their routine - a new place, new people, new pets. So it'll probably be best to just leave the cat alone for a while. The cat will come around eventually, and if the dog is calm the cat will come around sooner.

 

Also, if your cat is not declawed you might want to trim it's nails for your dog's safety. Just in case.

[MissIndigo]

I'm always a big fan of large crates for cats. I have one and it saves my life sometimes with my more nervous cat, protecting the other cat in the house and protecting my things and sometimes guests as well. If space is limited and it would be hard to close off rooms, you could get one of these and make it into a "kitty den" where the cat can learn to retreat. Get one big enough for a litter box and bed, and you can cover it with a blanket or cloth. You could even put a piece of stiff cardboard or wood on top and incorporate it into your home decor and add more functionality to it to boot.

 

My animals use the crate I have in this way as their retreat--I don't even have to put them in on purpose sometimes. I just leave it open, and they don't fear it.