I found a pitbull running in the middle of the road today, and I couldn’t just leave her there. She’s young, energetic, and didn’t have a tag on her collar, so I brought her home and posted her on a lost pets Facebook group. No luck yet, so it looks like we might be keeping her. The problem is we have two cats (7-month-old boy and a year-old girl) who’ve never been around dogs, and they’re terrified. We’ve tried letting them sniff each other through a door crack, but it’s not going well. We live in a small 2-bedroom apartment and the dog has endless energy. How do I give the cats attention while also handling this crazy ball of energy? Any advice on introducing them?
We had the same issue when we brought a dog home. We set up a child gate to separate the dog and cats, but they could still see each other. It gave the cats a safe space while everyone got used to the new situation. Took a couple of months, but it worked!
Look into prey drive and hunting behaviors, especially with pitbulls. You can try keeping the dog leashed when introducing them. Let the cats stay in carriers at first so the dog can sniff them, and carefully watch how she reacts. If she seems too intense or fixated, it might be risky. If this seems overwhelming, no shame in finding the dog a new home—you already did a great thing by rescuing her.
@Addison
Yeah, that makes sense. I’ll keep her leashed and try that carrier trick. I do feel like she’s just curious, but I’ll be extra careful just in case.
Take it slow! When I introduced my dog to my cats, I used blankets first so they could get used to each other’s scent. Maybe even try muzzle training the dog for extra peace of mind until you know she’s safe around them.
@Chase
Thanks, I’ll definitely give that a shot! Slowly introducing the scents could help calm everyone down a bit.
Definitely keep them separate for now. Catify your apartment with some high spots where the cats can escape and feel safe. Give the cats treats when they see the dog to create positive associations. Don’t let the dog chase them—chasing is really hard to break.
@Bliss
Good call on the high spots! I’ll need to figure out a way to stop her from chasing them if they bolt. I’ll try the treats too.
We had a similar situation with a high-energy dog. We introduced our cats and dog slowly with a baby gate. It let them sniff each other without risking any actual contact. Over time, they got used to each other. Patience is key!