Getting Started:  Canine - Feline peace process


The most common reason why cats and dogs don't get along is lack of early socialization  when they were most likely to adopt another species into their social circles. 

Without those early introductions, there is a tendency to treat new individuals as "outsiders" to be distrusted. You can help your kitten overcome social disabilities but count on a lot of time, patience, and careful supervision.

The second most common reason that dogs and cats don't get along is because pet parents do not prevent the dog from chasing the cat. Chasing the cat triggers the canine instinct to  "chase prey!"

Although cats are not natural prey of dogs, in the heat of the moment, dogs focus more on the thrill of the chase than on what they are chasing. In most cases, if the cat stops running, and is able to find a high perch out of reach of the dog, the chase is over, and the dog loses interest.

However, once the dog gets into a vicious cycle of chasing the cat and getting a thrill, changing this pattern is much harder. Cats naturally fear and will avoid dogs that chase them. Confident cats may turn aggressive towards dogs. Rarely will a chased cat feel comfortable or friendly around the canine culprit. However, there are individual cats that do see this as play, too, because the dog never harms them.