Canine communication with Julia Collins

Parlez Vous POOCH?!

Blogger and qualified ‘Dog Listener’ Julia Collins advises how we can help our cats and dogs live together in harmony.

Many of us have cats and dogs that cohabit peacefully. It can be something almost taken for granted. Perhaps humans have just cleverly followed their instincts when putting the two species together!

Whether introducing a kitten to an incumbent dog, or a dog or puppy to the resident feline, thought and patience make for success. It’s important that each pet has a place of comfort and peace to retreat to, somewhere containing their bed, water, food, toys and, in the case of a cat – a litter tray. Each then has a sanctuary.

Before bringing the two animals together, it can be really useful to introduce their respective scents. This is easy, simply wipe a soft cloth over the head of the cat and then leave the cloth in the dog’s area. Repeat the exercise, stroking over the dog so that a scented cloth can be left for the cat. You can later progress to using your hands to touch both pets, thus mixing and transferring the scents.

Introductions should be made carefully, with someone accompanying each animal. Make the intro brief and give rewards for calm behaviour. Repeat these short meetings frequently. Keep the dog on a lead and allow the cat to regard the dog from a distance. Cats like to watch and evaluate situations, favouring somewhere high up as a retreat when unsure. A platform bed is ideal for this.

Be especially aware if your dog is a hunting breed. Sudden movements from the cat can easily trigger their desire to chase – something to be nipped in the bud, as once activated the impulse can be hard to subdue. Likewise staring – distract your dog away from the cat and reward for calm behaviour.

Before too long it should be possible to let the pair get closer. Keep the dog on a lead and never pick up the cat to bring it towards the dog, as panicky spitting and scratching could easily ensue. You will be so familiar with your established pet’s body language and energy that it shouldn’t be difficult to evaluate progress.

The newcomer is often young, and I think their infant demeanour activates a caring and gentle attitude in the older, established animal. We added a tiny kitten to our twoDobermann household with minimal kerfuffle. I ‘gave’ the kitten to the female dog to look after, praising her greatly for the maternal attitude she exhibited right from the start, and not particularly fussing the kitten, who was happy enough to be part of proceedings anyway!

In later years, we introduced a terrier puppy to a year-old Ragdoll cat. The similarly sized pair soon became inseparable, the cat’s supine ‘whatever’ attitude allowing a ‘rough and tumble’ sibling relationship right from the outset.

Parlez Vous POOCH?! articles are also available on the Oracle, an audio information magazine for visually impaired listeners, which is part of Wymondham and Attleborough Talking Newspapers. To access all the Talking Newspaper recordings, go to

www.watn.org.uk

Julia Collins @walksoflifessuffolk www.walksoflife.co.uk