Sorry in advance if there's already been a similar post. We have a 5 year old rescue cat - he's quite large and an almost full-time hunter of vermin, etc, as we live in the country. We've recently brought home an 8 week old lab. She's since been vaccinated, nevertheless we've obviously kept the cat and pup apart for the time being. (This hasn't been hard; despite being twice the size of the pup he was terrified when we first brought her home! He's got every possible escape route.) Anyway, the cat is now getting increasingly curious as to what exactly has invaded the house, and has little experience with dogs. We're keeping the cat outside for the time being but we know the two will inevitably have to co-exist under the same roof. My question is, what would people suggest when it comes to bringing about a peaceful introduction that won't upset either pup or cat? Both have their own crates which seems to be a good method -from what I've read- to keep them apart while they size each other up, but I'd be glad for any input / experience from Lab owners.
Re: Introducing Cats to Puppies One major advantage that you have is that your cat is an outdoor lover and is big too, love the photo We have always had a cat until 3 years ago and have found that the cat will win any Mexican stand off every time , those claws are sharp and the hissing is scarey for a puppy . I would definately introduce them very soon whilst your pup is still very young and adaptable , but in a controlled situation . Having an escape route is vital, but I doubt it will be needed for long , our cats and dogs were always good pals , despite some of our dogs being terriers
