# Introducing a kitten to old dogs



## omgzeloswilder (Dec 26, 2009)

I got a kitten on the 24th and he's made good progress with my miniature dachshund. He swats at her when she tries to sniff his kittybum but other than that I think they are going to be good friends after a while.

But my regular dachshund is very difficult. He's even nipped at the kitten (while I was holding him) and tried to eat one of his little toy mice. I don't know what to do. The dog has always been hard-headed and obnoxious. I think getting a kitten was a huge mistake but I have to make lemonade out of lemons because I spent more than a thousand dollars for the cat (ragdoll), cat tree, litter boxes, food, etc. I can't get a refund for him and I can't get rid of the dachshund because he's not mine, he's my dad's (though I'd love nothing more than to give him away, I've talked to my dad about it but he loves his dog and won't give him away).

So I'm stuck. I don't want my kitten to have to live in my small office his entire life. So I have to figure something out. Please give me some advice. Thank you!


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## FJRacer (Nov 26, 2009)

*Bit of a touchy subject here, but obviously the more you can do to limit interaction until the kitten has put on some weight and quickness, the better chance the kitten has. Dare I speculate that the elder Dachshund has pretty much had ITS way with NO obedience training whatsoever? That's the underlying problem. 
I've recently "adopted" 2 outside Cats into a home with a 6-yr old Rotty that's had minimal interaction with Cats. The Rotty doesn't want to hurt them. Just sniff....and perhaps lick. The younger one seems fine with it, but the other one is way uncomfortable to the point of spitting and clawing. Very odd how different the relationships. 
Best of Luck, and hopefully over time there will be some transition. *


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=cattodogintroductions

This is an article on Little Big Cat that is a web library written by a vet that posts on Cat Forum occasionally. That may help. Its worth bookmarking this library. Lots of good information pertaining to cats.

I did see an episode on the Dog Whisperer on cat/dog interaction which was good. Cesar Millan did say in his experience cats run a dog/cat house. I think it can work out but will take a bit of training. Once your kitten is a bit bigger she can teach your dog some manners if he is pushing limits!! I hate to think of getting rid of any companion animal. They can work it out and may surprise you and become companions! 

My TNR group I belong to fosters a lot of abandoned cats we trap and my friends have dogs. Big dogs and little dogs. They learn to live peacefully and happily in the same household. Dont give up hope. It can be worked thru and youll wake up on day with a happy animal family!


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

I have a 5 yr old dog and recently got a kitten who's about 4 months now. It's been almost 2 months now. I'm not sure how it'll relate to your situation as it'll be different, but I'll explain what I did with mine for your reference.

My dog has a bit of experience with other animals in the past such as dogs, chinchillas, and another kitten (for a short period). However, he's prone to jealousy.

When the kitten arrived, we had them sniff each other and watched closely, but didn't push them to accept each other. We let the kitten walk around for a while and the dog naturally followed to investigate. The kitten's pretty good natured and perhaps used to accepting new things as it was from a shelter so probably saw an assortment of other animals. It did hiss once or twice at my dog for following too closely at first, but that was it. I would separate them immediately if either one acted up (watching the body language).

I let them interact more and more to get used to one another, but at first, never alone. If I'm giving something to one of them (ie: a toy), I always give one to the other as well to avoid jealousy issues. I also try and address both of them too. Like if I come home, I'll speak to them both instead of just fauning over the new kitten. I had some jealousy issues where my dog would pee/poop in front of the bedrooms for attention. So I upped my attention to my dog while still paying attention to my kitten. Like I'll talk to him or pet him more. So far, the accidents have stopped.

Right now, the kitten adores my dog. Contrary to what Caesar Milian said, it seems my dog still has dominance in the house for now. The kitten will let him take her toys and sometimes even walks off if he comes over to steal it from her. My dog is still not able to accept her completely though. He 'cleans' her sometimes and plays with her, but he still won't let her sleep with him although she tries to cuddle. I think it'll just take some time as he was used to having the whole house to himself for so long. Probably the same case as yours.

Does your kitten get upset if the dog steals the toys? I think it's a case of jealousy for you. The dog may think the newcomer is trying to usurp him so is getting very defensive. He's probably protective over his turf and also the attention that you're giving to the cat and not him. Were you scolding him while you held onto the cat? I told my family the whole game plan so we never scold my dog and give him the idea that we're favoring the cat. If anything happens, we just go between them and speak gently to the dog as we separate them for a time out.

Please inform us of how you're doing. There are many knowledgable people here who can help. I know how difficult it is to get them to accept each other. But, as you said, you've got to make the best of the situation. I was in tears after I got my kitten and realized perhaps it was too impulsive. I was on the verge of giving her back to the shelter because I was so stressed. However, things have settled a bit and I'm very happy that I opted to keep her. Pets bring so much joy to life, but sometimes you have to put in some work before you see the results.


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