Integrating The Dogs To The Cats

[2greyhoundMINI]

Hi gang!

This is what, my third post?

 

Anyway, We just brought home 2 greyhounds.

 

we did like the rescue said and brought them in on leases, muzzles on. We have 3 cats, so we slowly let them walk up to one of them. She hissed instantly and smacked them both in the face. This I was told, is good.

 

So June is scared of the cats and wants nothing to do with them... Sydney, on the other hand, is very fixated on them. So far we haven't let them just roam the house. We take them on walks around the house on leases (although Sydney doesn't do stairs yet)- yes, another hurdle to deal with, so he has had less interaction with the cats.

 

Last night we brought one of the cats down to them (they were on their leases and muzzles on). June backed away immediately, but Sydney remained fixated. I tried squirting him with a water bottle and telling him no kitty, but it didn't phase him. To break his stare I had to walk in front of him and push him off to the side.

 

We were going to try and bring a cat down again tonight for a little more "socializing".

 

Is there anything else we can do? Something different? I'm in no rush, but I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing for all the pets.

 

Thx in advance!

 

-Monica

[a_daerr]

MUZZLE! Fixation and being unable to distract is a big red flag.

[2greyhoundMINI]

MUZZLE! Fixation and being unable to distract is a big red flag.

Definitely have the muzzle on him.

Last night we had them on leases while the cats were in the room with us. He seems fine if they are laying around... it's when they start moving that gets him fixated.

For now we are keeping them on a close, supervised watch when the cats are around. We are also working on distracting him when he does fixate.

Thx for the response!

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Ok, I cut-and-pasted from a previous thread. I have been a cat tester for multiple groups as well as I foster greyhounds with my cats. Here is my method for the first few months I have new hounds in my house:

 

First week:

1) Muzzle does not come off the hound unless the cats are behind closed door, or hound is in crate, PERIOD.

2) Cats will be put behind closed doors for more than half of the day the hound is awake and I am home.

3) When the cats are around, the hound will have a leash attached (as well as muzzle, see above).

4) to work on desensitization, get some good small bites of food, such as cheese. Have significant other/friend help with the next few steps

5) One person has hound with muzzle and leash on one side of room, second person gets cat and walks into room holding cat. Person with cat sits on floor on opposite side of room and allows the hound to see the cat. Person holding hound calls his/her name, once the hound looks, give treat. REPEAT for 5-10 minutes. DO NOT allow cat to move or otherwise stir and make noise. If the cat gets upset, remove the cat, do not allow the cat to run or make noise as this may excite the hound.

6) do this multiple times during the day. After each session, the cat should be placed in a room, do not allow interaction.

 

Second week:

1) Muzzle does not come off the hound unless the cats are behind closed door, or hound is in crate, PERIOD.

2) Again, two people. One brings cat into room, one holds the hound with muzzle and leash. Person with cat should sit much closer to hound. The hound can be allowed to approach the cat and sniff. All the while the person holding the hound should call his/her name and treat when the hound looks away from the cat. If the hound does not look away from the cat, the person holding the hound on the leash should move away from the cat and get the hounds attention, if needed show the treat to the hound to break the hounds' attention.

3) REPEAT for 5-10 minutes multiple times during the day.

4) After each session the cat should be placed in a room, do not allow interaction.

 

Third week:

1) Muzzle does not come off the hound unless the cats are behind closed door, or hound is in crate, PERIOD (see the trend?).

2) Again, two people. The hound still has muzzle and leash. By this time the hound should be nearly 100% reliable in looking away from the cat for a treat. If not, repeat second week until you have 100% reliability.

3) Second person brings cat into room, sets the cat down and allows the cat to move around the room. The person with the hound should be ready for the hound to try to move, do NOT allow the hound to follow or approach the cat when it is moving around. Instead call the hounds name and treat. If during this week the cat takes off or the hound starts to get anxious (barking, panting, drooling, excessive pulling) you need to go back a week.

4) If you can now distract the hound while the cat is moving around the room, good. Keep this training up for a week.

 

Fourth week:

1) Muzzle does not come off the hound unless the cats are behind closed door, or hound is in crate, PERIOD.

2) Two people, same drill (muzzle and leash).

3) Now you want to get the cat riled up when you have the cat and hound in the room together. If the cat is calm, then push the cat to run out of the room or otherwise get the kitty to make noise. Hold the leash and repeat treating when the hound looks at you. If you cannot get the hounds attention, go back a few weeks in the training.

4) Repeat daily.

 

Once you can have the cat in the room running around and making noise and be able to get the hound to look at you for treats, THEN you can allow the cat to have free run of the house. At this time, put up the baby gates at strategic places around the home (such as hallways and maybe doorways) about 6" above the ground. This will allow for the cats to move freely, but the hound cannot follow. Also as others have said, pull away the furniture from the walls to allow the cats to slide behind. At this time I may allow the cats and dogs to be able to move around at night, but have to see both how calm the cats are around the hound and vise versa. Before this I do not allow the cats and dogs to be able to be in the same room at night when I sleep, period.

 

This method of desensitization is much more effective at getting hounds and cats to live together as it reinforces the behavior you want, as opposed to correcting the behavior you don't want. For correction to work, you have to be present.

 

Do not allow your cats and dogs to co-mingle while you are gone for at least the first 3-6 months, you never know what can happen when you are gone. The muzzle does not guarantee that your cat will not be harmed. A greyhound can still kill small animals with a muzzle on.

 

**NOTE**

If at ANY time one of your hounds exhibits the following behavior: puffing of cheeks, drooling, stiff stare, unable to break eye contact of hound and cat, barking, whining, or other outrageous behavior, REMOVE THE CATS. If your hound exhibit some or all of these behaviors it is NOT safe, and probably not ever safe, sorry to say, but that would be irresponsible to keep an unsafe greyhound and cat in the same house.

 

Do NOT allow your hound to be loose with the cat in the house when the hound is not under your direct control (ie leash) for at least the first 3 weeks of my regiment. Secondly, a baby gate is not enough separation when you are gone. You need to close the door where the cat is when you leave, or crate the hound, either or, nothing less. Drugs, I don't think you need to medicate your hound, you need to do some alone training (do a search in the forums here).

 

 

Chad

[2greyhoundMINI]

Chad,

Thank you very much for cutting and pasting this from another thread... I'm still trying to learn my way around and didn't see a "search" option for this topic.

 

I will start tonight after work your suggestions and see what happens.

Will report back...

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

One other thing I noticed that you said the cat smacked one hound and now the hound is afraid. The hound that seems very interested, did the cat smack that hound? If not, you may want to muzzle the hound and have on leash and allow the hound close enough so the cat will smack him/her as well. If the cat smacks a hound in the nose and the hound doesn't back away AND gets more excited (barking, lunging, drooling, spitting), IMMEDIATELY contact the group you adopted from and let them know your hound is not safe.

[2greyhoundMINI]

One other thing I noticed that you said the cat smacked one hound and now the hound is afraid. The hound that seems very interested, did the cat smack that hound? If not, you may want to muzzle the hound and have on leash and allow the hound close enough so the cat will smack him/her as well. If the cat smacks a hound in the nose and the hound doesn't back away AND gets more excited (barking, lunging, drooling, spitting), IMMEDIATELY contact the group you adopted from and let them know your hound is not safe.

Yes, same cat smacked both of them.... he walked away from it.

The problem is, I have multiple cats... one of them is a runner, so he ran from them once so that caught Sidney's eye.

Last night we had them on leases in the same room (muzzles on). The same cat that smacked them both was chilling on the couch with us. June stayed clear of the cat. Sidney looked at it and came closer to it, but the cat started growling at him and he backed away from it and walked away.

Edited September 17, 2013 by 2greyhoundMINI

[2greyhoundMINI]

Another question to go along with this...

 

Should we NOT have the cats around the dogs at all at night even if they are in their crates?

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

For the first few weeks I wouldn't have them around each other unless everyone is under you direct control. I wouldn't have the cats just hanging around when you are all relaxing. The reason being that the cat may get up to leave the room, or a sound startles the cat, the cat jumps away and now the hound has been stimulated to chase the cat. This is why I have the routine where the cats are calm and don't make noise or move for the first few weeks. If the hound is allowed to chase, it is self-rewarding behavior that makes it more difficult to extinguish. Not only that, you will be temped to use the correction method of training, which only works if you are there. Positive reinforcement lasts much longer, and you do not have to be present for it to be as effective. You can have the hounds in their crates and the cats can wander around, but again, try to avoid stimulating the cats, you don't want them playing or running around the crates or where the hounds can see them.

Edited September 17, 2013 by Greyt_dog_lover

[2greyhoundMINI]

Usually if the cats wonder into the room their crates are in, they are very chilled... walk slowly, then lay down.

The hounds can see them at this point. Our cats are like dogs and like to be in the same room as us when we are home.

 

If you are saying this is a no-no, I can lock the cats upstairs (luckily we have a split-level and there is a door that we can close at the top of the steps). Perhaps I should do this during the day while we are at work and the dogs are crated?

 

Tonight we will start week one of your regimen.

[JJNg]

If the cats are relaxed when the dogs are crated, I don't see a problem with allowing them into the same room when you are there to monitor. I would still watch the dog closely for signs of fixating on the cats and distract and reward for looking away if you see this. Probably best to keep them in separate rooms (even if the dogs are crated) when you aren't home to supervise and train. You won't be able to address excitement and fixation if you're not there. I also wouldn't trust a cat to not 'taunt' a crated dog, whether intentionally or unintentionally. LOL

[2greyhoundMINI]

Definitely.... Cats stuff is moved upstairs for now.

They will be upstairs when we are not home, and for a portion of the evening.