Whether you’re a Dog Loyalist, a Cat Loyalist, or a bit of both, you’ll know the age-old stereotypes. Cats are cool, calm and aloof; savvy operators that strategize from afar. Meanwhile, dogs charge into everything nose-first, tail a-wag, hearts full of irrepressible joy.
Like any stereotype, it’s not entirely true; there are nuances and different pets have different personalities and breed tendencies. However, cats and dogs undoubtedly bring a unique kind of energy, and that can sometimes lead to… miscommunication.
Why can’t they just get along?
It helps to understand why dogs and cats aren’t always best friends. Essentially, they’re speaking two entirely different languages. That’s because of:
Body language: what means one thing to a dog can mean the opposite to a cat. If you’re a dog, a big tail wag often communicates friendliness or excitement. For cats, that same tail wag expresses agitation.
Eye contact: cats interpret staring as confrontational or dominant. Meanwhile dogs love nothing more than gazing lovingly into their human’s eyes as a way of bonding.
Social structure: dogs are pack animals, which makes them experts at reading cues and forming hierarchies in groups. Cats tend to be the solitary type.
Use of scent: cats use scent to mark and read territory – think of it as creating a fence around your garden, or respecting the wall around your neighbor’s. For dogs, scent is information gathering – like reading the blurb on the back of a novel.
Instinctive responses: instinct plays a huge role in interspecies meetings. Small, fast-moving animals can prompt a dog’s prey drive, while cats’ fight-or-flight reflex can be activated by a predator chasing them.
All of that means bringing cats and dogs together is less about instant friendship and more about trust and safety that’s gradually earned over time.
The perfect cat-meets-dog, dog-meets-cat situation
Like so many things in life, it’s all in the setup. Pet Loyalists are going to need to do some forward-planning, with some perseverance and a lot of patience. Here’s how to make it work:
- Give everyone the space they need
You might have visions of your dog and cat cuddled up on the sofa every night – and that’s not unrealistic. However, when you’re introducing the two, it’s critical to have boundaries. Keep your pets in separate areas of your home to start with, maybe exchanging bedding so they can develop a sense of familiarity from a distance. - Gradually transition to introductions with barriers
After a few weeks, all being well, you can introduce baby gates, carriers or leashes and let your pets safely encounter each other. Ensure both sides have a place to retreat to – for example a tree for cats that like observing from on high, or a ground-level hiding spot if they’re more of a ‘bush dweller’. -
Celebrate the wins, however small
Be calm, be consistent, and keep it positive by using treats (even better when they’re healthy treats too) and words of encouragement to celebrate small wins like quiet coexistence, or a relaxed glance across the room. Continue these supervised interactions, ensuring there’s no fixation or chasing behavior (more on that below), until both sides seem ready to meet without barriers.
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Have an eye on body language
Any displays of aggression, anxiety or discomfort – at any stage – are signs that the relationship still needs time. Pet Loyalists will easily identify the classic signs – dogs growling, lunging, freezing and staring, or cats doing the notorious tail- or whole-body-fluff, flattening their ears, hissing or spitting.
There’s other subtle behavioral signals as well. For dogs, watch out for tense facial muscles, shedding, crouching body posture, tucked tail, refusing food or showing the whites of their eyes. And for cats, keep an eye on tail flicking, dilated pupils, crouching, hiding or excessive grooming.
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Make sure meal time isn’t a competition
When it’s breakfast, dinner or treat time, it’s important to avoid any sense of rivalry. Pets should always be fed in their own dedicated areas – or rooms, if they’re still getting used to one another. Cats might even prefer their food and water in an elevated spot.
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Consider a calming supplement for some extra nervous system support
Introducing a supplement can help smooth the transition. WellJoy Calming+ includes L-theanine, Ashwagandha and L-tryptophan to promote relaxation without sedation. Start it a few weeks before a new pet arrives, so that calming nutrients can build up, and your pet’s nervous system can adapt to the change more easily.
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A good night’s sleep always helps
It’s true for pets and Pet Loyalists in the trenches of dog-cat relationship issues. It’s best to give both animals their own separate sleeping areas. This might require crate-training your dog, or keeping them in your room at night to give your cat free rein of the nocturnal realm. Pet Loyalists will know which of them is the jealous type…
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And then wait for the magic to happen
There’s no fixed rule for how long the process takes, but three to six months is a reasonable estimate. As a timeline guide:
1-3 weeks: “You’re new and I’m curious”. Separate rooms, building familiarity without pressure.
2-6 weeks: “OK, I think I’m getting used to you.” Controlled exposure, using barriers to desensitize and supporting with praise and treats
2 weeks to 6 months: “One day I might even like you.” Supervised interactions, keeping an eye on behavior.
6 months onwards: “You know what? You’re not so bad after all.” Peaceful coexistence, and maybe even a beautiful new friendship.
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As always, in vets we trust, so if any of these stages starts to feel sticky, it’s always worth asking them for the advice you need to keep things progressing safely and happily.
We’re proud to say that all of WellJoy’s content is fact-checked and verified by a Pet Loyalist team, including a veterinarian trained in companion animal nutrition and a PhD board-certified companion animal nutritionist.