PETS OF THE WEEK: Rocky, Babe and Crybaby are an adorable bonded trio (two dogs and a cat) surrendered to PHS/SPCA, said the organization’s Michele Moyer. It is preferred that they go home together, and their adoption fees would be waived should you be willing to add these three sweet animals to your family. Ask for Rocky (ID# A818614), Babe (ID# A818616) and Crybaby (ID# A818615). Adoptable pets are available at Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA’s Tom and Annette Lantos Center for Compassion, 1450 Rollins Road, Burlingame. For more information, call 650-340-7022 or visit www.phs-spca.org. (Thelma Andree / Peninsula Humane Society)
Dear Miss Behavin’: Can dogs and cats really get along?
The answer is: Yes! In the right circumstances with the right personalities, dogs and cats can get along and even learn to enjoy one another’s company.
The exception to dog and cat friendships are often dogs with strong instincts to chase, nervous cats who don’t adapt well, and senior pets who might suffer from stress. If your cat or dog does not fall into those categories, you’re on track.
If you have a dog at home and you’re looking to adopt a cat, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure a peaceful introduction. Remember that your newly adopted cat will be coming from a stressful environment. She will need time and space to get acquainted with her surroundings before she’s ready to meet a dog. The same can be said for the resident dog. Pro tip: ask an adoption counselor to point you toward cats who have lived successfully with dogs.
If you have a cat at home and you’re ready to adopt a dog, it will be imperative that your cat has its own space to get away from the dog. This includes higher ground such as cat trees, book shelves, or window hammocks. The dog you adopt should have little to no prey drive, and you’ll want to focus on obedience and manners before the dog actually gets to meet the cat. A good understanding of “leave it” and “come” or “here” will be very useful.
Your best tool in this integration process will be a sturdy baby gate allowing the cat and dog to see each other, but not interact. Keep in mind that this introduction does not happen overnight. This process, especially with successful results, can take up to a few months depending on each individual animal.
For more information on introductions, you can email our Behavior Department at [email protected]. If you want to forgo the introduction process, consider adopting an already-acquainted trio like Babe and Rocky the dogs and their boss, CryBaby, the cat, who loves her two dog buddies.
Read more from Miss Behavin’ in the Mercury News.