Is it possible to introduce a puppy into a two cat house?

apachurra_22: Is it possible to introduce a puppy into a two cat house?
Me and my husband are thinking of getting a puppy this year, but we are wondering if our two adult cats will be able to share their territory with the new puppy. It will be a pity to get the puppy and realize that our house has become a war zone for good! Any advise on how to introduce the puppy to the cats?

Answers and Views:

Answer by CF_
the breed of the pup is important as some are better with cats than are others (eg Huskies are known to be cat killers, etc)

how experienced with dogs your cats are will make a difference too, if your cats dislike dogs and run or hiss they will become a target, if your cats are indifferent to dogs, the pup wont be too bad on them…

DO NOT allow the pup to chase the cats, keep kenneled at night or when you are away, and introduce him on a leash…

pick the pup very carefully – if possible one who has been around cats is better…

NEVER NEVER buy from a pet store – you will pay too much for a low quality pup AND will support a cruel industry of “puppy Mills” breeding pups for no other reason than profit…

Answer by kay
slowly. keep a leash on the pup so he can’t get too rowdy with the more sedate cats. the pup will probably grow to love the cats as interesting possibilities for play, but the cats will probably be aloof. i doubt it will be a war zone, but it’s not likely that they’ll be best friends, though it’s not too much to hope they will be able to tolerate eacother.

Answer by Teresa V
I have 2 adult cats that are just over 2 years old. One is a domestic short hair and the other is a bengel. I brought home a puppy in April she is a Rat Terrier pup and was much smaller than the cats. Right away the DSH liked the puppy and cared for the new member of the family. The Bengel wanted nothing to do with the puppy and hissed whenever in the same room as the dog. After a week or two the cat became braver and met the pup face to face now they are the best of friends and take turns chasing each other around the house.

An older cat is going to be less accepting of a puppy or another cat. Introduce the animals slowly, I kept the puppy in a kennel and allowed the cats to smell her. Also be sure to watch the animals at all times and seperate them when nobody is home.

A puppy is playful and mine got in the habit of chewing on the cats necks and dragging them around. I stopped this by telling the puppy no sternly and offering her a toy instead.

Answer by cpinatsi
It is possible, but not always. My cat never adjusted to a dog we got, and we had to give him away, or one of them would definiltely die. At first, when you bring the puppy home, you have to keep it separately, and then after a week let the cats smell his area or his things and vice versa, after one more weeks let them smell each other for some time every day, but behind a fence or sth., so that they can’t fight, then let them get in touch for a while every day, the cats will beat him up, but possibly they will start getting along. It depends on the specific cats and the specific dog really.