How do I get my cats to get along with the dog?

Question

I have two medium sized cats. When I first got them I had them at my parent's house. My parents have a 5 month old lab. Whom happens to be pretty big for his age. I've tried getting them together to see if they get along, the dog tried to be there friend but all they did was hiss at him and try to scratch him. I took them back to my apartment, but I'm currently going back to my parents house. How can I get them to get along and not fight if I'm going to have them live under the same roof?

Answer 1

Don't force them.  Cats stress easily and the more you force them to do something they are afraid of, the more psychological damage you can cause, which could manifest in all sorts of bad behaviors (like urinating on rugs and furniture, destroying things, aggression towards humans, etc.)

What you need to do is provide them with a safe area that they can retreat to in order to get away from the dog when the dog irritates them.  Their food, water and litterbox, as well as comfortable sleeping areas should all be within the safe area.  NEVER allow the dog to intrude into the safe area while the cats are in it.

Now... cats are naturally curious and they will want to watch the dog from a distance and smell all the things that belong to the dog.  Encourage that behavior.  Give them treats when they show interest in the dog (in non-aggressive ways) and also give the dog treats when he is peaceful and calm around the cats.  The cats will eventually learn to co-exist.

This process takes a long time and every animal is individual.  I have gone through this experience several times.  Some cats take only a few days or weeks to get used to a dog.  Some can take a whole year.  Be patient and understanding.  If you get frustrated and try to force the cats to change their behaviors, you will wind up with a house full of miserable pets.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Give them time. No one makes an instant friend.  Cats also tend to get more upset during car rides than dogs so maybe you can bring the dog to the cats in their home instead of the other way around.  Also, it doesn't matter if they hiss.  Hissing never hurt anything.  I have always had cats and dogs and all of mine are rescues that I adopted when they were full grown.  The important thing is to monitor them and don't let the cats scratch the puppy's eyes.  It might help if you hold the puppy on your lap so that you can control his playfulness.  I know you said that he was big, but I am guessing that you are bigger.