There is a running misconception about dogs and cats as being mortal enemies to each other. This has become a very popular notion especially because nowadays you can watch on television cartoons where a cat is always being chased by a dog.
What people probably do not know is that dogs and cats share similar characteristic traits where both of them are considered among the predator group of animals. This means that they are preying animals or looking to catch an inferior animal for food. By nature a dog or a cat get very much excited once they sense strange or sudden movements around them. This is the reason why some cats are wont to leap at any moving object, for instance a moving curtain that is being blown by the wind. They get excited by flying objects and swift moving tiny animals like rats which have become their favorite target for food.
Dogs, on the other hand have the preying instinct to catch animals that are smaller in size than themselves, also termed as the prey drive. So then people should always watch out and be careful even if their pet dogs are considered tame because their prey drive is just dormant.
In the meantime, kittens get their training in catching prey when they play around with moving objects, even chase their very own tail. When they grow older, their animal instinct takes over.
Meanwhile dogs are motivated to start a chase when cats disturb the dog’s peace. It would be very wise for the owners to protect these animals from hurting each other by practically putting them away from one another like separate areas in the house.
Nevertheless if you plan to have both the pet dog and pet cat together inside the house and at the same time expect them to coexist peacefully then you better do some good dog training for your pet. There are many ways to train a dog and perhaps the first thing that it has to learn is to get acquainted with a future friend in the house which is the cat.
You shouldn’t forget though that the animal instinct in the dog or the cat may come to play when any of these pets detect each others presence. A fight will of course ensue and expectedly a chase between the two pets will surely follow. There will be chaos all over the house because of this and the peace that you long for is abruptly shattered.
Therefore you better start the training of your pet dog before any untoward disaster occurs in your house. The next step in training the pet dog is to make it familiarize itself with the presence of another predator inside the house. You should be able to show appreciation for the dog’s behavior as it get used to having the cat around. You may give the dog a pat or a treat whenever it is able to ignore the taunting of the cat.
A single cat should never be mingled or brought together in the company of two or more dogs. Remember that there is always the danger that any of the dogs might want to play catch a prey with the cat. Distancing the dog and cat from one another should be brought to mind particularly during feeding time. Their animal instinct is for survival so they really get harsh when their food is being eyed by another animal.
The leave it command should be obeyed by the dog at all times especially when its preying instinct is triggered. You should treat both animals equally with kindness and reward them with their good behavior.
On the part of the owner, patience is required because of the limited means of communication with the pets. Instruction is usually made through body language and done over and over until the dog learns. The prize is worth your while anyways because you will attain a peaceful and harmonious coexistence with your pet dog and cat.
Article by Sven Ullmann, who runs My Lovely Cat - Useful information about cats. Read more about Cats and Dogs living together.