Can cat's and dog's live together?

The firmest of friends

It is a common belief that cat's and dog's hate each other, and we even have the phrase in English "fighting like cats and dogs" which must have been founded on some truth, but how is it that some people have both animals living happily side by side in the same house?

We have received a lovely story today. One of our readers was out for a walk with their two year old dog, when the dog suddenly ran off and stood in front of a bush and started barking loudly. Of course our reader followed the dog and went to see what was in the bush, only to find an abandoned kitten, which must have been about 2 days old. She picked the kitten up and took her home, and her dog, did not leave the kitten's side, barking at anyone that went near her, and standing guard. Once the kitten started moving around and feeling more confident, she would nip and tease the dog, who would calmly accept anything that came her way, and the two became the firmest of friends.

This is an unusual story, but if you want to introduce a new animal in to your household, the best way of approaching it is to first introduce a cat and dog, by making sure the cat is at the dog’s eye level. You should also keep a firm grip on both animals, which will make them feel more secure.

If you take a few minutes several times a day to give the cat and dog this carefully supervised time together, you should soon see them feeling more relaxed around each other.

Tell us your experiences.