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Like Cats And Dogs? Yes, Unlikely Pairs Can Be Pals

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By KRISTEN LEVINE, Tribune correspondent

Published: February 9, 2008

Are your dog and cat sweet on each other?

Sometimes, the most unlikely pets become lifelong companions. Other times, dogs and cats share a mutual intolerance that is immediate and everlasting.

"Mealtime is a real challenge for us," Julie McCloskey of Wesley Chapel says.

Her dogs, Daisy and Brooklyn, always finish eating first and then work as a team to clear the cats' plates. "They usually go after Boo, the elderly cat, and dance around her plate until she's intimidated to the point of abandoning what's left over."

Sounds like a classic canine vs. feline tale, but despite their inherent differences, cats and dogs don't have to live antagonistically. Put yourself in their heads for a moment.

Imagine if you had a blind date show up and announce he or she was going to live with you forever. That may be what a dog or cat feels like when a strange new species arrives on its turf.

"We have jealousy issues, too," McCloskey says. "The dogs don't like when we pet or hold the cats."

Sounds like Daisy and Brooklyn could use some relationship ground rules.

If you're planning to add a dog to your cat-only household or vice versa, seek advice from your family veterinarian about helpful introduction tools or perhaps a referral to a trainer. Experts can offer ways to prevent or minimize problems through careful first encounters.

However, if you've already missed that golden opportunity and your pets are waging a dog-cat sibling rivalry, what are you to do? Veterinarian Stu Rosenberg at Bayshore Animal Clinic in Tampa offers some taming advice:

"Remember that canines and felines are scent-oriented, especially cats."

Strange new scents on what used to be "their turf" can cause instinctive reactions that you might find unacceptable. Those behaviors might include inappropriate elimination, spraying, chasing, taunting, even aggression.

If you're dealing with a dog that thinks kitty is prey, you'll have to intervene using pack mentality.

"This dog is exhibiting a predator-to-prey relationship. Teach the dog that any time he looks at the cat, it's not good," Rosenberg explains. "In pack mentality, you are alpha dog and you do not tolerate the dog chasing that animal. Explain to the dog in dog language that any time they do that, they'll get corrected."

Dogs "don't see us as a person - rather as a pack member, hopefully a leader."

If you need brushing up on your alpha-dog or top-cat communication skills, talk to your veterinarian or a professional dog or cat trainer.

"I like trainers that come to your house," Rosenberg says. "Evaluating and training you and your pet at home can be more effective."

And despite what cats would have you believe, Rosenberg says they're trainable. "It just depends on how motivated you and the cat are to learn."

If serious fear or aggression issues exist between pets, a consultation or evaluation by a certified veterinary behaviorist may be in order.

Rosenberg also suggests a good look at yourself. When you anticipate an altercation, do you tense up or react outwardly? Do you laugh or scream to avoid or react to comical or bad behavior?

"If you freak out, you're telling your pet to freak out," Rosenberg says. "It's a lot like a 2-year-old falling down at the park. Don't make a big deal out of it or overreact."

If proper introductions, good alpha communication and a sense of calm don't keep your dog and cat from cartoonlike sabotage of each other, consider your pet's diet.

"In my opinion, nutrition can be very important when it comes to behavior," Rosenberg says.

"A high-energy dog eating a high-carbohydrate diet might be a misbehaving dog - not unlike the result of feeding a child cotton candy every day."

So, troublesome terriers or cantankerous cats might just need a well-balanced diet to get along? Perhaps.

Rosenberg suggests pet owners read the first six ingredients on their pet food bag or can and decide if that is a food they want to feed their pet.

"Feed your pet the highest-quality food you can afford," he suggests. "Bottom line for people or pets is -- eat healthy, feel better."

Now, go chew on that.

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