# Border Terriers & Cats



## mattingham87 (Jul 23, 2011)

we have just introduced an adult border terrier into our home where there is already a cat living

on reading up how to get them to co-exist, which they don't at the minute....i noticed that everything i read said bringing a border terrier puppy into the home where a cat already lived should be fine....nowhere have i seen anything about adult terriers and cats living together.

we are having to keep them separated at present because the terrier wants to get at the cat by any means neccessary, so i was just wondering.....what will i need to do to get them to co-exist, if its possible


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## Nico0laGouldsmith (Apr 23, 2011)

mattingham87 said:


> we have just introduced an adult border terrier into our home where there is already a cat living
> 
> on reading up how to get them to co-exist, which they don't at the minute....i noticed that everything i read said bringing a border terrier puppy into the home where a cat already lived should be fine....nowhere have i seen anything about adult terriers and cats living together.
> 
> we are having to keep them separated at present because the terrier wants to get at the cat by any means neccessary, so i was just wondering.....what will i need to do to get them to co-exist, if its possible


if the dog is trying to get at the cat I would never ever leave them unsupervised together not even in the future. . .just in case even if they seem fine because you never know what will happen and you'd never forgive yourself or the animals if the dog attacked the cat or if the cat attacked the dog for coming after it. . .

I imagine introducing them very slowly over short periods would be a good idea.. . possibly with the dog on a harness being held by one person and the cat sitting on someone's lap (to calm the cat) just in the same room for a few weeks. . not allowing them near each other. . .just so they get used to each others presence. . .they should begin ignoring each other after a while

then you can start allowing them close to each other but ensuring the dog is still restrained and there is someone there so hold the cat. . . allowing them closer and close over a long period
it doesn't matter how long it takes it will be worth it

you may want to use a muzzle on the dog if you're worried it might bite the cat. . .just when they're close to each other because if they're really close a lot of things can happen in a split second even when the dog is restrained

you could also try crating the dog for periods whilst the cat is in the same room allowing the cat free roam and allowing it to eat in front of the dog which will create the illusion that the cat is higher up the pecking order.
the cat probably believes this to be true anyway because it was your cats home before the dog appeared and your cat is probably very confused right now as to why its home is invaded with this thing that keeps trying to get at it

the chances are the dog probably wants to play with the cat but you can never be sure and you don't want anything terrible to happen. . .

your cat needs plenty of "escape routes" just in case they end up in the same room. . .so things the cat can easily jump on and grip onto to climb up out of the dog's reach if need be


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## Nico0laGouldsmith (Apr 23, 2011)

oh and remember. . . praise good behaviour, ignore bad behaviour. . .don't shout, hit (not that I think you ever would hit your dog) or punish your dog for bad behaviour with the cat because it will just confuse the dog just praise it when it is finally around the cat and is acting calmly


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## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

I tried many ways to get an adult male Malamute to accept my cat when i took him in to re home him last year. He was totally fixated with the cat. In the end i resorted to using a syringe filled with water, would let the cat in or wait for him to sit on the window sill and as soon as the dog showed any interest in the cat at all would give him a quick squirt. He never got to see where it came from as it fitted in my palm and i never said a word when i did it. I literally used it three times and he stopped bugging the cat. I had to take drastic action as Mals have a very high prey drive and my cats safety was paramount. Timing is essential though. He now lives with another Mal and a cat who he lies on the sofa with - good boy!


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

i've crated the cat, LEASHED the dog, & played 'look at that' [Control Unleashed - see UTube or read the book].

Kitty is on a desk, chair, table, ____ - for added safety, for some sense of security, for setback. 
the dog may only be brought in the room for a matter of seconds, if the dog is so aroused that s/he alarms 
the kitty - i am NOT going to stress the poor cat by having a wannabe-murderer stare at Kitty from across 
the room! Instead, i bring the dog in, *look at the cat?... Look at me*, click + treat, LEAVE.

Kitty *cannot* be allowed to run from the dog!  that elicits chasing even in cat-friendly dogs; 
in cat-predatory or cat-reactive dogs, it can be fatal: chasing is so exciting that killing springs from it. 
baby-gates, closed doors, tethers for the dog, etc, all prevent chasing AND RUNNING - preventing the chase 
alone will not work, if fleeing is allowed for the cat. The dog will just wait for a moment of opportunity. 
FLEEING is an invitation to be chased. :nonod: Setting aside one room just for the cat is also an option - 
put Kitty's food & water as far from their litter box as possible, & LATCH the door, don't merely close it. 
if U have young children, a hook-&-eye catch above child reach is simple, cheap, & effective - kids will not 
be entering the room & letting the cat out, or the dog in.

Kitty gets catnip & Feliway in the crate, plus nice treats thru the door or window to associate with the dog; 
the dog gets nice treats FIRST simply to associate with the cat's presence, THEN when s/he begins to calm, 
for every calm behavior: look AT & then look AWay? click + treat; blink, sit, drop their head or ears, lower tail, 
relax their body [vs be rigid & ready to pounce!], lie-down,... Anything, everything. I keep asking the dog 
to *look at the cat calmly, then look at me -* click, treat.

move the cat closer to the dog, or the dog closer to the cat, as both become more relaxed. 
only remove barriers when the dog is leashed; the cat STILL cannot be allowed to run.

be aware that INSIDE & OUTside are 2 different worlds for the dog: 
the dog may cease chasing the cat with training, the cat may cease fleeing the dog indoors... but once outside, 
*the dog may not understand that the training still holds in the new context... or worse yet, the cat might 
playfully romp across the grass toward a tree, or chase a windblown leaf, or leap at the sight of a bird... & WHAM!*, 
there goes the dog, haring off after the cat as if they've practiced this every day! :yikes: this is very dangerous.

if U want the dog to tolerate the cat outdoors, i strongly advise repeating the training outdoors. 
it will go much faster the second time - & the safety-factor is worth it, as even cats who do NOT go outside 
may slip out unplanned or be allowed out by a visitor, a child or a delivery-nik /repair-person, etc.


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