Puppy and cats

[puginamug]

We got our puppy on Monday.

So far the cats have taken one look and scarpered. They're getting a little bit braver.

I'm not sure what to do for the best for them.

Downstairs is Open Plan and puppy is in kitchen/sitting room. That's also where cats food and litter box is. They also need to 'cross' the room with the puppy to get out (although it's L shaped so not directly)

So far we have to take cats food up when puppy is out of crate and put it down again over night. They have eaten off the work surface/table too.

Do I give the cats a few more days to come round or should I move their food and litter upstairs?

Puppy pen so cats can move about easily
Pop the lead on puppy when cats are about so he doesn’t chase or scare them - and them scratch him. One of ours scratched out puppies ear and made it bleed he’s fine but best to avoid these things.

Stair gate to keep pup away? We have one so he can’t go upstairs and keeps him away from cats/litter tray and food. So they can socialise safely. My pup loves one of my cats and she loves him the other 3 aren’t keen but they stay away from each other.

Our pen opens out wide so you can pen him in one area if required. You could feed and litter tray upstairs too. I found it difficult changing trays upstairs and lugging heavy litter through house and smell upstairs but if it’s nothing for long - you don’t want puppy in trays either ours are covered but the smell can make them over excited- lovely I know.

You need a puppy pen, or the puppy confined so the cats can continue with their life as normal, and most importantly that they have a direct exit/entry without being harassed - and if the dog decides to chase them they can get safe

You do need to consider long term that you'll always have to keep the puppy away from the cat food (and ideally litter) as cat food is super tasty. Our cat has his food on a wide windowsill the dogs can't reach. The litter tray is covered and he mostly goes outside anyway, but I know he does the occasional poo in there, and it never lasts long enough for me to clean it up 🤮

He's in his crate overnight but I'm struggling to get him to go in there for any length of time during the day. He just cries to come out.

He has a set up which is a crate and pen attached to each other which the breeder recommended so he can still get out and go to the loo in the night.

I would like him to go in a crate quietly so I can get some work done but he seems to prefer to sleep by my feet.

At some point I would like to leave the house though.

It's like the children all over again isn't it!

Crate games by Susan Garrett
Or absolute dogs you need to make the crate ‘fun’ and a nice place. You need to go in too, when he’s calm and settled praise him - one word like gooood boy - in a calm quiet way so he understands when he’s settled and good he gets praise/attention. Ignore the barking and crying. Once you’re out of the crate and he settles go and calmly give him a biscuit (use his food) and have the goood as your marker so he knows he’s done good, he’ll really get there.
With pen/crate also, Feed him in it, play games in and out of it, we chicken treats in then out - mine is quite large. It makes it a non threatening place - we also had the pen round it. I wouldn’t encourage him to ‘go’ in the night mine only had the occasional accident they can hold on but it is an early start (took him out last thing half 10 ish and have fresh water in his crate, we had a little thing that attached to the crate as he liked to paddle in his. The cats will get used to him and them him but best to let them discover each other at a distance.
So exciting for you, my boy is 11 months and it flies in so enjoy it and have lots of fun with your pup my boy learns something new every day. It’s an adventure

And you will leave the house again, I was out for 2 hours this afternoon and he sleeps on his bed loose in the living room, rewarding nothing works a treat he’s a lovely calm boy in the house.

He's gone in there nicely tonight. He was really really tired. Hopefully the cats will get free reign for the night!