New Rescue Dog’s Alarming Reaction to Resident Cat

[Terferama]

I’ve already posted in The Litter Tray! Would love advice from the Other Side too.

Got a new rescue dog last week, said to be very good with cats and to have lived happily with one in her last home. But she is desperately excited at the sight of mine, yipping and (today) shrieking at their controlled, at a distance, behind dog gates meetings. Undistractable, even with sausage.

It does seem more like excitement than bloodlust, but the cat is understandably freaked out.

I’ve done all the scent-swapping stuff, given the cat a safe room, etc.

Can’t get the dog to calm down within sight of her, even after a long walk and large meal. Even through a window in the distance. I know it’s very early days but I’m really worried it might not work out.

The cat was a stray but lived with two dogs in her foster home and then with my old dog till he died. She is pretty sensible, but not happy at all right now.

Got Feliway and Adaptil arriving tomorrow. I would be so grateful for any and all suggestions that might help. She is a sweet, easy dog in every other way - so far!

Time and keep cat further away for now

Don't do any meetings or introductions. Keep them absolutely separated and dog close to you with plenty of safe space for the cat. We foster and have a stair gate on the sitting room door so new dogs are with us and the cats are safe, but even with our own dogs, there is a gate on the kitchen so the cats eat in peace and have a safe exit.
I think Adaptil collars work best, and its going to take weeks for the dog to decompress and even start to settle in and calm down

Still very early days I’d say.
We got a rescue dog who lived with a cat in his foster home for a couple of weeks and we were sent pictures of them eating together side by side.

Before our dog arrived we made a safe space for the cat where she could run to if she felt threatened. Her bed, food and water were in there. It was a bit like being on the Starship Enterprise- always ensuring one door was closed before entering through the next one. I don’t think they even set eyes on each other the first week. All done very gradually. Kept dog on lead for a few weeks so should the cat wander in we could grab lead quickly. Always allowing the cat to decide how far she was prepared go, rewarding dog for not over reacting to cat etc.

I would say it took about 6 months for them to get used to each other. They even slept in the same room one night( by accident because cat had crawled into a cupboard in the room where dog sleeps, we didn’t realise and went to bed).
Now the cat can walk within feet of him and he won’t react BUT……. our elderly cat had never lived with a dog and it was a lot for her so we had to go back to her using a litter tray & this tolerance only applies in the house if they are both in the garden the dog will chase her.

Your rescue dog may be used to cats but not your cat. Use the distraction method until they are both used to each other.

The rescue dog may have lived with other cats, but she's never lived with your cat, and your cat has never lived with a dog, so it's a huge learning curve for everyone.

Personally I would stop trying to introduce them for now, and just keep them in totally separate parts of the house until the dog has properly settled, which could take months.