Animals Matter columnist Cathy M. Rosenthal shares how she safely introduced her dog and cat and helped them develop a healthy relationship, where the cat is in charge.
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I have an 8-year-old cat named Sterling who thinks he's the boss of our pack. He's trained us to sleep in awkward positions, so we don't disrupt his sleep. He knows we won't get a drink or go to the restroom if he is sleeping on our laps. He’s got us trained to let him in and out of his catio dozens of times a day. He shows his alpha dog nature with our 100-pound dog, too.
None of this hurts Buster physically, but Buster knows the only way to please his brother from another mother is to let him be in charge. Buster understands he's no match for a cat. While this relationship sounds lopsided, this is precisely the relationship I want Buster and Sterling to have with each other. If it was the other way around, there is always a risk Buster could hurt Sterling.
How do I know when it's safe for them to hang out together? When Sterling bops Buster and Buster walks away. That moment came about three weeks into the introductions. Buster nudged Sterling with his muzzled nose and lifted him slightly off the ground. Sterling immediately bop-bop-bopped Buster on his nose to get him to stop. Buster stepped back and walked away. That's the day the muzzle came off, and the two have been friends ever since.
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