# Cat and Adult V



## oliveJosh12 (Sep 10, 2012)

Hi,

can anyone offer any advice on the best way to introduce an over keen big 2 year old Vizsla male to a cat. (Cat lived at home first). Neither has had any experience with cats/dogs before and the Viz is being very Viz like and a bit OTT.

Thanks


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## SuperV (Oct 18, 2011)

I would make sure the nails are trimmed on the cat. They can cause serious damage...like a laceration on an eye.... other than that just use common sense. I am guessing the cat will hide for a while and when they do meet, the cat will beat up on the dog. You may want the dog on a leash to make sure he doesn't get out of control.

Nate


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## oliveJosh12 (Sep 10, 2012)

Thanks Nate, I don't think its going to be as simple as that. the cat is quite terrified and the dog isn't listening when he sees the cat and ignores all commands.

thanks for tip about claws.

Has anyone introduced an adult dog to an adult cat before?


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Anytime I've had dogs and cats like each other, its because they grew up together. Sorry I'm no help, and I wouldn't count on the cat winning a encounter. 
I did remember this post from a while back on a Texas hunting forum. Please remember his dogs have had a lot of training before this ever took place.

http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5181762/Re:_DD_with_kittens/cat#Post5181762


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

I have 2 older cats and an almost 2 year old v. One cat just merely tolerates Dharma and she jumps on him and will chase him. Sometimes she just licks him. But mostly it is just vizsla craziness. The other cat is territorial(she was the first to arrive in our home and has undergone my husband living with me, bringing his cat into the house, and lastly a vizsla puppy). Dijon hisses and snarls and will claw Dharma if she gets a chance. Dharma is pretty wary of the one cat. The one cat will sneak around to avoid the dog. Every pet has a safe place to go. Dharma goes in her crate. The cats have a large office with soft furniture and a door with a cat door in it for escape purposes. 
The cats are quite mean when I have to go out- They torture the dog in her crate so lately every one has been locked up in some enclosure. I would try to supervise as much as you can without getting attacked yourself. I would also try introduction between doors or a gate of some sort. All I can say is one year on it is still not the best environment for all involved. Good luck!


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

As TexasRed pointed out, they do best when they are raised together from infancy. Hate to be pessimistic about it, but... better safe than sorry! I have no doubt whatsoever that my boy Willie would kill a cat in a New York minute, given the opportunity. He thinks they are game... just a funny looking squirrel.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Mine have always looked at anything that's small and runs, as something to chase. They've killed squirrels, and June even takes on nutria rats. They've never killed a cat, because the cats have always made it over the backyard fence, before the dogs got ahold of them.

I have controlled them around ducks, and chickens before with Leave it, followed by a nick from the ecollar. It was always under my supervision, and know they could never be trusted alone with them. When you see one dog go on point, and the other two dogs backing, you know exactly what's on their mind.


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

What's the end goal, exactly? Will they be living together? I've found that cats raised with dogs come around eventually, but still go through the initial hissing/face swatting routine. It's unlikely that a cat not raised with dogs would ever come around, particularly if it's a female. 

I would tire out the dog first, keep him on lead and let them observe each other from a distance. It might help if you can get the cat to relax via catnip or playing with a string or something, but be aware that watching the cat play will make it hard for the dog to control himself. 

Rereading your posts it sounds like the intro was happening then? 

For the future, I'd just make sure to give the cat space and maybe try some classical conditioning. Feed cat tuna every time it's with the dog. Reward the dog for calm behaviors when around the cat, such as sitting, lying down, looking away, etc.


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## MeandMy3 (Feb 27, 2013)

I had cats before I had dogs so my pups have always come into a home where there are cats. We are still having some issues with our female lab pup wanting to carry the cat around. The other day she brought her to me by carrying her by the scruff of the neck. The pup was feeling very brave and the cat is quite complacent. 

Someone once told me to make sure the cat always has an escape route available - a higher counter, a gate the cat can jump over and the do can't, etc... With that said, if you are having trouble, I would not leave them alone. 

Good luck!


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Ruby still chases our cats and she was brought home at 8 weeks with them already in the house. She has never hurt them, though, and she knows that they are not toys. She also knows that she is not supposed to chase them, but it's hard for her to resist. We have a baby gate on our stairs that is closed 24/7 so that the cats always have an escape route. 

I think it would be pretty difficult to introduce an adult V to a cat and expect good, long term results. :-/


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