Introducing a new pet into your household can bring a whole lot of uncertainty and disruption. How you manage those initial introductions is crucial if you want a peaceful home for everyone.
Kayla Fratt, certified dog and cat behavior consultant, has plenty of experience introducing cats and dogs to each other.
She knows what to watch out for, how to set everyone up for success, and most importantly, keep everyone safe.
In this episode, she shares her experience with multi-animal households and her best advice for others in the same boat.
Key Moments
[5:54] Kayla shares her history with border collies and foster cats
[8:59] How Kayla introduces cats to herding dogs
[12:02] The setup Kayla recommends for introducing new cats to dogs
[14:06] Why it’s important to avoid things that set off collie herding behavior
[17:03] How Barley the dog dealt with being overwhelmed by kittens
[20:32] Why younger kittens are easier to introduce to dogs
[23:34] Why Kayla always starts with a safety assessment with clients
[30:00] Kayla’s management plan for keeping cats and dogs separate
[37:37] Managing barrier frustration between cats and dogs
[43:05] Kayla describes a client’s cat and reactive dog introduction
[52:32] How to find a balance between letting animals work things out themselves and intervening when necessary
[56:00] Why younger animals need help to recognize body language
Key Links
https://www.tiktok.com/@k9.conservationists (K9 Conservationists on TikTok)
https://www.instagram.com/collieswithoutborders/?hl=en (Collies Without Borders on Instagram)
https://www.facebook.com/journeydogtraining/ (Journey Dog Training on Facebook)
https://twitter.com/kaylafratt (Kayla Fratt’s Twitter)
https://kaylafratt.com/ (Kayla Fratt’s website)