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well. Even bottom rung canines get very defensive about what they know is theirs. Putting baby gates up is a good method for defining territory, as the cat can jump the gate and the dog cannot. However, if too excited, a dog could go through a baby gate right after the cat jumped over it. So, when leaving them alone for long periods place the cat, her food, and her litterbox into a separate room and close the door. Never leave your dog and cat in the same bathroom or small room while you're out, even for litter and potty training purposes. Choose separate rooms.

Before the animals' first meeting, if possible, make sure that they have traded scents. Take a blanket or towel that the cat has slept on and put it in the dog's den, and vice versa. This practice ensures that the two animals are sufficiently familiar with each other's presence and species that the first meeting does not come as a complete surprise. After all, humans don't always like meeting someone by surprise, and neither do animals. It's also another good test of how they react to each other. If the dog tries to rip up the towel with the cat's scent on it, or if the cat hisses and shies away from the dog's blanket, that's an important clue to the psychological history of the animal.

Allow the newbie time to explore and get comfortable in the house by confining the other for a few hours at a time. Alternate frequently, giving both animals plenty of affection when alone with each. You don't want your faithful friend to feel supplanted by the newcomer, after all! However, always feed and pay attention to the cat first upon coming home and when the animals are together. This will establish the cat as dominant over the dog in the dog's mind. Dogs don't mind being the low critter on the totem pole, so long as they have a consistent place and are rewarded for good behavior with your attention. Cats, on the other hand, do not have such a clearly defined hierarchy in their social behavior, do not understand canine social rules, and can get injured or killed if the dog is looking for submission from the cat and doesn't get it.

Supervise the animals closely during all meetings until the two are verifiably acclimated to each other. Keep the dog on a leash and under a down/stay command to prevent sudden chasing sessions or overly aggressive play behavior. Always keep their meetings short and controlled. When the two animals are behaving well towards each other, load on the affection and praise. When they are not

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