When you've got an intense, chase-y dog and some scared cats, how do you prioritize your training projects? In this Dog and Cat Chat, I explain why (in Jenna's case), I suggested that she focus on addressing the cats' skittishness first before tackling her dog's intense reactions to seeing the cats move.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• why two kittens might be better than one

• how to make seeing the other animal less of an event (when they are absolutely apart)

• how to help nervous cats explore their territory (and why it was priority #1 for Jenna)

To listen to the full episode, click here to open it in your podcast player or press play below:

Meet Thunder, Draco, and Severus

(not their actual photos 🤣)

The Initial Plan

1. give the kittens as many opportunities as possible to explore the upstairs area (outside their safe zone) while Thunder was securely away

2. reinforce the kittens for attempting new behaviors like navigating stairs

3. reinforce the barrier at the bathroom door (planning for the kittens to want to get out of there)

Updates from Jenna

“We’ve made some amazing progress! Since the last time we spoke, I spent quite a bit of time letting the kittens explore the house with Thunder in another room and rewarding them for being on high surfaces. At this point, our pets are able to be in the same room while supervised. The kittens will just hang out on their high spots while we are continuing to work on rewarding Thunder for relaxing around the kittens as well as his ability to disengage from them. I’m super proud of how far these 3 have come!

I’ll try to get some videos of us working with Thunder while the kittens are around. I think you’ll be happy to see how well they’re all doing! Thanks again!”

✅ What worked:

• prioritizing giving the kittens experience throughout the territory, focusing on elevated spots (out of Thunder’s reach and in a good place to observe him)

• reinforcing Thunder for any appropriate behaviors around the kittens

Any future updates from Jenna will be put here - stay tuned!

Want to do your own Dog and Cat Chat??

Create a plan with Naomi to help your own pets move closer to coexistence! Schedule your FREE Dog and Cat Chat consultation to get that push in the right direction (and help other cat-and-dog people in similar situations).