What adjustments do you make to a generic integration plan when the cat doesn't make himself scarce?

In this Dog and Cat Chat, Melissa and I come up with a plan to make Gem and Bart's interactions more predictable after a chase that ended with the cat in the dog's mouth 😲

What you'll hear in this episode:

• why letting a bold cat decide when to see the dog might not be the best idea

• how important it is to stop and congratulate yourselves on reaching a mini-milestone (because the journey to coexistence can be long)!

• what kinds of setups to do when the dog is more freaked out than the cat

• why you can't be one-and-done with a setup (even if your first attempt goes super smoothly)

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

Meet Gem and Bart

The Initial Plan

1. contain Bart so he doesn’t pop up the stairs and surprise Gem

2. bring Bart upstairs and practice moving him around the space (including the cat tree)

3. attempt the following setup:

   • Bart elevated and stationary, Gem behind barrier (gate or ex-pen) and dragging a leash eating from multiple stations

Updates from Melissa

✅ What worked:

• door latch - no more escapes from Bart!

• Gem is able to find his food and disengage from staring at Bart during setups

🤔 What needs more tweaking:

• getting Bart up on the cat tree during setups

❗️ New Info:

• Gem also barks at Bart when he sees him through the basement window in the backyard

Any future updates from Melissa 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).