Can kittens and dogs ever get on?

Kittens and dogs are not natural enemies but they do have their problems with each other, especially on first acquaintance.

The reason is that they both use the same signs to communicate, but they use them to communicate totally different things. A dog, for instance, wags his tail to express happiness. When your kitten sees this, he will interpret it as signalling nervousness or tension. After all, he wags his tail to show that he’s annoyed. The same confusion happens when a dog wants to play. He lifts his paw which your kitten will see as aggression.

It seems that misunderstandings are unavoidable but, then again, there are about half a million cats and dogs living together in peaceful coexistence in the UK. The reason? Both cats and dogs are highly adaptable and seem to be born diplomats who soon learn each other’s language when they realise they’re going to be seeing each other every day.

Encouraging the friendship

If you want your kitten to get on with your dog, the best approach is to ensure that the dog is well established in the home before the kitten arrives. Keep them in separate rooms for the first few days but within hearing distance of each other. When you introduce them to each other, hold the kitten in your arms and let the dog have a good old sniff. After that, they will probably approach each other rather gingerly, but it shouldn’t be long before the dog allows your kitten to join his ‘pack’. Things are much more difficult if your kitten is there first, because cats are generally more jealous than dogs. In that case, make a real fuss of your kitten to show him that he’s going to be loved as much as he was before the dog arrived.

Giving him the bird?

Can a bird and a kitten really co-exist peacefully? It may seem unlikely but, in fact, there’s usually no problem, as long as you observe a couple of common sense rules. The first is to place the bird cage out of temptation’s way and safely beyond your kitten’s reach. Secondly, when the bird is allowed to fly around the room, you must keep the kitten out. Other pets should also be fine, and although mice and guinea pigs are a kitten’s natural prey, he’ll consider them as household objects once he’s become used to them.