Tips for harmonious coexistence of dog and cat

As you know, dogs and cats are among the most popular pets in Germany. Most people favour one of the two creatures. But some people would like to own both animals.
The fact that dogs and cats do not understand each other has been something that seems to be fixed for centuries and yet a peaceful coexistence of the animals is possible. In today's blog post, we explain how you can arrange a harmonious coexistence between dog and cat.

Enmity between dog and cat: Misleading communication?

One problem that is usually mentioned when discussing this topic is that dogs and cats communicate differently. They often see each other as a threat because they can't read each other's body language or even feel threatened by it.
For example, when a dog is happy, it stands very upright and wags its tail. In this way it expresses that it feels good and is happy to be with you. In cats, on the other hand, this feeling is expressed by purring. The purring of the cat, however, can be interpreted by the dog as growling.
A dog growls when it feels threatened and becomes angry. On the other hand, a cat stands very straight with its tail up when it feels threatened, the famous hunchback.
If the dog and cat do not understand each other, in most cases it is a communication problem.

The invasion of the territory

If you want to get a pet, or even several, it usually happens step by step. You start with one animal and when it has settled in and is no longer so fixated on you as the owner, then you can move on to the next animal. No matter whether you had the dog or the cat first, the animal will see itself as the ruler of the house. True to the motto: first come, first served.

Coupled with the first point mentioned, the situation is of course further complicated because not only is a new animal entering the realm, but the other party does not understand the animal and may even feel threatened.

If you don't want to rely on good luck in the reunion or socialisation, then there are two possibilities. One is to get the animals used to each other from the beginning and get them together at the same time. This means more work, but the animals would see each other as family members as they grow up together and understand each other's body language better.

If this is not an option, then you should think about dividing different areas. This way the two parties don't see each other as rivals but as neighbours and don't have to feel threatened. For example, the dog could have its domain in the garden and the cat in the house or vice versa.