How do I introduce new kitty to my Yorkie - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Kmaeh · 08-20-2012, 11:33 AM

I'm just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to successfully introduce a new resucued kitten, to my Yorkie, Chewie. They are about the same age, 5-6 months. I would love for them to be friends, but at the very least to tolerate each other. Chewie has been barking at new kitten and rushing her; is this excitement or annoyance? Kitten also hisses and growls back. Should I be interfering in their interactions, or just let them be? Any tips are greatly appreciated!

Wallee · 08-20-2012, 11:46 AM

Hello there. I have 4 kitties and recently got my yorkie puppy. I have been gating the puppy off into confined areas and originally only let him near the cats on a leash. I am diligent about not letting him bark and stress them out. This is slowly working out very well. The kitties approach him when they feel comfortable. I had a neighbor once who left her two to their own devices and the end result was the puppy frightened the kitten and
the kitten scratched the puppies eye and he ended up losing it. please do not leave them un supervised. Mine are all learning to get along safely.

rubymoon2072 · 08-20-2012, 11:50 AM

i agree. dont leave them unsupervised. i have my bathroom set up for virginia...she is a minx kitty and not friendly. if shes in a mood the world knows it and i shut the bathroom door if we need to go and out and no one is home so that she doenst take cedric's eye out. he could be just walking along minding his own ps and qs and shell lash at him. my other two boys..(cats) play with cedric like they are dogs or vice versa and they get along very well but it did take awhile so slowly getting them accustomed is best as suggested above.

SophieKatesMom · 08-20-2012, 11:51 AM

My guess would be that your Yorkie is excited to see the kitten.

I have raised my 4 year old Yorkie (Sophie Kate) with my 14 year old rescue cat (Avery). At first I would only let them interact under my supervision (Sophie Kate was so much smaller than Avery). Once they got used to each other I would let be together longer, now they are BFF's and for the most part ignore me.

I will warn you that Kittens claws are very SHARP please make sure you supervise them during the introduction stage. If you Yorkie is charging the kitten don't worry the kitten will take as swipe at the Yorkie and teach it about boundaries. We had a few high drama moments when Sophie Kate thought Avery was her cat and tried to boss her around, a few good smacks taught set her straight.

SophieKatesMom · 08-20-2012, 11:52 AM

I should add the good smacks were from the cat, I would NEVER hit Sophie Kate.

gracielove · 08-20-2012, 11:55 AM

They will eventually become friends or the cat will find ways of ignoring him. I would gradually introduce them to each other. He is a terrier and will want to dominate the kitten. If the kitten is strong in body and in will it will fight back but your puppy is stronger than a kitten so don't let them get too carried away with the wrestling. If he insists on chasing and barking at the kitten then it's best to teach him that is not acceptable.

I was caring for a litter of kittens when I first got Gracie. She pronounced herself queen of all kittens and would keep them in line. Certain ones liked to play with her while others did not. She was pure dominance as a puppy so it took some training but the cats I have now pretty much ignore her and she has accepted the fact that they are not good playmates. She did enjoy sleeping with them during her first winter. If there was no lap to curl up in she would curl herself around a cat to get some body heat. She has always been a heat seeker.

dawn27 · 08-20-2012, 12:05 PM

I had this issue years ago when we got a kitten and from the research I did at that time most said to put the kitten in another room and to let the dog find it on its own. Making sure that you are close by when the dog hears the kitten and goes on the hunt to find the curious noise. Use positive reinforcements and calm voice when seeing them together for the first and for the first few weeks or months how ever long it takes for them to get aquanted with one another.

I used the same techniques when bringing home each of my four dogs. Worked for me !!

yavenay · 08-20-2012, 12:13 PM

Introduce them slowly and always supervise at first. When I brought home Brandi, my cat Zoey growled and hissed and even took a few swipes at Brandi but surprisingly her claws were not out. They are not the best of friends but they are able to co exist peacfully. But then again, my two are much older 12 and 13 so they are both pretty much laid back.

In fact the only time where they have arguments is when they both want my attention at the same time. But they sort of fight like me and my brother used to, no matter how angry I made my brother, he would never hit me not even jokingly. That's how my furbabies are, all barking and hissing but neither one of them throwing any blows.

Give them time to get used to each other and establish boundaries. It might be a little harder with the cat but believe it or not, they can be trained as well. Unless of course you have a cat like mine who waits until I leave the house to break all the rules. Cats have no desire to please their owners. But then again, no one really owns a cat.

BLowry · 08-20-2012, 12:33 PM

we had a 22lb Maine Coon Boy that we lost in November

....we had him LONG before we got our first yorkie...she HATED him....we tried everything to get them to "get along"...nothing worked....eventually as Sadie got older she got better....however...when we gave him attention she would go after him....a year later we got our second yorkie girl....well she picked up the bad habits from her sister Sadie! Poor McKenzi....they terrorized that poor cat..every once in a while he would go back after them....where he was more than double their size we were afraid he would really hurt the pups....as he got older he just laid there and didn't bother with them anymore...sometimes we had to put him in our family room just to give him a break...When we had to say good bye to our fluffy boy I wanted another big cat....hubby said no more cats because of the way the dogs were with him...so.....I got another yorkie!

If a cat walks in our yard the dogs go crazy...they just don't like cats...I hope you have better luck than I did!

Cody'sMom · 08-20-2012, 03:40 PM

Since they are both young and rather new to your home, they will get used to each other quickly. My advice is to sit with them and let them get used to each other. I've made introductions . . . petting one while talking softly to the other and then switching pets. It might sound a little crazy, but it has always worked for me. =) It is best to supervise them until the hissing and lunging stops. They will be best friends soon.

dawn27 · 08-21-2012, 09:00 AM

He will most likely be in play mode for some time which most cats dont like and may see as threatening. So yes what Cody's mom said will work well until they get to know one another a bit better. They will learn to love one another.

My Quincy just loves cats. He is the only one of my four that grew up with one. The other three I hate to say it but, would probably do harm to a cat if they ever came in contact with one unsupervised.

Yorkiemom1 · 08-21-2012, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wallee

Hello there. I have 4 kitties and recently got my yorkie puppy. I have been gating the puppy off into confined areas and originally only let him near the cats on a leash. I am diligent about not letting him bark and stress them out. This is slowly working out very well. The kitties approach him when they feel comfortable. I had a neighbor once who left her two to their own devices and the end result was the puppy frightened the kitten and
the kitten scratched the puppies eye and he ended up losing it. please do not leave them un supervised. Mine are all learning to get along safely.

My son's cat scratched my babys eye and while she did not loose her eye, I was doing eye care with antibiotics and lacriserts for lubrication every day for the next 10 years of her life.

msyorktown · 08-21-2012, 04:38 PM

I have three cats all larger, one purebred ragdoll and two snowshoes..also purebred....all four years old. The two pups I have came from a house with two himalayans, so they were used to cats. However....My son's cat a larger cat will play with the dogs, no problem. Chauncey my ragdoll basically just ignores them...If they are out we dont see him at all. Then there is Skye, miss b with an itch! Orion will be walking by and claws are out teeth bared, hissing, back up..you name it she's ready to fight. The dogs have learned to leave her alone, or take a wide berth around her. Raellle learned that lesson real quick...Orion...nope, no...he had to keep testing the boundaries. He DID learn what those bounderies were, took him a bit, but learn he did. LOL

Now if Skye is in the family room he says in the kitchen and waits for her to leave...its actually quite comical, seeing as Orion is bigger than she is!
I never left them unsupervised when I first brought them home.
As I type this Skye is in the kitchen just glaring at poor Orion...Raelle is in her cubby hole..she aint coming out til 'that she devil is gone'
It will all work out it just takes some time...

Kmaeh · 08-24-2012, 05:49 PM

Puppy and Kitty are doing fantastic ! Play non stop, my two little furbabies

dawn27 · 08-24-2012, 05:57 PM

Great to hear...... !! I asume something worked for you. Yea ...

08-20-2012, 11:33 AM	#1
Kmaeh Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Canada Posts: 24	How do I introduce new kitty to my Yorkie I'm just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to successfully introduce a new resucued kitten, to my Yorkie, Chewie. They are about the same age, 5-6 months. I would love for them to be friends, but at the very least to tolerate each other. Chewie has been barking at new kitten and rushing her; is this excitement or annoyance? Kitten also hisses and growls back. Should I be interfering in their interactions, or just let them be? Any tips are greatly appreciated!

08-20-2012, 11:50 AM	#3
rubymoon2072 Cedric♥Lola♥Keylo Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Gilford, NH, USA Posts: 9,209	i agree. dont leave them unsupervised. i have my bathroom set up for virginia...she is a minx kitty and not friendly. if shes in a mood the world knows it and i shut the bathroom door if we need to go and out and no one is home so that she doenst take cedric's eye out. he could be just walking along minding his own ps and qs and shell lash at him. my other two boys..(cats) play with cedric like they are dogs or vice versa and they get along very well but it did take awhile so slowly getting them accustomed is best as suggested above. __________________ Cedric N Lola N Keylo RIP Punkee Princess

08-20-2012, 11:51 AM	#4
SophieKatesMom Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Canton, GA Posts: 3,242	My guess would be that your Yorkie is excited to see the kitten. I have raised my 4 year old Yorkie (Sophie Kate) with my 14 year old rescue cat (Avery). At first I would only let them interact under my supervision (Sophie Kate was so much smaller than Avery). Once they got used to each other I would let be together longer, now they are BFF's and for the most part ignore me. I will warn you that Kittens claws are very SHARP please make sure you supervise them during the introduction stage. If you Yorkie is charging the kitten don't worry the kitten will take as swipe at the Yorkie and teach it about boundaries. We had a few high drama moments when Sophie Kate thought Avery was her cat and tried to boss her around, a few good smacks taught set her straight. __________________ Cheryl,Mom to SophieKate

08-20-2012, 11:52 AM	#5
SophieKatesMom Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Canton, GA Posts: 3,242	I should add the good smacks were from the cat, I would NEVER hit Sophie Kate. __________________ Cheryl,Mom to SophieKate

08-20-2012, 12:05 PM	#7
dawn27 2+2=4 X the Love ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bean Town Ohio Posts: 9,456 Blog Entries: 1	I had this issue years ago when we got a kitten and from the research I did at that time most said to put the kitten in another room and to let the dog find it on its own. Making sure that you are close by when the dog hears the kitten and goes on the hunt to find the curious noise. Use positive reinforcements and calm voice when seeing them together for the first and for the first few weeks or months how ever long it takes for them to get aquanted with one another. I used the same techniques when bringing home each of my four dogs. Worked for me !! __________________ Mommy to: Quincy, & Ruby Bella / Miah & Brandi Gone but Never Forgotten Visit: Bella Dawns for all of your Custom Pet Wear needs.

08-20-2012, 11:46 AM	#2
Wallee Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: whitby, On, Canada Posts: 1,129	Hello there. I have 4 kitties and recently got my yorkie puppy. I have been gating the puppy off into confined areas and originally only let him near the cats on a leash. I am diligent about not letting him bark and stress them out. This is slowly working out very well. The kitties approach him when they feel comfortable. I had a neighbor once who left her two to their own devices and the end result was the puppy frightened the kitten and the kitten scratched the puppies eye and he ended up losing it. please do not leave them un supervised. Mine are all learning to get along safely.

08-20-2012, 11:55 AM	#6
gracielove YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY Posts: 6,582	They will eventually become friends or the cat will find ways of ignoring him. I would gradually introduce them to each other. He is a terrier and will want to dominate the kitten. If the kitten is strong in body and in will it will fight back but your puppy is stronger than a kitten so don't let them get too carried away with the wrestling. If he insists on chasing and barking at the kitten then it's best to teach him that is not acceptable. I was caring for a litter of kittens when I first got Gracie. She pronounced herself queen of all kittens and would keep them in line. Certain ones liked to play with her while others did not. She was pure dominance as a puppy so it took some training but the cats I have now pretty much ignore her and she has accepted the fact that they are not good playmates. She did enjoy sleeping with them during her first winter. If there was no lap to curl up in she would curl herself around a cat to get some body heat. She has always been a heat seeker.

08-20-2012, 12:13 PM	#8
yavenay Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Delaware Posts: 2,663	Introduce them slowly and always supervise at first. When I brought home Brandi, my cat Zoey growled and hissed and even took a few swipes at Brandi but surprisingly her claws were not out. They are not the best of friends but they are able to co exist peacfully. But then again, my two are much older 12 and 13 so they are both pretty much laid back. In fact the only time where they have arguments is when they both want my attention at the same time. But they sort of fight like me and my brother used to, no matter how angry I made my brother, he would never hit me not even jokingly. That's how my furbabies are, all barking and hissing but neither one of them throwing any blows. Give them time to get used to each other and establish boundaries. It might be a little harder with the cat but believe it or not, they can be trained as well. Unless of course you have a cat like mine who waits until I leave the house to break all the rules. Cats have no desire to please their owners. But then again, no one really owns a cat.

08-20-2012, 12:33 PM	#9
BLowry My furkids Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 4,625 Blog Entries: 1	we had a 22lb Maine Coon Boy that we lost in November ....we had him LONG before we got our first yorkie...she HATED him....we tried everything to get them to "get along"...nothing worked....eventually as Sadie got older she got better....however...when we gave him attention she would go after him....a year later we got our second yorkie girl....well she picked up the bad habits from her sister Sadie! Poor McKenzi....they terrorized that poor cat..every once in a while he would go back after them....where he was more than double their size we were afraid he would really hurt the pups....as he got older he just laid there and didn't bother with them anymore...sometimes we had to put him in our family room just to give him a break...When we had to say good bye to our fluffy boy I wanted another big cat....hubby said no more cats because of the way the dogs were with him...so.....I got another yorkie! If a cat walks in our yard the dogs go crazy...they just don't like cats...I hope you have better luck than I did! __________________ Brenda

08-20-2012, 03:40 PM	#10
Cody'sMom Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Arizona Posts: 36	Since they are both young and rather new to your home, they will get used to each other quickly. My advice is to sit with them and let them get used to each other. I've made introductions . . . petting one while talking softly to the other and then switching pets. It might sound a little crazy, but it has always worked for me. =) It is best to supervise them until the hissing and lunging stops. They will be best friends soon. __________________ Dawn (Cody & Cheyenne's Mom)

08-21-2012, 09:00 AM	#11
dawn27 2+2=4 X the Love ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bean Town Ohio Posts: 9,456 Blog Entries: 1	He will most likely be in play mode for some time which most cats dont like and may see as threatening. So yes what Cody's mom said will work well until they get to know one another a bit better. They will learn to love one another. My Quincy just loves cats. He is the only one of my four that grew up with one. The other three I hate to say it but, would probably do harm to a cat if they ever came in contact with one unsupervised. __________________ Mommy to: Quincy, & Ruby Bella / Miah & Brandi Gone but Never Forgotten Visit: Bella Dawns for all of your Custom Pet Wear needs.

08-21-2012, 04:38 PM	#13
msyorktown ♥Love My 3 Furrbutts♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Whitby, Ontario, Canada Posts: 3,912 Blog Entries: 2	I have three cats all larger, one purebred ragdoll and two snowshoes..also purebred....all four years old. The two pups I have came from a house with two himalayans, so they were used to cats. However....My son's cat a larger cat will play with the dogs, no problem. Chauncey my ragdoll basically just ignores them...If they are out we dont see him at all. Then there is Skye, miss b with an itch! Orion will be walking by and claws are out teeth bared, hissing, back up..you name it she's ready to fight. The dogs have learned to leave her alone, or take a wide berth around her. Raellle learned that lesson real quick...Orion...nope, no...he had to keep testing the boundaries. He DID learn what those bounderies were, took him a bit, but learn he did. LOL Now if Skye is in the family room he says in the kitchen and waits for her to leave...its actually quite comical, seeing as Orion is bigger than she is! I never left them unsupervised when I first brought them home. As I type this Skye is in the kitchen just glaring at poor Orion...Raelle is in her cubby hole..she aint coming out til 'that she devil is gone' It will all work out it just takes some time... __________________ Jacqui, mom to Raelle , Orion , Jersey and Gizmo https://www.facebook.com/PreciousPawzGroomingSpa http://jlevy.scentsy.ca

08-24-2012, 05:49 PM	#14
Kmaeh Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Canada Posts: 24	Puppy and Kitty are doing fantastic ! Play non stop, my two little furbabies __________________ Mommy of Zeus (11-12 RIP) and Chewie Stealers of hearts

08-24-2012, 05:57 PM	#15
dawn27 2+2=4 X the Love ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bean Town Ohio Posts: 9,456 Blog Entries: 1	Great to hear...... !! I asume something worked for you. Yea ... __________________ Mommy to: Quincy, & Ruby Bella / Miah & Brandi Gone but Never Forgotten Visit: Bella Dawns for all of your Custom Pet Wear needs.