Question:
Hi guys.

I know i've posted this before but I couldn't find the thread so here I am asking again.

Well.. a tad different situation this time. My partner's roomates are moving and, my partner and I decided to move in together (yaay!) I'm very excited about it all and about all the pets that will be added to our apartment.

In the process I will be gaining 1 corn snake, 2 leopard geckos, 1 bearded dragon, 2 cats and .5 dog (lol .5 as he stays at my partner's parents and we will have him part time)

Now, I have a dog of my own who's pretty much king of the place. How do we go about introducing the 2 cats - Static and Angus to Moe's territory?

Static is 4 i believe and Angus is 7 or 8 yrs old.

Any advice?

Answer:
I think some of this will depend on what breed those dogs are? If your dogs have full reign of your apartment I would have them blocked from one room where you can keep the cats alone so that they will have a chance to get used to the smell of the place. Most cats will not get along with dogs unless you are bringing them in as kittens. Be prepared to have the cats not like you for about a week. Try not to change anything the cats are used to, what they like to sleep on, the food they are used to, the amount of attention they are used to. If you can make the only change the atmosphere then great.
A problem you will need to be prepared for is barking. Your dogs may very well bark at the door where the cats are or bark not matter where they are. Patience is really the key. And keeping their food and litter box safe from the dogs.

Answer:
Moreso than the breed, it will depend on the temperament of the dog, whether they have been used to cats before, or have a high prey drive. All of this needs to be considered.

Answer:
I wasn't quite sure whether the cats are moving house, or the dog, but I seem to think it is the cats coming into a new environment. Anyway, I know I'm repeating myself as well, but I have, at least for me, a tried and true procedure for bringing cats into a new environment, even with dogs, etc. I know other people in this forum prefer putting the new pets into a different room, having them smell each other under the door, etc. but his has never worked for me, as first, at some point, the pets segregated in the room will have to come out, into another new space, and I feel the process just starts all over again. For me, I have purchased a large wire cage (actually a kennel is more like it). The cage is large enough for bedding, a small litter pan, food and water. I have done this with 2 cats in my cage, as the cage is big enough (and the cats, as they were familiar to each other, liked the security of each other's company). Anyway, I put the kennel in the room where everyone normally is (dog,k people, tv, etc). I put the kennel with one end up against a wall if possible, and then put a bedspread or towel over the top and two opposing sides, so that only the front of the cage with the door is exposed. The cats go into the cage, and able to smell around and be smelled, but still within the safety of the cage. The back of the cage is private for them, so that if they get stressed they can 'hide' there. Often I will go to the door to pet them, etc., but keep them in the cage for a number of days. You will notice yourself when things are beginning to calm down and your cats are feeling braver. You can slowly pull the blanket back, so more of the cage is exposed. Then I take the cats out, just for a bit, with supervision, but at this point, the room, dog and smells are more familiar. Some days later (it is usually a week or 10 days at this point) I open the door to the cage, and sit there to see what happens. If the cats are comfortable, they will come out. And the novelty of the cats in the room is over for the dog, so he should be more acceptable of them by this point. This process usually takes about 2 weeks. You will be able to tell when everyone knows each other well enough to completely take the cage away. Good luck!

Answer:
well we will be in a fairly sized one bedroom apartment for the remainder of my lease (til june) The cats and dog (a chinese crested/chihuahua mix) have met Mozart repeadedly so they are familiar with eachother.

The one cat, angus is quite playful but shy when Mo has been visiting my partner's house, whereas static will completely ignore him and go about his way or even sometimes play with Mo.

The only concern is bringing them all to Mozart's territory. I'm not sure this is the best solution but we've decided to bring Mozart for a sleep over at my parents' place (where he will be spoiled to no end so he'll definitely enjoy that! lol) and let the cats be on their own for 24 hours, to allow them to sniff around and get familiar with their new home. Then sunday I will be spending part of the day at home to make sure that everything is ok. Mozart likes to chase, in a playful way mind you, not in a hunting kind of game. He just thinks all four legged fur covered animals are new friends.. but he calms down if he doesn't get any playful response back.

I'm not sure this will be the best way to go about it though. We have cleared the storage room in the apartment to give the cats a place to hide and we've brought home a big cat post about 6feet high with a little "house" built in.. everything they are familiar with at the current home is moving in too, (furniture, linen and other things) slowly over the next month or so.

Can you give me your advice on this approach?

Answer:
It's really difficult to say, as all pets respond differently. Certainly its a good idea that Mozart is away the first time the cats come in - the cats will certainly be able to smell that he is a part of their new environment. I suppose I would definitely bring Mozart in on a leash, and possible keep him on a leash until you see the cats immediate reaction. If he goes to chase them, it could be quite a setback insofar as the cats getting comfortable in their new environment. I suppose I might also bring some of the cats things into Mozart's environment BEFORE they move in, so he gets used to their smells, too. The first introduction can make all the difference, so I would make sure that the dog is restrained when he first encounters the cats in his home....

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