After interacting with each other at home, a dog and a cat can become best friends. Once that happens, don’t be surprised to see them curled up together while sleeping. If the dog has a new toy, it can share it with the cat. However, the cat won’t do the same in return. Besides, in such a close relationship, the cat may regard “pursuit” as part of the game. In this case, the animals can even change places, so the dog will be the one who is chased.

However, it is important to remember a few rules:

Each pet should have their own territory where they can relax and be alone. The dog is unlikely to encroach on the cat’s sleeping place, but the cat, in turn, can calmly lie down on the dog’s bed.
Teach your dog to control its natural instincts that can harm your cat. Don’t introduce the dog to a new pet until it has been properly trained. If you do everything right, then it’s very unlikely that one of the pets will be harmed.
Feed the pets on the same schedule. At the same time, keep in mind that their eating places should be separate. Cat food is not good for dogs and dog food is not good for cats. If you follow this rule, the pets are unlikely to get into each other’s bowls.
Spend time with each of them separately. When you are walking the dog, the second pet should not be nearby. The cat wants your undivided attention too so the dog shouldn’t be allowed to interfere.
Sometimes instincts can take over, and the pets may show aggression toward each other. This is normal. If their relationship is close enough, they won’t seriously harm each other.

💡 Recommendation: Ideally when they first meet, the cat or the dog, or both of them should be less than a year old. The younger the animal, the easier it is for it to adapt to a new family member.

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