Tips Please! Introducing 2x kittens to 2x dogs!

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone has any tips of how to successfully introduce 2 kittens to our 2 dogs. They will be coming in a couple of weeks and bought up in a house with a newfi and a st bernard

I will be taking down a blanket of our dogs and giving it to the owner to put with the kittens so hopefully they will recognise the dogs smell and vice versa with another one i will bring home with us smelling of kittens for the dogs.

Other than making sure the dogs are worn out after a long walk so they will be less excitable i cant think of anything else to do! I've grown up with cats but never had cats and dogs together. Hopefully the kittens wont be at all phased by my two (they are practically migets in comparison to the st bernard!)

Any hints and tips very gratefully received! Thanks

My only concern would be that the kittens might get sat on or hurt inadvertently by such big dogs. When we had our kitten we had a puppy at the same time. We had to keep rescuing the wee soul and putting him in his basket as sometimes things got too much for him but it all worked out in the end. Make sure you have some areas high up where the kittens can escape to maybe. And just keep an eye on them.

i would start leaving kitten toys and food etc around so they can get used to cat things sharing there space and the smell of cat food and litter trays!also when tthey meet id also ear a big thick jumper incase the kittens get scared and claw you!

I just put up a big crate for the kittens to sleep in for the first few nights & also to keep the food & litter tray out of the dogs reach

I put the kittens on the floor(mine were brought up without a dogs)My cavaliers went up to them & they hissed at them so the cavaliers left them alone & Rjj went to say hello they hissed at him & he hid in his bed for an hour.

Now 3 months on they are all friends & often share beds, even Jessie who only arrived on Monday is settling in with them after being gently put in her place by them

Congrats on your new kittens!

My last 3 kittens, including one I had just a few weeks ago, were bred by breeeders (the same one) who do not own dogs, so coming into a home where there are 4 was a big surprise!

I use a LARGE cage with a litter tray, cardboard box (so kitten can hide) and food etc. I let the dogs in one at a time. The kitten usually hisses but never shout at the dogs, just call them to you and praise them and give them treats when they come away. This last kitten was out of his cage within an hour! I left the door open and he was mingling in no time, key for me is not fussing with the dogs and making a big deal out of the kitten being there, but calmly calling the dogs away if they crowd the kitten.
Dawn.

Dawn's advice is good, and also making sure the kittens have somewhere they can escape too.

I would also say watch out for when they use the litter tray, as my two dogs favourite treat is to sneak through the stairgate to see if there are any tasty morsels upstairs in the cats room.

You'll know if they eat the poop as funnily they always want to lick your face after "look mum, look what tasty new treat we have found, I must share it with you!" Bleugh.

Can't wait to see pics.

Thanks all the tips - esp the thick jumper one lol i hadnt thought of that!
Ewwww yes i have been warned that they may like to try and eat the cat poo yuck yuck yuck! The kittens will have a funky scratch post/ adventure thing thing that incorporates 2 sleeping boxes (big enough for both cats if they want to share or one each if they fall out lol) and the dogs wont be able to put their heads in there as i will face those towards the wall. Also their litter box will be an enclosed one with the cat flap type door. Again it'll be somewhere the dogs cant touch it. (or eat poo through it!)
Im hoping that as the kittens have been bought up with such big dogs they will not be very phased by mine. I was planning on letting them in to say hello one at a time so as not to overwhelm the kittens.
Dawn would i be better off keeping the dogs on a long lead? I only worry because while they are both incredibly gentle Murf is clumsey and Vienna likes to 'paw' and she has a big heavy paw! Also of course they could go slightly deaf with excitement and a little pressure from the lead might be a better way to remind them they i have just told them something than me getting up and approaching them to physically move them away?

We are popping down to see them and see how much they have grown tomorrow so i will take my camera and try and get a few piccies

I have never kept mine on a lead, they are Terriers, very excitable, I would imagine your dogs will be fine, they can be incredibly gentle when they need to be. Just take things slowly and you should be fine.
Dawn.

let them find each other and dont try and keep them apart to much as this can cause problems. only when i wasnt in were they separated.
vince my kitten was scared to death for less than 48 hours and he was 7 weeks old when i got him. now he beats suki up. ATD xxx
ps lots of pics

Hi I am sure you and the dogs will love the new kittens when the come . I do a lot of work with kittens and agree with other coments the most inportant one being the use of a indoor kennel or one of those indoor rabbits cages and keep them in it for a few days then let them come out only when you are around and if you want them back in the cage feed them, let them miss a feed and they will come back a lot easyer, don't keep the dogs away but keep telling the they are just babys [ keeping them back could be asking for problems ] The only thing you WILL have to be carefull abount is if you use a dog cage [ depeands on the size of the cage ] you WILL have to tape up the sides of the cage as the kittens will get there HEADS through the gaps [ been there and have had to use cutter and cut up cages as kittens have had there heads well and truly stuck and not all ways at the bottom of the cage as in the past I hate to say I have come home to find a kitten dead so if I use a cage it is well tape up with carpet tape as this is the best tape to use. Best to use a indoor rabbit cage if you can get one