Cats and Dogs Living Together...Mass Hysteria!

January 18, 2013

I grew up in a house full of animals. We always had two dogs and a cat or two cats and a dog. For a short time, we had two hairless rats and a cockatiel.  You would think I would be used to the chaos that comes with this chosen lifestyle, and I thought I was until…This fall, we introduced a 5-month-old puppy into our house already occupied by our two 5-year-old cats. I bring up their age only to demonstrate how set in their ways they are. Cats are notoriously opposed to change.

Our household has now become a daily barrage of hissing, barking, running, yelling, and cuddling. Slowly we are getting used to the noise. On a pretty regular basis, we are finding ourselves seeking the answers to some complicated questions. Should we discourage interaction at all between the cats and the dog? What interaction is constructive and what is counterproductive? Which noises (from either animal) are ok and which are not ok?

Thankfully, I work in a Library mere steps from a plethora of answers to said questions. We have consulted the Dog Whisperer and the aptly named Puppies for Dummies, but we haven’t even scratched the surface of the many other resources MCPL has to offer. Looks like I work in a very helpful place!

Slowly we are making headway. The other day, both cats and the pup curled up with me and napped on the same couch. It was fantastic!

Here’s to the Library helping you find the much needed answers to all those questions that plague our daily lives.

Happy hunting!

Sarah E.
Grandview Branch