How To Get A Ragdoll Kitten To Be Our Dog’s Best Friend

Having a dog and a Ragdoll kitten all at the same time inside your home is just not going to be easy for all of you during the first few days. This is something you have to know beforehand, so you know what to expect.

However, mixing a dog and a ragdoll kitten is not impossible. In fact, a crazy and overly active dog can be a best friend with a sweet and very calm kitty, and many pet owners were able to prove that dogs and ragdoll cats, with proper training, can definitely mix.

If this is your current dilemma, then worry no more, because I am going to share with you some helpful tips on how to make your dog love your Ragdoll cat, and how to make your Ragdoll cat be accustomed to your dog.

The old saying that says dogs and cats are enemies is not true! Most especially if the two practically grew up together and blended well together all of their lives. However, your dog can still give threats to your Ragdoll kitten, especially when they start playing with each other. Dogs have bigger and heavier body than Ragdoll cats do, so even if your dog does not want to harm your Ragdoll cat, there is always a tendency for your dog to her the little kitty when playing.

So here is what you should do:

If you have already decided to adopt a Ragdoll kitten, and mix your Ragdoll cat with your dogs at home, the first thing that you should do, is to train your dog to be obedient so you will be able to calm your dog, when he gets overly excited once he sees the new family member. You actually do not have to get your dog professionally trained if you don’t want to, because there are guides on how to train your dog online, in order to teach them very basic commands like sit, stay, leave, etc.

The next thing that you have to do is to buy an indoor gate. This is the same thing that you can buy from baby stores. Use the gate when you want to put your Ragdoll kitten outside her room, so she can explore the other parts of the house, without being overwhelmed. The gate will also act as a barrier between your dog and your Ragdoll kitten, so you can supervise their very first interactions, and help them to make it a very calm and safe one.

It will also help if you can take your dog for a walk very near the gate where the kitten is, and reward your dog if he is not showing any signs of excitement. Your dog should be curious, but should also show calmness, in order to prevent your cat from being stressed. Make sure to reward your dog every time he shows this kind of attitude, so that he knows that what he is doing, is something that you want him to do. By the way, when walking your dog near the gate, make sure that the leash is on, to make sure that you are in full control.

Now say for example your dog starts to bark and whine after seeing the kitten on the other side of the gate, command your dog to stop barking and let him sit to bring him to a relaxed and calm phase. If he obeys, give your dog a reward or treat, which will tell him eventually that you want him to realize is that this Ragdoll cat that he is seeing is going to be a part of the family now.

On the other hand, teach your Ragdoll cat to love your dog too, and not to be afraid of it. If your cat reaches for the gate and starts to become intrigued with the dog, reward your cat and give her a treat. Nevertheless, do not force your cat to come near your dog if she does not want to, or if she is not ready yet. If she keeps on hiding from the dog when it gets near, let her. She will eventually get used to seeing your dog anyway. So just wait for the right time.

The next stage can be a bit complicated. Here, you will have to bring your dog and your Ragdoll kitten in the same place inside the house. For instance, while you are watching TV, you can let your dog sit on the other side (with a leash of course), and your cat on the other. Give them treats if they are both calm, even if they are aware of each other’s presence. If your dog barks and whines, command him to stop. If you cannot stop your dog, and your cat is already stressed out, take your cat inside her room again, or bring your dog outside. Try again next time.

After a few days or weeks of doing all these, you can now try to remove the leash of your dog, and see what will happen when the two meets. Make sure that you are prepared to do the necessary steps to stop your dog, when it suddenly starts chasing your Ragdoll cat, or when it starts to become too much excited. If they are both calm, treat them with something they really love. Ragdoll Cats love fish, cheese, or tuna while dogs love hotdogs and cheese. You can also buy special treats from pet stores, to make your life a lot easier.

These are the different ways that you can do, in order to make your dog and Ragdoll cat best friends. Remember, it only needs time for them to be accustomed with each other. You only need to train them well, so that they will learn how to live together, without stressing you out. Nonetheless, do not ever punish any of them for not following or obeying your commands. Because if you do, your dog will just associate your punishment to the Ragdoll kitten, which will not produce a good result in the end? And you could always ask your Ragdoll breeder if you have any issue and you may need advice regarding your Ragdoll kittens or Ragdoll cats.

 

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