Today, I'm going to go pick up my new cat. I already have a chocolate lab who I know doesn't mind cats...well, he doesn't mind kittens. We had fostered a 4 week old kitten earlier in the year, and he would let the kitten sleep on him, but that's a little different. This kitty that I'm adopting is a 7-year old maine coon who's lived in a cattery all of her life and has never been around dogs (she's been well-treated.. I just wanted a purebred maine coon, but didn't want to pay lots of cash for a kitten when they are older kitties out there who need homes) I'm more concerned about how she is going to adapt than the dog. He's pretty easy-going and doesn't seem to care much about the cats in the neighborhood.

I plan to separate them for the first couple weeks in different rooms of the house. Any suggestions on how to make this a smooth transition for her?

I would definetely keep them seperated whenever you're not around to supervise (initially). But when you are able to supervise, then I'd encourage the cat to come out and visit with the dog on the cats own terms. Make sure the dog is kept under control (put him on a leash and even hold his head up if you have to) and told to ignore the cat because (at least initially) you want the cat to be able to come up and sniff the dog without the dog doing anything that would scare the cat, including just trying to sniff the cat. If you can get your dog to ignore kitty, then once the cat starts showing signs of accepting the dog, then the dog can be free to sniff and play with the cat... Just always make sure the cat sets the rules, not the dog.

he caught a glimpse of the kitty yesterday and tried to bring her his ball to play.. but as expected, she wanted nothing to do with him.

I'm thinking about getting a small gate to put on the bedroom door so the kitty can come and go as she pleases, but the dog can't invade her territory. That would also make it easier to keep him out of the litter box (he's notorious for eating cat poop...ewww)

Do you think this will be a good idea?

he caught a glimpse of the kitty yesterday and tried to bring her his ball to play.. but as expected, she wanted nothing to do with him.

I'm thinking about getting a small gate to put on the bedroom door so the kitty can come and go as she pleases, but the dog can't invade her territory. That would also make it easier to keep him out of the litter box (he's notorious for eating cat poop...ewww)

Do you think this will be a good idea?

Giving the cat her own space sounds like a great idea, and I don't see how eating less cat poop could be bad for the dog.

he caught a glimpse of the kitty yesterday and tried to bring her his ball to play.. but as expected, she wanted nothing to do with him.

I'm thinking about getting a small gate to put on the bedroom door so the kitty can come and go as she pleases, but the dog can't invade her territory. That would also make it easier to keep him out of the litter box (he's notorious for eating cat poop...ewww)

Do you think this will be a good idea?

yes. :bobo:

Does anyone know what the "recommended" amount of play time is advisable for a dog.. he would play all day if he could, but I just want to make sure I give him enough play time so he doesn't get jealous of the new kitty. I usually try to toss the ball around outside with him for about a half an hour everyday, but I just want to make sure that's enough. He's kinda moody and will pee on my leg when he is displeased with me (like during finals week when I didn't have time to play with him at all).

recommended play time?
I try & give my dogs at least a good hour offlead walking / running free a day in the bush or on the beach & they thrive.
All dogs are different & some labs can be a little lazy, also it depends on age & fitness of dog (arthritis etc) as to how much activity they need a day.
Ref introducing kitty - do it slowly. Follow the advise already given. The other thing is to let your dog know that the cat is your friend.
You may have more problems getting the cat to accept the dog if it is an older cat.
Good luck...

Definitely give the cat her own safe room where the dog is not allowed. Make sure that in the room, she can get completely away from the sight and sound of the dog (like by hiding in a closet or bathroom if necessary. Acclimate her to the sight, sound, and smell of the dog gradually. You might try brushing her with the dog's brush or covering your hand with a sock, petting the dog, and then petting the cat. Creating a communal scent is important.

Before you let them really interact too much, I'd suggest setting up a situation where they can each view and smell the other, but can't touch, like through a gate or screen door. You might also try putting kitty in her crate and taking her into the living room for a few minutes. Do these kinds of things until you feel confident they're used to each other. That can happen quickly or it can take weeks, so be patient. If you let them play too soon, particularly if the dog is much bigger than the cat, you can have a lot of trouble and an extremely traumatized cat.

Also, if the dog has access to the cat's litterbox area, that's asking for trouble. As you've already discovered, dogs love kitty poop treats, and they can develop the habit of bothering the cat while she's trying to go, which can lead to the cat refusing to use the box.

he caught a glimpse of the kitty yesterday and tried to bring her his ball to play.. but as expected, she wanted nothing to do with him.

I'm thinking about getting a small gate to put on the bedroom door so the kitty can come and go as she pleases, but the dog can't invade her territory. That would also make it easier to keep him out of the litter box (he's notorious for eating cat poop...ewww)

Do you think this will be a good idea?

Yes, I do this too. Eventually it'll be nice if you can train the dog to stay out of the cat's room period. If my cat knocks down the baby gate my dog still knows he's not allowed to step past that doorway.

Does anyone know what the "recommended" amount of play time is advisable for a dog.. he would play all day if he could, but I just want to make sure I give him enough play time so he doesn't get jealous of the new kitty. I usually try to toss the ball around outside with him for about a half an hour everyday, but I just want to make sure that's enough. He's kinda moody and will pee on my leg when he is displeased with me (like during finals week when I didn't have time to play with him at all).

I have a Springer Spaniel that needs like 4 hours a day. (She get's about 1 hour.)

Labs bulk up pretty quickly if they don't get 45 minutes or so a day. Swimming is a great way to tire them out.

...Sounds like you're handling the cat adjustment as well as anyone possibly could.

Yesterday, I let the kitty out of the room because she seemed very eager to check out the rest of the house. So I went and sat down by the dog, holding onto his collar and telling him to stay while she walked around the house. He was a little jumpy at first because he wanted to go sniff her, but eventually he chilled out. She walked by him a few times, just kinda stared at him for a minute, then walked back into her room. I praised the dog for being such a good boy and not scaring the kitty :)

I've decided to dedicate an hour of each day to teaching him new tricks. It's been rather cold and rainy outside lately, so I think swimming and running around outside for extended periods of time is going to be out of the question. I was told that labs are working dogs and that they like to have "jobs." So, his first task is to learn how to put his toys back in the toy basket. I'm having a hard time teaching him because I don't know much about dog training myself, and he's a little thick-skulled... it's still fun though :)

One thing you could do is take a towel and rub it into the dog so the dog's scent is all over the towel. Put that towel under the cat's food and/or water bowl.

Rub another towel on the cat, put that under the dog's water/food bowl.

They end up associating the scents with something good.

This is hilarious...the cat has turned out to be more aggressive than the dog. She'll allow him to sit by my feet while she's on my lap...but if he makes any sudden moves, she growls at him. Or, if he comes up to me while she's not near me, she'll let out a little growl. But so far, they're tolerating each other.. right now, they're laying about five feet apart, and no one is growling or hissing...I think this is working out good :)

glad it's going well! :)