Can Podencos live with cats…?

As with all things, you can never guarantee that people will get along with each other, and it’s the same for dogs and cats when it comes to living together.

That being said, we have re-homed many Podencos with cats to great success (your welcome - its all part of the service!). So here is a little shout out to Lottie and her best bud Sorrell..

When Lottie was re-homed with Clare and Lee they specifically asked us to cat test and make sure they had as good a chance as any for making it work. They had both lived with cats all of their lives, but this was their first dog, meaning their first pod…

We spent time chatting over the phone to understand their home set up, two cats who had lived in the house for over 5 years and had never lived with a dog.

The plan was to keep the animals separate for about a week, swapping blankets and toys so they got used to each others smells in the house.

Then, some small introductions that were always supervised. Just a few minutes in the morning and evening to see how they went, building up over time. When shared feeding times began we always advised, feed the cats first, keep them the bosses.

Sorrell took to Lottie instantly, showing no fear but much curiosity. Lottie was a little slower on the uptake and couldn’t grasp why this tiny furball was insistent on cleaning her ears.

On the few occasions there were some grumbles from Lottie it was straight off the sofa and on to the floor. A very soft canvas muzzle gave the comfort to Lee and Clare they needed while they built their confidence up. Not that Sorrell was ever bothered!

Over about 2 weeks the cleaning of ears upgraded to sitting next to each other on the sofa and then finally cuddles EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME.

Bruce their other cat slowly started to appear more and be content to just watch from the other sofa (he and Sorrell had never been close anyway…), and thats pretty much how its stayed, although even he cant refuse sitting on the windowsill in the sun with her, something she definitely got from them!