Has anyone got both cats and dogs in the same house? How do they get along?

This weekend I'm moving with my boyfriend - he has a cat (large breed) and I have a dog (small breed).

Any tips, tricks, to make the transition smoother?

Used to have two dogs and 5 cats all loved each other and the dogs thought they were cats and the cats behaved like dogs. Mad house but very very happy all together, they all used to sleep in one big heap of animals.

But we got them all as babies so they grew up together so can't help with introductions later on.

Introduce them gradually. Make sure the cat can get to safety (ie can jump out of the dogs way). If the cat is bigger then you'll need to supervise their contact and when left alone they'll initially need to be separate.

Make sure you do the introductions right or you'll be asking for trouble, our Doberman chased cats from day 1 and never stopped, it was awful. I'd recommend crating the dog and letting the cats come to him. Always make sure the cats have an escape route too. Prase the dog for nice behaviour, distract the bad.

My jr x and cat live side by side by a mutual understanding, the dog chases the cat when he gets the opportunity (usually in the garden when the cat is not on guard!) and in return the cat will attack the dog in his sleep. Generally it goes something like:

Dog: omg omg omg it's CAT im going to sniff it and lick it and kiss it...
Cat: (unmoving) f*ck off.
Dog: I will love him forever and make him my squishy
Cat: (still unmoving) seriously dude, f*ck off
Dog: omg omg omg, it's still a cat, oops. I just peed a little
Cat: launches into a vicious attack, involving scratches to the nose, then returns to original position.
Dog: ooooowwwwwww. Whaddya do that for? I was only being friendly.....

And repeat. Twenty times a day

Got a puppy last week and the above story sums up his relationship with my adult cat.

It's harder to introduce two adults though.
What type of small dog is it,is it a terrier breed?
And has it been introduced to cats before?

I have a tiny house cat and a large chocolate Labrador - we kept them apart at first and gradually let them socialise.

The cat is the boss but she has been here longer, and can certainly look after herself if chased by the dog.
They both seem to like one another but best not to force them to be friends. Let them take their time to get acquainted!
I have come home and found them both sleeping together.
The cat has the run of the house upstairs and the dog has the ground floor and garden.
The cat ventures down now and again to see what the dog is upto.

Let the cat swipe the dog. Sorted.

This more or less sorted the situation when I introduced a 4 year old misery moggy to an 11 year old lurcher. It was the only cat that the dog never chased...

Seriously, just supervise the first few meetings and allow a little contact if you're sure it won't be too brutal. Good luck

Ok, the cat owns the house, the dog will always be below the cat in ranking and the cat will probably let the dog know this.

Don't force introductions. I have always had cats and dogs together and all have lived happily together but we have always let them get to know each other at their own pace.

When I was a kid we had a cat who outlived two dogs, the cat got on with both just fine and were more than happy to be in the same room next to each other on the rug.

When I married we got a dog and then a cat a few months later. The cat stayed out of the way of the dog at first but they became friends and within a month used to play together. The dog used to take the cat toys, the cat obviously thought they were below her and would box the dogs ears, never, ever with claws out and the dog would keep going back for more. If the cat was bored she used to sneak up to the dog and biff her to play. They were so sweat. That same cat however used to hide behind the doors in the house whenever my mums dog came to stay and used to ambush him, he was terrified of going through doors. She never got her claws out at him once but he was very wary of her. he died and they got a much bigger dog but she never ambushed him when he came to visit, she would just stay out of his way even though he wanted her to be friends with him. I think she just though" get that horse out of my house"!

We got another dog when our first one had gone, again bigger dog and the cat was wary for the first couple of weeks but then they were fine.

I had that cat for 19 years and she had out lived three dogs and died leaving our dog bereft . We got a couple of kittens and they got used to the dog very quickly once they got over the" what the flip is that?" Stage.
They sleep in the dog bed together at times and are happy in the same room at the same time and always give each other lots of sniffs, especially if one has just eaten.

Not all cats and dogs arke close but they can live together and tolerate each other, you just have to let them get to know each other on their own terms, be prepared for some hissing and spitting and make sure you have a bolt hole for the cat and the dog. Hopefully they would have been able to smell each other on your clothes when you have been visiting so smells may be recognisable .
Have fun Nd good luck

Hi! Just a quick update. It seems the dog is dominating the cat. They do seem comfortable with each other (cat isn't spooked) but the dog seems to be calling the shots, which is bizzarre as he weighs three times less than the cat. He does have dominance issues which I'm going to have to address though.

Good to hear the fur isn't flying