Bringing a Dog Into a House of Cats

For most of my life I have preferred the soft cuddliness of a cat as the ultimate pet. I guess you could say I was a cat person. I believed they were the superior pet with their coolness and beauty. When they are kittens their swagger and playfulness is hard to resist. Chasing through the room at high speeds and pouncing on anything that moves can give lots of entertainment to the proud owner. When they are older they are the perfect cuddle partners, curling up on your lap with the motor running begging for your strokes. I have usually had two such lovelies gracing my home with their dignified beauty. Two warm bodies snuggled up with me on cold winter mornings.

One day I was asked if I would take in a dog that needed a home. He was a Chihuahua/Rat Terrier mix and only weighed in at five pounds. It seems this little guy was having a bit of trouble with the dog that lived across the street and his owners were worried that it would end in disaster. He was used to a country atmosphere with a large fenced in yard to roam around in and I wondered if he would be able to adjust to an apartment in the city. I agreed to welcome him in and see if he could make the change. He not only would have to adjust to different living conditions, but my home was occupied by two beautiful brother cats that had a hard time accepting anyone but each other. There had been cat-sitting episodes in the past that showed me the territorial nature of my boys.

When he arrived his entire body shook uncontrollably. I learned that it was the Chihuahua in him that was responsible for the trembling. Immediately my heart went out to this tiny dog holding one paw up in front of him unable to control his anxiety. He came with his basket and pillow, two toy ropes and buried under the pillow his cookies and vet records. I held him on my lap and stroked behind his ears and soon enough the trembling stopped and he seemed to feel comfortable.