The first week we got Mac (he was so skinny!), already wanting to be beside his older brother.
Hi, I’m Nicole! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my distinguished Burmese, Mr. Baby Cat.
This is part two of a three-part series on how Baby Cat not only learned to tolerate his canine family members, but actually learned to love them. Part 1 discusses when we brought Rosa our rescue pup home and how she fit right into the family.
I had long dreamed of having a two-dog household (and now that I am experiencing it, while it is absolutely extra work, I don’t think I’d want a single dog home by choice again), so when we found out I was pregnant, we decided we needed to get our dog a dog to help keep her company. It was not for Baby Cat, he definitely didn’t need a second dog in the house. But with Rosa’s anxiety and feline-like behavior, we felt she needed someone to help bring her out of her shell, and from the moment we saw his little face on the pound’s facebook page, I knew he was our boy.
Mr. Machado (McCuddles, Mackadoodle, Mackynoonoo, or Mac for short) came into our home like Rosa’s missing puzzle piece, but Baby Cat took one look at him, and I swear he said to me, “What fresh hell is this.”
He was so kind to Baby Cat when he walked in the door, and was nothing short of enamoured by him, but Baby was not the same. We disrupted his eden, he had a dog that acted like a cat and listened to his every order, his parents still gave him the King of the Castle title, and his retirement home had a beautiful sunny deck for him to enjoy year-round.
Bringing in a big goofy Lab-Mastiff cross was not in the plans (and little did he know that a human baby was on the way, too).
The three monkeys, first photo. Baby Cat not yet convinced.
The Formal Introductions
Baby Cat is the alpha animal in the house, he arrived first, and we needed to ensure Mac knew this from the moment he walked in. It was also super important he understood that he was at the bottom of the pecking order, especially with his size, we needed him to learn that quick. And thankfully, he did.
After he met Rosa outside and they had a little play, we brought him in to meet Baby. He was on a lead, and we let Baby walk around and sniff him, gave him treats, and then fed Baby in front of Mac.
Then, at dinner time, we fed Baby first, then Rosa, then Mac. And we have continued with that every mealtime since.
We also ensured that Mac saw Baby Cat sitting on the couch, where he is not allowed. He understood, and Baby loved it.
We highly recommend these methods and are confident that this was key to ensuring Baby Cat felt settled and confident in the home with two dogs, and helped keep order (or as much order as a home can have with three animals).
Only two weeks in and Baby Cat was already feeling this confident around two dogs.
The Start of Something New
Life with two dogs was definitely more of an adventure than it was with the single dog, and it made it a bit harder because, while Mac respected the positions in the household, he was and still is very much a dog. Where Rosa was somewhat of a clean slate, ready to learn whatever behaviors came in front of her, Mac seemed to have read the ‘How to Be a Dog’ manual and took notes.
He can be best described in the following meme.
Image credit: Know Your Meme. All rights reserved to the copyright holders.
So, that meant a lot more action in the house than Baby Cat was used to. From early days, he always wanted to be beside Baby Cat, which wasn’t anything new for him, but he was a bit more aggressive than Rosa was, in a loving way.
Surprisingly, though, Baby Cat didn’t mind it too much, and almost invited it at times. Mac also took note of Rosa stealing Baby’s bed (the tiny cat bed) and decided he would give it a try too. Never would I have thought that big dogs would find comfort in tiny cat beds, but here we are. Baby showed his empathetic side by allowing this to happen, it was like he could tell that Mac needed to know that this was his home, and Baby Cat was sharing his bed to help him feel welcome.
Another dog to steal Baby Cat’s bed. He sure does love his dogs to let them get away with it.
His relationship with Rosa changed, though. She became more of a dog, and sometimes forgot that Baby Cat existed, now that she had her dog. I could tell that this made Baby sad sometimes, yearning for the simpler times when it was just him and the anxious dog that was enamoured by him. Now he had a bigger, more boisterous dog that loved him so much, and his anxious sister was turning into a confident little lady right before his eyes.
But, the relationship between Mac and Baby Cat was only just beginning, and it started off nicely, but where it has gone is even more beautiful.
I’ll share more on that next week. If you have a multi-pet household with a cat, we’d love to hear about your experiences. Thanks for reading and sharing!
