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  #1  
Old September 17th, 2010, 02:51 AM
bijou bijou is offline
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Unhappy scaredy cat

Ok so I really don't know what thead I'm supose to be in but before I go to bed I need to know what to do about this.... we just rescued a lil shih tzu very sweet and quiet... the minute we came home with him our cat ran up the stairs. The dog didn't even notice her... she will not come down to eat oe use the bathroom.. the kids room is the upstairs a attic converted into a huge room.. I really don't want the litter box up there will she starve herself or what... the dog doesn't chase cats just sits there... what can I do the cat only likes my 14 yr old son they are buddys but she won't even foloow him down
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Old September 17th, 2010, 04:06 AM
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Koteburo Koteburo is offline
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All I can say for now, these things take time and patience. Introducing a new pet to pets already living in the house it's never as simple as you could think. Sometimes is easier. sometimes it's harder but it always requires patience and some work.
Even if you temporarily had to put the litter box upstairs think about it as a transition thing, later on you can show your cat the new location.
I changed litter spots with my cat once and as long as you take the time to make sure they know there the litter is now you can always change it.

About the doggy, I am not too sure. I'll wait for someone with more knowledge about dogs to advise you

But for now be patient please
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Old September 17th, 2010, 10:37 PM
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14+kitties 14+kitties is offline
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Unfortunately the worse way you can introduce a dog to a cat is exactly how you did it. It may take some time to undo the damage done but with time and effort it is possible.
The ideal way to introduce a dog to a resident cat is to make sure the dog is always under your control. You can not control a cat so it has to be the dog. The dog is kept under control by the use of a leashes and dog crate(s).
Here are some sites for you to check out......

http://www.myhealthycat.com/cat-and-dog.html

http://cats.about.com/cs/catmanageme...troducedog.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_2532_introduce-dogs-cats.html

http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Introduce-a-Dog-to-Cats

http://www.freedogtraininginfo.com/1...dogs-and-cats/
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Old September 20th, 2010, 09:16 PM
bijou bijou is offline
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dog has been under control sense I brought him in the house cat still hides I saw her come down last night but didn't see her eat question is will she starve herself? The dog doesn't bark or care she's there at all she's just being a scaredy cat..
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  #5  
Old September 20th, 2010, 10:52 PM
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mikischo mikischo is offline
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It is extremely important that a cat eats. If cats goes too long without eating, even as little as a day or two in some cases, they can develop a very serious and life threatening condition called hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver). We have had people on this forum who have had to deal with this disease.

Here is some more information on fatty liver:

http://www.askavetquestion.com/fattyliver.php

You do not want this to happen to your kitty. Please do whatever you have to in order to ensure that your cat is eating and drinking daily. If your cat is spending all or most of her time upstairs then you must provide food and water for her up there and make sure that it is being consumed (providing more tasty food if necessary).

Your cat is not just being a scaredy cat. Introduction of a new pet can be a very stressful time for a cat. Did you look at some of the links provided by 14+ on how to introduce cats and dogs?

Good luck and please keep continue to keep us posted on how things are going.
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  #6  
Old September 23rd, 2010, 02:37 AM
driver8 driver8 is offline
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I would move the litter and food/water and let the cat have her own area of the house until she settles down. Moving the litter doesn't have to be permenent, you can do it for a few weeks to help your kitty through this. Once she is calmer, you can start re-introducing them and then do the gradual movement of the litter box back to where it is.

Better that than have her "going" in places she shouldn't because she doesn't feel safe.
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