• We have two cats and will be bringing home a new puppy soon. What should we do to prepare the cats for the puppy. They are indoor cats. I know we want to get them up to date on shots, groomed, and have their nails capped.

    Congratulations on your new puppy! You are already doing the best things to prepare the cats for the puppy by making sure that they are current on their preventive care and capping their nails.

    Once you get the puppy, I recommend that you keep him separated from the cats at first. A puppy’s energy level and exuberance can be initially overwhelming to cats. You can help with the introduction process by slowly exposing them to the puppy while you are present in the room. Also allowing the cats to approach the puppy can help with this.

    Make sure that the cats have a place they can escape to if the puppy starts to bother them too much. You can then slowly start to increase the time that they are together until they are used to each other. 

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