Hello,

We just acquired two rattys last week via a rescue.  They are very sweet dogs, Lucy is 4 and Chino is 6.  They were so sweet when we went to visit them, we brought them home so they could remain together and have a new forever home.  Long story short, maybe it was a short sighted decision.  I love animals but didn't realize how hard it would be on my cats.  I have 2 cats and they have went into hiding since the dogs came home.  Right now we are putting the doggies in the garage at night so the cats can at least come in and eat--but now my female cat Trixie has not shown her face for 2 days..  The few 'run-ins' we've had so far both dogs will see one of the cats and go after them.  I am so afraid they are doing to do some real damage to the cats - it's causing great anxiety.  What should I do?

Savanna came into a house with  4 cats. 2 she chases/terrorizes/playes with. The other 2, one ignores her, the 2nd just deals with her. They have come to their own agreement. I try not to interfere. The cats hid for a few days when Savanna first got here, even tho all my cats were raised with dogs. Had a Lab and a Chow before I had cats. They will work it out. Good luck.

Thanks for all the great responses.  I appreciate your help.  I have a few other questions but I think I should post them seperately?

We added a 1 1/2 year old rattie last year and already had 3 middle-aged cats.  The cats had never been around dogs before, and Romeo had been with cats at his foster home.  The cats were upset and spent the better part of the 1st month in the basement.  I was worried we'd made a mistake, but eventually the cats began to reclaim the house.  I used scented oil plug ins with lavender and camomille, and I think that helped calm the cats. 

We let them interact naturally and only got involved when Romy got a little rough.  One thing that helped them get used to each other was giving them bits of meat when they were in the kitchen together.  They learned to line up and wait for their turn.  It's surprising how quickly they get along when there's roast chicken involved!  Eventually the cats realized that even if Romy chased them, he wouldn't hurt them.  They also learned that they could swat him!  Now, a year later, they get along beautifully.  You'd think they'd all been raised together.   The most timid one, Sammy, has become Romy's best friend.  They nap together and Sammy doesn't even mind when Romy licks his face!  I think the most important things are patience, and making sure everyone gets their fair share of attention, and special treats.

Of course, he still chases the neighbors' cats!