September 26, 2025

How to get a dog to accept a kitten?

Introducing a kitten to a dog is a process that can take 4 to 5 days or several weeks. Several steps are necessary to ensure a safe first meeting between your dog and your kitten, to avoid accidents and enable long-term coexistence. Read on, we’ll explain everything.

Preparing your dog for a kitten's arrival

To prepare your dog for the kitten’s arrival, you can:

  • Before adopting your kitten, ask the breeder or shelter if you can leave an old t-shirt or cloth with your future kitten so it can absorb its scent. Then, retrieve it and let your dog sniff it.
  • Another solution to prepare for the kitten/dog meeting is to accustom your dog to wearing a muzzle. Allow a few days to a few weeks for a gradual introduction to this new accessory.

Steps to help your dog accept a kitten

💡 TIP: Allow 4 to 5 days, or even several weeks, for your dog to accept your kitten. The duration can vary depending on your animals' personalities. Taking your time is essential to prevent your kitten from becoming scared of your dog and to avoid difficult or even impossible cohabitation!

Day 1 to 2: The kitten's arrival

After adopting your kitten from a breeder or shelter, here are the first steps to follow:

  • Isolate the kitten in a room separate from your dog.
  • Give the kitten time to explore the space and get used to its new environment.
  • Take this time to observe your kitten, discover its personality, and gauge its emotional state.

Day 3 to 4: The olfactory meeting

After a few days, you can facilitate an olfactory meeting between your kitten and your dog, meaning letting your animals have the opportunity to smell each other's scents.

  • Swap the animals' rooms so the kitten discovers the dog's scents, and the dog sniffs the cat's scents.
  • Avoid any visual and physical contact during the swapping phase, as much as possible.
  • Repeat the operation several times during the day for about ten minutes. If your dog still seems interested in the scent traces, allow it more time.

Day 5 to 6: The visual meeting

Once your dog is calm and relaxed with the kitten's scents, you can prepare a visual meeting to help your dog accept your kitten.

  • If you are alone:
    • Place your kitten on a high piece of furniture
    • Keep your dog on a leash to prevent it from jumping on the kitten
    • Let your dog observe your kitten for 2 to 5 minutes
  • If there are two of you:
    • Ask someone to hold your dog on a leash while you hold your kitten in your arms or on your shoulder
⚠️ Warning: if your dog gets excited, meaning it whines, barks, or jumps at the sight of the cat, immediately stop the visual meeting.

Conversely, if your dog and kitten are calm, reward them with dog treats and cat treats!

📌 TIP: calculate the number of treats per day to give your cat to maintain its dietary and digestive balance.

Day 7 to 8: The physical meeting

Only proceed to the physical meeting stage when you are sure that your dog accepts your kitten.

  1. It is calm when it smells the kitten's scents.
  2. It does not get excited or no longer gets excited at the sight of the kitten.

The same goes for your kitten! If you see your cat hissing: it's too soon!

When they are ready, let your animals free so they can observe, sniff, and meet each other at their own pace.

If you have any doubt, or if you are afraid your dog will jump on your kitten, keep it on a leash, and give your kitten the freedom to flee.
Another solution: a muzzle, which is a great tool to secure the meeting between a kitten and a dog.

If your dog is not familiar with a muzzle, do not force it to wear one. Coercion may stress it and make it anxious. It will be harder to help your dog accept your kitten.

📌 NOTE: The duration of each step is indicative! If you think your dog can accept your kitten in less time, then speed up the process. Conversely, if your animals need more time, take it.

Videos on dog and kitten introductions

To help you prepare, we offer videos on how to help your dog accept your kitten.

Pauline Debarbat from Déclic et des chiens, a positive-reinforcement dog behaviorist, explains all the steps for getting a dog to accept a kitten. She herself owns 5 dogs and 3 cats.

She emphasizes the importance of making interactions positive with treats to ensure a pleasant kitten and dog cohabitation.

Pauline also gives advice for after the meeting:

  • Maintain one-on-one moments with your dog.
  • Do not change your dog's habits.
  • Spend time with your kitten to build a bond.

Another interesting video on kitten and dog cohabitation:

Chloé from Nature de chien, a positive-reinforcement dog behaviorist, hosts Sandie, a feline behaviorist, to talk about kitten and dog introductions.

In addition to explaining how to get your dog to accept your kitten, they emphasize taking into account your animals' emotions. They remind you that if they don't want to, forcing contact is counterproductive.

Chloé and Sandie also recommend giving treats to reward your dog and cat. They will also be useful for training your kitten!

FAQ: Introducing a kitten to your dog

How long does it take for a dog to get used to a kitten?

Getting your dog used to your kitten can take 4 to 5 days, or even several weeks. The duration varies depending on each animal's personality. It is essential to respect your furry friends' emotional state for a successful meeting between your kitten and your dog.

What if my dog acts aggressively towards my kitten?

If your dog acts aggressively towards your kitten, start by placing each animal in a different room.

Give your kitten and dog time to calm down. Then, restart all the steps of the kitten and dog introduction. This is the best way to help your dog accept your kitten.

Virginie and Atlas