I have 2 cats aged 8 yrs. They have never been around dogs. I brought a 9 week old collie/lab mix puppy home that was very boisterous. One of the cats repeatedly attacked the puppy, the other one just hid all the time, became completely unresponsive, refused to eat or drink or even move and nearly died through shock. I had to return the puppy for fear of this cat dying. I really want to get the puppy back. Can anyone help me in working out what I did wrong and how I can integrate them in the future if I do get the puppy back? Is there any hope in achieving this at all? Thanks, angie.

For one:

The cats need a place the dog can't go. Cat's can climb and dog cannot. So, that's easy.

The dog needs a place where the cats are off limits. A crate is possibility here. The cats must be trained that the dog's crate is off limits. If dog is in crate even with the door open, the cats must be trained to leave the puppy alone.

The puppy is going to be curious.

Great suggestion KISS. Sorry for the large picture but these large cat scratchy houses are great... the cat can get up on top but the dog can't.

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