Introducing a rescue dog to our cat
Hello all, looking for a bit of advice on our current situation!
We have had our cat for a year and a half, he is our only pet. Very long story short, my fiancé found an abandoned dog and after going through the legitimate channels, we’re currently looking after her on a temporary basis to stop her from going to a shelter, with the option to become her registered owners after a certain amount of time. She is a German Shepherd cross and a total sweetheart, I would not have let her in our home with our cat if I didn’t think she had a nice nature.
My cat is my baby, I’ve been clear from the beginning that if they do not get along, unfortunately dog will have to go.
We’ve gradually been introducing them. Cat has fallen asleep in the same room as dog, just there he let dog lick his face (although he looked a bit grossed out). It’s been four days (although my fiance takes dog to work during the day so they really only see each other in the evenings).
I’ve never had dogs but fiance grew up with them. Dog really does seem like a sweetheart but I’m just so anxious that some form of instinct might kick in, for example if my cat runs away from her, she’ll chase him. We have a baby gate-esque system so cat can always get away if he chooses and she won’t be able to get him but I’d just love a bit of advice from people who have gone through a similar situation?
I love my cat with all my heart but we want to do the best we can for dog as well.