Episode 53

The Training Starts As Soon As You Walk In The Door - with Josh and Mandy Boutelle

What are the first things you should do when you bring a kitten home to live with your adolescent dog? In this chat with fellow pet professionals Josh and Mandy Boutelle, we talk about how they helped their new kitten, Fig, quickly settle into life with their exuberant dog, Fern.

What you'll hear in this episode:

  • how they started creating positive experiences for the pets as soon as Fig came home
  • why they waited a week before posting online that Fig had joined their family
  • what signs indicated that Fern might be able to coexist with a cat
  • why they didn't keep Fig and Fern separated for long
  • why kittens and potted houseplants don't mix

Want to dive a bit deeper?

Check out this episode's show notes for Mandy and Josh's full bios and contact info, pictures of Fig and Fern, bonus content, and the resources we mentioned - praiseworthypets.com/podcast-shownotes/53

If you're a pet professional...

Get in touch with Naomi to get a second set of eyes on one of your current cat-dog cases with a Pet Pro Strategy Session!

And if you love the podcast and want to support me as I continue to create new episodes, join the other cat-and-dog people in the Podcast Supporters space inside the Cat and Dog Coexistence Club! Go to praiseworthypets.com/support-the-podcast to learn more ❤️

😺❤️🐶 😺❤️🐶 😺❤️🐶 😺❤️🐶

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About the Podcast

Show artwork for It's Training Cats and Dogs!
It's Training Cats and Dogs!
The podcast for cat-AND-dog people.

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About your host

Profile picture for Naomi Rotenberg

Naomi Rotenberg

MA, KPA-CTP
specializing in cat and dog integration

Hi! I'm Naomi, and I'm a "cat-and-dog person" 👋 My goal with this podcast is to speak to people with multi-species households who currently feel alone. There are lots of highs and lows when trying to manage the relationships between your animals. This podcast will give you clear, actionable information and guidance about the unique issues that come up between cats and dogs. And the monthly interviews with my fellow trainers who have cats and dogs will definitely help you realize that you aren't alone!

A bit about me: I'm a certified professional dog trainer (KPA-CTP) and have my MA in Animal Behavior and Conservation. I live in my own multi-species household in Philadelphia, PA with my husband, two human kids, Uri (a mini American Eskimo Dog), and Rio (a domestic shorthair cat). I also LOVE Twizzlers (the original kind, NOT pull-and-peel).

I look forward to getting to know you and your pets on your journey towards a more peaceful and safe coexistence!