Wholesome woman seeks the online feline family's advice on introducing a kitten to her dogs, after finding a little void fluffball under her tire, meowing for help.

Author image for Ayala Sorotsky
Ayala Sorotsky • Writer and Editor
Feb 22, 2026 2:00 PM EST

Sometimes cats enter a full house, and that's no less wholesome than them being your first pets.

You see, adopting your first cat can happen in a multitude of ways. Whether it's a childhood cat, a weird case of finding a cat in an unexpected place (usually the courtesy of the Cat Distribution System), or planning on adopting a cute little fluffball to add to your domestic zoo of pets you have at home. But sometimes it's a surprising, unexpected CDS delivery, even if you're a self-declared dog person.

This one woman already has two dogs - and that's got to be a handful. Two doggos running the show, borking and wagging, excited and happy. But then a neighbor alerts her that, hey, you have a crying kitten under your tire! She might be a dog person, but it doesn't mean she's going to skip helping a purrfect little void in need. And, you know what? We're so proud of her. We're all cat people here, but we have a very special corner in our hearts dedicated to non-cat people who still lend a hand, give from themselves to help a cat, and maybe even turn into a cat person in the process.

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  • 01
    Little void found crying and limping - how to introduce to my dogs?
    via trailgigi
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10607850752
    via trailgigi
  • 03
    Was about to jump into my car to drive to work but the neighbour pointed out a kitten under my tyre.
    via trailgigi
  • 04
    Poor little thinking was crying it's lungs out and stood up but fell a bit to the side. Have taken it to a vet and had x-rays, nothing is broken but it has some inflammation around its spine, might be limping because of the laceration on its rear foot.
    via trailgigi
  • 05
    Cate
    via trailgigi

  • It's so impurrtant that this person knew - first thing, to the vet. Getting an animal you want to adopt or foster to a medical check first is essential, especially if they were on the streets. A healthy pet is a happy pet, even if they need to bear the vet visit (a horrible thing, of course), and even an occasional cone of shame prescription (humiliation, obviously).

    For this precious little kitten, it was necessary. With all the things on the list of “the vet needs to take care of that”, it's good that he got the treatment he needed. We're just so happy to know he's on his sure way to health, happiness, and a purrmanent forever home.

  • 06
    I'll be giving it it's antibiotics, pain meds and anti inflammatories for a few days to see how it goes.
    via trailgigi
  • 07
    Have any of you introduced a kitten to your adult dogs before? The kitten is around 4 months and my dogs are 5 (jack Russell X pug) and a 13 year old pug.
    via trailgigi
  • 08
    Any tips? The rescues I have contacted are full, and if I can get the cat to get along with my dogs, I think itd be the perfect playmate for my JR X as he is so full of energy.
    via trailgigi
  • 09
    A black kitten is being held in a woman's hands.
    via Helena Lopes from Pexels

    A black kitten is being held in a woman's hands.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 10
    r3d0c3ht I have 3 dogs (1 large shepherd kind) and 15 cats, have fostered many cats and small dogs with no incidents, what I do:
    via r3d0c3ht
  • 11
    1. Smell - keep the kitten out of sight of the dogs, let them smell your hands after handling the kitten, pet them and then pet the kitten, the kitten's cent should be familiar to them, this phase can take 1-2 weeks.
    via r3d0c3ht
  • 12
    2. First contact - I usually keep the kitten/pup (if they're small enough) and let the dogs smell their backside, since that's were their scent glands are located and the smell is more potent AND the small one can't see what's happening and react scared which may trigger a reaction in the dogs. This can happen 1-2 times, you can switch them so they can see each-other.
    via r3d0c3ht
  • 13
    3. Social distancing - while SUPERVISED I let them interact through a wire fence and corrected any unwanted behavior from the dogs, they need to learn that the new critter is friend, not food. At this point the shepherd male usually just pees on the new comer :)) which probably marks them as "his".
    via r3d0c3ht
  • 14
    4. Supervised interaction - let them together in a room with enough space, the kitten should have its high places to retreat and the dogs should also have their safe places, this should be "neutral ground" not near the dog's beds and comfy places.
    via r3d0c3ht
  • 15
    It's a lengthy process but they'll learn to get along in time, there will be growling and probably barking until a pecking order will be established but these are inevitable especially with the old dog which might not react kindly to the newcomer's energy. In the end the little void will probably sleep in the comfiest dog bed just because he can :).
    via r3d0c3ht

  • We love the online feline family! Always at the ready to give advice and share knowledge, all in the hopes of helping another cat pawrent in need. Sometimes, the collective knowledge of people online is a precious pool to draw from, and when it comes to cat people, from literally all over the world - everyone is always happy to help. It's almost as if the love for cats, this wholesome thing that unites us all, makes such nice and heartwarming interactions form people who otherwise wouldn't know of each other. But since we're all about helping cats - all cat people are always at the ready. What a kind bunch the online feline family is.

  • 16
    trailgigi OP Thanks for the lengthy reply! It makes me more confident to introduce them once I go through all these recommendations.
    via trailgigi
  • 17
    darkest_irish_lass I have a cat and dog currently living together perfectly fine. They're not besties but they'll play together and each can establish boundaries if things get out of hand.
    via darkest_irish_lass
  • 18
    Basically, introduce them via smells first blanket kitten is sleeping on to dogs, dog blanket or bed or toy to kitten. Let them hear and see each other with a barrier like a tall pet gate between. Then in person meet and greet while you're supervising.
    via darkest_irish_lass
  • 19
    When we brought our kitten home, the dog was over the moon, the cat not so much, but that works both ways. Give each animal a permanent, private place where they can get away from the others. Cats like high places, so a tall cat tree is nice for them, for the dogs make sure their sleeping spots can be kitten proofed with a gate or a door.
    via darkest_irish_lass
  • 20
    SpeedyKy When we introduced the dogs to the new cat, we left a blanket the dogs slept on in the bedroom and a blanket the cat slept on in the living room. Kept the cat in the bedroom for 2 weeks and let them sniff each other under the door. When the cat walked out she owned the house after 2 weeks and the dogs barely messed with her. Good luck!!! Such a cute lil void!
    via SpeedyKy
  • 21
    IRing Twyce Our dogs have always immediately taken to kittens. We have larger dogs, usually around 65 pounds, and female. They always momma -dog the kittens, cleaning them and helping them potty, and become surrogate mothers. Dogs: Lab mix, pit mix, Shepherd mix.
    via IRingTwyce
  • 22
    trailgigi OP Awwww what sweet big babies
    via trailgigi
  • 23
    Mundane-Confusion622 We brought our first cat home approx 5 years ago. She had been a stray that one of our pet sitting clients took up with. They kept her outside as two of the children had cat allergies.
    via Mundane-Confusion622
  • 24
    One day the owner asked me if I knew anyone who might like to have Oreo. I had been in love with Oreo and told her to let me get back to her.
    via Mundane-Confusion622
  • 25
    I came home and worked on my husband until he said yes. Oreo is a very savvy cat from having lived out of doors.
    via Mundane-Confusion622
  • 26
    We rearranged my step daughter's former room and hauled off a bunch of junk before bringing her home. We do have gates at the entrance to the cats' room, the front living room and the dining room.
    via Mundane-Confusion622
  • 27
    We kept her in her room letting everyone smell each other through the door. After a while we started letting her out of her room. The dogs never bother her and are fully aware of her claws.
    via Mundane-Confusion622
  • 28
    Notice that I said our cats' room. That's because 3 and a half years ago the night before we left to go to Georgia to pick up our rescue Brittany my husband kept thinking he heard a cat. He finally looked on the deck only to find a kitten who weighed 1 and a quarter pounds.
    via Mundane-Confusion622
  • 29
    We kept him in the basement bathroom for nearly 3 months while we gave him lime sulpher baths. He is afraid of our newest rescue dog Grady due to his barking so hangs out in our bedroom or in the cats' room a lot. But he does occasionally come into the den at night. It can usually be worked out between cats and dogs. Go slow and I'm sure it will be fine.
    via Mundane-Confusion622
  • 30
    Right now I'm on the people bed in the cats' room with Midnight next to me. It's been a rough day for us as today is the day we let our Millie Mae go. She had mammary gland cancer. She's the one we went to Georgia to pick up 3 and a half years ago. She was 10 at the time so lived to approx 13 and a half. She had been rescued from a puppy mill.
    via Mundane-Confusion622
  • 31
    Here's a photo of Midnight.
    via Mundane-Confusion622

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cat dogs cds heartwarming kindness cat adoption kitten adopted Cat distribution system Cats
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