"THEY fight like cat and dog". This popular saying is born from the fact that dogs instinctively chase cats, probably because cats appeal to the natural predatory instinct of dogs in being small, furry, quick moving and inclined to run away.

But dogs can distinguish between different cats and there is no reason why a dog and cat living in the same household can't become close friends. Indeed your dog may delight in chasing next door's cat then return home to snuggle up to its own feline housemate, who in turn will enjoy the warmth of the dog's body heat.

To reach this stage of closeness, however, does take a little time and there are a few do's and don'ts involved when first introducing the animals together.

Breeds of dogs with strong hunting instincts, such as terriers, find it more difficult to get along with cats than do herding or working dogs. Puppies and kittens naturally get accustomed to each other more easily than older animals, and an adult dog or cat also accepts the other best in the juvenile stage.

When you first bring home a new kitten to meet your pet dog, or bring a new puppy to meet the old cat, it is important to proceed cautiously and don't immediately put them face to face. The new pet should stay in one room at first whilst your 'old' friend should have the opportunity to approach in its own good time. Do not leave the two unsupervised initially, but stay and watch for signs of fear and agitation. Try and distract them from each other using food. Give each pet some tasty treat, but at opposite ends of the room. In this way the two are distracted, but still smell the other and associate with the pleasant act of eating.

Later, however, when the two have become friends it is best to feed the dog and cat separately. Jealousy and fighting can be triggered when food is the topic, and as dogs and cats have different nutritional needs they should not be allowed to eat each other's food. In addition the dog and cat differ in their eating behaviour. Dogs are naturally pack animals and quickly gulp their food, whereas cats, who are solitary creatures and do not need to do this, will eat slowly and usually not complete a meal at one sitting. A good trick to help accustom the animals to each other is to put something that smells of the dog in the cat's sleeping place and vice versa. In this way the two will get used to the other's presence.

The dog and cat will need time to learn each other's behaviour patterns before they become comfortable with each other. Each has their own natural body language which at first can be mis-interpreted by the other. Tail wagging or a raised paw, for example, is a sign of happiness and desire to play in a dog, but has the opposite meaning in a cat. Once a bond is established between your pets, they should live, sleep and play together as friends for life.