Many people want to have more than one pet, but are concerned about potential conflicts, particularly between cats and dogs. However, the findings of a study conducted by Professor Joseph Terkel and graduate student Neta-li Feuerstein of Tel Aviv University indicate that cats and dogs can get along well, provided certain conditions are met.

Conflicts between cats and dogs often result from crossed signals. For example, a dog wags its tail when happy, whereas a cat with a swishing tail is angry. A dog may perceive the moving tail as a friendly, welcoming signal, whereas the cat, which has been warning the dog off, feels threatened by its advance and lashes out.

Despite these differences in body language, Terkel and Feuerstein found that in nearly two-thirds of multi-pet households that included both cats and dogs, the pets were good friends. In many cases they had even learned to read one another