These are various experiences and tips -

Here's our experience and tips:

• Cats need a place that is all their own. We solved this by cutting a "kitty door" into our basement door. The cats’ food and water are kept on the landing and the litter boxes are in the basement. The basement is their world and no dogs are allowed. We kept the basement door closed for the first couple of months and after that, we’ve never had a problem with either dog even attempting to go to the basement. Now all the cats do if they are feeling pursued is get to the basement landing and they turn & stand their ground. There are several advantages to having the litter box in the basement (or you could choose one room or a large closet): the dogs are never tempted to "munch" there (which some people complain about) and the cats feel safe so they do their duties there rather than seeking a place elsewhere in the house.
• For the first few months, we moved some extra laundry baskets with pillows and blankets to the basement, so the cats had a comfy place to hang out. We also put a scratching post down there, and gave extra catnip treats to keep things lively J
• Keep the dog on a leash with you during some evening hours so the cat gets the chance to move about without being pursued. You can also put the dog in the kennel/crate and let the cat roam for a while, then reverse the positions and put the cat in the crate so the dog can see and smell it without any chance of hurting it. (You have to supervise though!) It is a lot of shuffling for a while, but it won’t last forever.
• When you go to sleep, have the dog sleep in a room with someone with the door shut. That way the cat can do it’s nightly prowling around the house.
• Make sure to give the cat special times where the dog is either crated or on the leash (restrained) while you pet the cat and display affection to it.
• Give the cat many options of "high up" places to get to if being pursued. You can build floor to ceiling scratching posts with several ledges, or put comfy blankets or pillows on top of dressers or shelves so the cat can relax and watch the activity without feeling pursued.
• One tip that we found most helpful was to train the dog to "break the stare". When a dog is interested in ‘ambushing’ it will often stare at it’s prey. Any time that you see your dog staring at the cat, firmly say "NO CAT". You may have to physically turn the dog’s head to make the dog stop looking at first. You can shake a can or plastic milk jug with rocks or coins inside to draw their attention, or if all else fails whack the dog on the chest with an empty half gallon plastic milk jug (noise but no pain). It’s important to break the stare (and thus the concentration). This type of training should also be done to make the dog realize it should not leave the house through an open door without your permission. The "NO CAT" training may also come in very handy later in other situations, like when you see your dog ready to pursue a cat or rabbit outdoors.