The MessyBeast website has lots of brilliant information about cat pyschology and behaviour.

http://www.messybeast.com/catarchive.htm#health

Another good website with lots of useful info about cats.

http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/

The cat will have established your home as her territory by the time you adopt the puppy, so will initially perceive him as an intruder who may be trying to steal it from her. Never understimate how much territory means to a cat. It’s the source of food, shelter and love, so if they think that they might lose it, some will literally fight to defend it. Cats and dogs also have a different body language to each other, which will lead to some misunderstandings at first. For example, a dog will lift his paw gesturing that he wants to play, but a raised paw to a cat is a threat. They soon learn to understand each other though. I don’t know the type of puppy you’re planning to adopt, but if he’s much larger than the cat, she will feel a little initmidated by that too. Cats make use of vertical space by climbing and they like to sit in high places. It makes them feel safe from sudden attack, and gives them a good view of everything going on around them. So make sure that the cat has access to higher places if she feels the need to get away from the puppy at any time.

The web articles below offer advice on how best to introduce a dog to a resident cat.

http://www.sspca.org/cats/introducing.html
http://messybeast.com/first-impressions.htm

Enjoy getting to know your cat, and hope she’ll be fine with your puppy.

Good luck.
References :

Puppies and cats

If you are considering bringing home a new puppy and you currently have cats there are some steps that you can do to provide the best possible first meeting.

· Keep the puppy separate from the cats for the first few days.

· Allow the cats to smell the blankets that the puppy has slept on and vice versa.

· Hold the puppy and allow the cats to smell him or her without the puppy being able to move towards the cats. This is best done if the puppy is held securely on the floor or on a lap.

· Once they have had a chance to see each other when the puppy is under control consider allowing the puppy to walk around the room with the cats.

· The cats should not be held; rather they should be allowed to move away from the puppy when they want.

· If the puppy barks or attempts to chase the cats correct the puppy with a quick "No" and give them an appropriate toy to play with. Soon the puppy will realize that they are to chew on the toy, not try to chase the cats.

· Supervise all interactions between the cat and puppy until you are confident that they are well socialized. This may take several weeks depending on the comfort level of the cat and the size of the puppy.

Remember the younger this process starts the easier it will be. Keep in mind that some breeds are naturally more aggressive, particularly terriers and other hunting breeds such as Akitas, Dobermans, Rottweilers and hound varieties. Some of the smaller and toy dogs are also not well suited to interacting with cats, so research the breed and talk to current owners and breeders before you choose.
References :
http://www.weathat.com/how-to-make-your-a1338.html