anyone with dog and cat?

[Birdsighland]

We lost our cat to cancer. While he was with us, I explained to my son that we couldn't bring a dog on top of him as I didn't want to risk him wandering off.

My ds is now pressing for a dog in our lives. I absolutely want to give a home to a cat as well. If you had the luxury of being able to plan the addition of dog and cat into your lives, how would you introduce them? Would you get puppy and kitten together at a gormless and trusting age so they didn't distrust/chase each other? If you were to get one first, would it be the kitten (who has maybe been reared in a house with a dog)?

Don't know when, but am thinking ahead and would like to pick the brains of those who know more about it than I do.

Any knowledge gratefully received.

[notapizzaeater]

No idea which order but we have a mild mannered (lazy) dog who was 3 when we got a kitten, he sniffed her a few times and just ignored her. She's 2 now and they just mooch on together, she'd lay on him if he'd let her, he likes his own space so if she gets too close he moves.

[Birdsighland]

Gosh, they sound like an easy duo. Interesting how your dog accepted her. I wonder if he had been exposed to cats as a puppy.

[cozietoesie]

Not at the moment but I fairly recently had collies with cats. The collies were always (as it happens) introduced young to a mature resident cat and knew their place instantly. (Bottom of the heap.)

I think most breeds of dog will cede dominance to a mature cat if they're of the big lollopy variety. I'd be a little more wary (or a lot more wary depending on the breed) of eg terriers. What kind of dog were you thinking of?

(The cats, by the way, always seemed to regard the dogs as big no-account lumps. Dogs didn't seem to worry them at all.)

[Birdsighland]

I have no idea about the dog really. We couldn't handle a big dog. I adore collies as we had one when I was growing up. They are so clever (and so energetic). They are relatively big though. I think Shelties are lovely too. We see one on the way to my son's school. I have watched the people walking him to a school drop off since last year, when he was a puppy and think he is fabulous. I have heard Cockerpoos are good too.

Thing is, I kind of want to get a rescue. I am a little (lot) frightened of supporting a breeder who may not treat the animals well. My son says that wherever we get a dog, we would be rescuing a puppy from a possible bad home. They all need a home. Actually, I have no idea whatsoever of the dog type.

I want any cat to feel as secure as I can though. And the introduction to go as well as possible.

[Fluffycloudland77]

How about a spaniel? Gun dogs aren't usually interested in live prey like the terrier breeds.

Spaniels aren't huge either.

[AliceWhiting]

Sorry about your cat.

I don't know if this helps, but my parents had a sighthound puppy, then they had me. Then they had my brother, then they had a kitten. Then they inherited another kitten from a family member. Then they got another puppy (and lots of small furries too).

The first cat used to wind up the Saluki, who used to chase her up the curtains. The second puppy used to scutter around Cat One, who used to biff him on the nose. Cat Two stayed out of it all.

The only problem I ever recall was Cat Two eating a small furry. Other than that, it was all v straightforward, so far as I recall (and my mum remembers it this way too - and she was the one who did the work!)

[Foosyerdoos]

I have a dog and a cat who get on very well ( the cat is top dog). We also had a cat and dog growing up. In both cases we introduced a puppy ( a westie and more recently a labradoodle) to an adult cat.

[craftysewer]

We have a Cocker Spaniel and got a kitten last year when the dog was 12 years old. It was quite easy integrating them because the dog doesn't see very well and is deaf, so basically ignores the cat (except when she sits on the arm of the chair in the kitchen and bats him one with her paw)! I remember my dad bringing a kitten home from work once and my mum holding our labrador at one end of the room and my dad at the other with the kitten. Dog was barking, kitten was spitting. It had to go back next day. I think it just comes down to perseverance and luck at the end of the day. Lot's of people seem to make it work.

[basildonbond]

We have two cats and a puppy. Our older cat just hisses at the puppy and we try to keep him out of her way. The younger cat biffed the puppy a couple of times in the early weeks just to make sure he knew who was in charge... The puppy is now 9 months, would still love to play with the cats but sort of knows it's not going to happen... If the younger cat is in a good mood he'll let the puppy sniff his nose and occasionally even lick him (the puppy is in heaven when this happens ..)

If he sees any other cats outside he wants to chase them but our 'home' cats are different as far as he's concerned

As far as timing goes definitely either both young together of cat first then dog

[bonzo77]

I hope I'm not hijacking too much here. Supposing one wanted a dog which was a but like a cat, and would live with an existing cat (not much grooming, not much walking, small poos, not that smelly, could cope with being left alone for several hours), and good with small children (4 and 1) what would you recommend? I'd prefer an adult dog, not a puppy.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

I have always had cats and dogs. I had cats first so they were older and mature when dogs arrived. As confident adult cats they put the respective dogs in their place. Current I have two cats the posh arrogant (evil) boy and the tail less wonder and one dog the mobile mop (cockerpoo). They co-exist well together as I type I have DD, the tail less wonder and the mobile mop are all on/in my bed and the posh arrogant boy is observing from the window sill.

[rugbymum143]

We have four cats and a loopy red setter. We had three adult cats when we had our dog as a puppy. We chose our dog breed because according to google he would be good with other pets and the vet recommended getting a puppy if we were integrating with adult cats. The cats had the run of the house & as a puppy our dog was crate trained so was in there if we were out, and at night. We also had a gate at the bottom of the stairs because due to his breed it could have effected his hips if he climbed upstairs. Sorry a bit detailed but basically it meant the cats could easily have time away from the dog. There was hissing at first but now all get on fine. In fact if the older two cats are on the stairs the now five year old dog won't go past and he's much much bigger than them! When our dog was two we had two new kittens after losing one of our adult cats and that was fine as our dog was already used to cats. I don't know which would be necessarily best but as long as an older dog is used to cats (and not of a breed that would want to chase and kill them?!) from the experience we have an older dog and kitten would work. I think puppy and kitten would work well but I think an older cat would perhaps be better with a puppy but I'm no expert but did ask our vet. Sorry much longer post than I intended!

[cozietoesie]

Just one note of caution.

About 4 years ago, with one collie and The Lodger in the kitchen, I gave the collie an (extremely) generous roast lamb full leg bone for his bowl after I'd cut off most of the remaining meat. (This was not a working dog but nonetheless one who was very well trained and extensively exercised - and who liked cats in general.)

He normally had tins and dog biscuit and the lamb bone was clearly so indescribably delicious to him that he went quite loopy: when The Lodger went to the dog bowl to investigate, something that normally the dog would barely register, he turned on The Lodger and snarled quite seriously. The Lodger, who was usually completely the dominant animal, took this at face value and jumped quickly out of the way.

So whatever breed you get, I'd just be a little cautious about feeding from time to time. The animals in my house had separate feeding stations and normally, the dog was not a food guarder and could care less if The Lodger ate from his dish - although in the way of dogs, his food was generally gone so quickly that there would likely have been little or nothing there in any case. In that instance, things went immediately back to normal after the lamb bone incident and both animals seemed unconcerned. I remained thoughtful however.

(Or don't serve roast lamb to the animals of course.)

[Birdsighland]

Thank you for all your reflections.

General consensus seems to be that it is best if:

(i)Both at kitten and puppy stage
or
(ii)Mature cat who'll bop any cheekiness in puppy on the nose (literally)

I would fully intend to feed the dog lamb shanks bone with marrow, Cosie (after the lamb had been eaten, of course). I would feed them in separate areas, I think.

The dog bit is not as easy as the cat bit though. Cats are really so easy. I went to visit a rescue last week and we saw the most fabulous cats. I would take the adult ones if I could but couldn't risk ones not exposed to dogs. There were two fabulously glossy black cats, a tiger tabby and a white cat with two different coloured eyes. My son videoed the white one. She had her paw sticking out of the cage wanting to play. He is very taken with her as she was so interactive.

We gave a donation, but obviously left without a puddytat as need to think about the dog issue. I've never actively had to seek out a cat in my life. My mother was moving house and I temporarily took care of her kitten. He stayed. Then we rescued a kitten from a derelict site. He was heaving with worms, fleas and had ringworm (and a malformed chest cage). Vet said around 2 weeks life expectancy. 17 yrs later he passed away. Last cat came to our house and wouldn't leave. Short lived but much loved.

My big complaint is this. With all the cats who have kittens in your gardens and cats who mither you and live at the bottom of your back gardens in 'The Litter Tray', how come none come into mine. Pah!

[CMOTDibbler]

We have 3 cats and a lurcher (plus rabbit and chickens), and the dog is firmly at the bottom of the heap. We had the cats first, all are rescue, and we knew evilgingercat would be fine based on his general behaviour with dogs.
Ddog had been in foster with cats, and it hasn't been a problem. cat3 moves everywhere at 1 million miles an hour and he will run after her, but doesn't do anything. cat2 ignores him largely.

If I was planning to get a cat and dog together, I'd choose a bolshy cat with attitude and settle them in first.

What sort of qualities are you looking for in a dog?

[GemmaTeller]

We had two cats and introduced a boxer puppy when the cats were about 5 yrs old, then a GSD puppy about eight months later.
Cat 1 immediately set herself up as leader of the pack and let the dogs know it, cat 2 moved upstairs for three months then accepted the situation but had about four majors go's at the gsd (who, to give her credit, just looked startled but didn't retaliate)

Boxer dog died six years later, followed by cat 2 two years later then GSD

Cat 1 was on her own for about a year and then we got two rescue boxers who were about 3/4 years old, Cat 1 again told them who was boss.

New boxer then found a kitten on the motorway bypass and all four live together quite happily

Cat 1 is now 18

[cozietoesie]

Found a kitten on the bypass......?

[GemmaTeller]

Yep, one December day, freezing cold, we were walking the dogs on the side of the bypass that has a pavement, male boxer pulled DH to one side and DH checked him, dog pulled again to the undergrowth and when we stopped to look there was this little kitten, soaking wet and freezing cold.

I picked him and tucked him in my coat, when we got home we dried him off and fed him, rang the vets who checked him over and said he was about seven weeks old.

We put a posters up in the local shops, rang cats protection, DH went to the houses near the bypass and nobody claimed him.

He's three now and we often think he found us and not we found him as he settled in from day one. He had no qualms swinging off the boxers tail or taking food out of their dish.

Here he is as a kitten snuggled up to our other cat

[Fluffycloudland77]

Clever dog you have there.

[cozietoesie]

I fear he was probably flung out of a car window. What a clever dog and what a lucky, lucky kit.

[GemmaTeller]

Cozie thats what we think happened as he wasn't fazed by the dogs and knew to use the litter tray and just sort of 'moved straight in' with us.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

I do have one client with 15 Leonbergers (each dogs weighs 80kgs) and one small ginger cat who was dumped on my clinic doorstep at 10 days old. The ginge was hand reared by one of my nurses and as a result is a fairly assertive individual. He moved in with the Leonbergers who were all adults and rapidly put them in their place.

[cozietoesie]

15 Leonbergers? Dear Goodness - her groceries bill!!

[thoughtsbecomethings]

I have a 5 year old jack Russell and recently have got 2 kittens they all get on really well, sleep in the same bed etc. the only thing I have to watch is when doggy is eating or has a bone as he doesn't like the kitty's being to close.

[OwlCapone]

When my cocker spaniel was a puppy he would often forget himself and chase the cats (both about 2 at the time). They grew to tolerate each other quite quickly. Dog doesn't mind Cat eating his dinner but as it generally makes the cat throw up, I hiss his name menacingly and Dog goes and stares at him at the bowl til he leaves. For a while, the only way to get Dog in from the garden was to hiss the cats name menacingly out of the back door.

WRt the roast lamb bone - I thought you weren't meant to give dogs cooked bones...?