Puppy with cat?

[SuperFlyHigh]

I've been thinking for a while to get a dog or rather puppy in my garden flat. I intend to have the dog walked during the day when I'm not at work and I may reduce to a 4 day week anyway.

But my question is, I've got an almost 3 year old boy cat, he was brought up in a house with a Rottweiler but I think he was caged and didn't see much of the dog. He has also his when he sees next door neighbours occasionally dogsit dogs (he can see them from my bedroom window sill and hides in a wardrobe).

I think personally he'd be fine after a while with a puppy but does anyone have any ideas? He's a bit nervy but has got far less so.

The dog I'd really like is a Newfoundland (yes I know, hardly small!) but have done research, a friend had one years ago and I've seen a couple recently and chatted to the owners and they're adorable.

The cat is a half Siamese half moggy but very Siamese like and dog like in some ways, follows me, plays fetch etc. I think Felix would like the fact that a dog in our house/garden would put off any other local cats (who have run-ins with him on a daily basis!

Any advice/stories would be great please.

[Char22thom]

We have a dog and a cat, although we got the dog a few months after the cat so she hadn't been here that long before we bought a puppy home! Now I'm sure some will say you shouldn't as its not fair on the cat, but trust me your cat will have That puppy eating put of her paw very quickly!! We had a lovely old school vet and he told us that the cat will win any battles and they will learn to live in harmony, which is exactly what happened! We tried not to intervene too much in any fights ( only a few tbh) and let then work it out between them. They now get on great and actually choose to sit together or sometimes play with each other (which involves the cat swinging from the dogs ears!) good luck! x

[sugarplumfairy28]

I would say if your cat is nervy it may be best not to. If he can see a dog on the other side of a window and feels the need to hide, then it would seem he won't react any better if there was a dog in his house, it may well take a very very long time at best. Getting puppies and kittens from a very young age can work well as they do a lot of their social learning around each other.

While Newfoundlands are wonderful dogs, they do have to go through the puppy phase first, playing, jumping, being clumsy (all very cute) but for a nervy cat, that is one huge puppy, and potentially a difficult one to put in it's place.

It's a long story but I have 2 dogs a westie and a miniature sausage dog. I got them while living with my parents. The westie got on just fine with our 2 older cats, one of which had been mauled by a much bigger dog when she was 6 months old, one bop on the nose and my westie knew what was what. My sausage however was an absolute nightmare and was not allowed anywhere near the cats.

I moved out to a rented place (had to, was having a baby) wasn't allowed dogs for years, got some cats. Moved house and my Westie came to stay a lot. None of my cats had been exposed to dogs, 1 (my big boy) was indifferent, one would go and hide behind the fridge, the other (who was pure white) actually liked my Westie very much and often sat with her. 3 different cats but all I can say is the nervy one, never did get over it.

[SuperFlyHigh]

sugar but the cat is nervy anyway... Used to be scared of men etc...

He's got over that... And he can be quite playful and bold when he wants to be.

[Alonglongway]

We have 3 cats and a dog. Cats were all 4 when we moved to a new area and a few months later bought a puppy. Cavapoo though so way smaller.

It was a lot to put the cats through. We moved house in March and got the puppy in May. 2 of the cats spent the summer living at the bottom of the garden and completely avoided the puppy. The 3rd one stuck around and made friends fairly quickly. As we got into autumn the other 2 moved back in but they are still wary and prefer to avoid the dog, so we sectioned off s bit of the kitchen for their beds and bowls.

All,pretty settled now. One wanders around with the dog and they are great friends. The others steer clear but do like to pop and check his bowl and they will bop him on the nose from time to time to keep him In order

[sugarplumfairy28]

Superfly of course you know you're cat better than anyone and all you can do is use your best judgement, if it were me I wouldn't. I have a generally nervy cat, Momo. She hides from anyone who she doesn't know. She will hide for hours after they've gone and we have to go and coax her out, I would love to have a dog with us but while she is Mummy cat extraordinaire and is top cat in the house, I don't think we could ever get her to accept a dog.

[SuperFlyHigh]

sugar I think I may get a rescue dog and one that's used to cats.

He is much better than he used to be, he used to hide upstairs in my split level maisonettes in the box room under a church bench when there were visitors and wouldn't come out! He now does come out and is quite curious about new people. He doesn't hide for hours but will go out but that's more Tom cat behaviour, in and out.

I think his main thing is he was treated like a toy by his first family as a kitten (though think he was created too) so he is very nervous of children (got better though) and the dog if he did see it was ok but may have chased him.

[sugarplumfairy28]

I would definitely look more at rescue dogs then, one already knows how to behave with cats and is laid back enough to let your cat approach it, rather then an excited puppy who wants to be friends.

[SuperFlyHigh]

sugar yes I've taken this on board! Puppy though cute would just freak the cat out...

Might even find a Newfie rescue...