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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To get a whippet puppy in a small flat

91 replies

Wantaskinnydog · 14/08/2018 19:40

Following on from lots of whippet threads I wondered whether it would be unreasonable to consider getting a whippet pup in my circumstances. We have 2 small children and 2 cats and live in a small 3 bed flat with a patio. We have always wanted a dog, always hoped we could afford to move to a house but it will never happen. Should I resign myself to never having a dog? We can't move for a whole load of reasons. Lifestyle wise we are totally geared up for a dog. Anyone?!

OP posts:

franklymydearidontgivea · 14/08/2018 20:23

I had a whippet with two cats, the cats used him as a cushion. They are the softest most gentle dogs, they don't need a huge amount of exercise and sleep most of the day. They are wonderful with children, but as with any dog, it's as much about the owner as the dog, so be prepared to put in the work with any puppy. I've always believed the best way to get the best of out a dog is to make it feel it's part of your family and to ensure it knows its place in the pack.

Please ignore ignorant comments about their natural instinct to hunt cats, total bollocks and scaremongering, one incident should not tarnish the reputation of a entire breed

hibbledibble · 14/08/2018 20:25

Generally whippets and cats dont get on. Whippets have a very strong prey drive, and cats come under 'prey'. A puppy may be ok though, with early acclimatisation.

Personally I would never get a dog without having a garden though

Original poster

Wantaskinnydog · 14/08/2018 20:31

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

OP posts:

katielouise3 · 14/08/2018 20:34

I would NEVER get a puppy/dog in a flat.

I did it once (some years ago,) and it was a PITA. And unfair on the dog.

Are you on the ground floor though?

Kidssendingmenuts · 14/08/2018 20:34

Whippets chase cats, big time! So I'd say no, also they require a lot of walking, and I mean a lot! I really don't think a flat would be suitable for that breed. Go for something smaller like a pug or a chihuahua perhaps. But please don't get a whippet

Original poster

Wantaskinnydog · 14/08/2018 20:35

We span 3 floors but access to patio is from the 1st floor.

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Confusedbeetle · 14/08/2018 20:37

Never get a whippet if you have cats, They are hard wired to kill them. Also a flat totally unsuitable place for the breed, Sorry but No not fair on a dog no b matter how much you fancy one,

Original poster

Wantaskinnydog · 14/08/2018 20:38

Oh ok. Everything I've read said they are ideal for flats as they are generally lazy and are not a high energy breed (they have bursts of exercise so exercise themselves quickly and then are happy to snooze), this is from reputable sites such as the kennel club and the whippet breed club etc. I'm confused now!

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adaline · 14/08/2018 20:44

I don't have any issue with dogs in flats so long as you're willing to take them out to do their business and to toilet train them. Ours spends all day downstairs and only goes upstairs to sleep - so no different to living in a flat really.

But I wouldn't get any whippet type dog with cats. Whether they've been raised with them or not is no guarantee and you'd feel so guilty if your new pet killed one of your current ones.

There are loads of other small low-energy breeds out there that aren't hard-wired to chase and kill small furry things! Why not consider another breed?

Happyoldbat · 14/08/2018 20:47

I wouldn’t have a whippet with a cat. They are hardwired to chase, although they are lovely dogs. Also, whippets are delicate (especially legs) so a lot of supervision would be needed to avoid the dog getting hurt by boisterous children. It does sound like a stressful combination. Maybe when the cats die and the children are older. They sleep all day indoors, but need a really good run off the lead a few times a week, so depends where you live. They have no road sense.

Beamur · 14/08/2018 20:52

It's not a given that all whippets will terrorise cats. You've much more chance with a puppy though to get it right and as another poster has said, if you can get one from a reputable breeder who also has cats, all the better.
With regard to your cats - they can escape upwards, onto furniture, etc, so think about what places you can provide for your cats that are safe and accessible for them only.
Personally, I don't think not having a garden is a problem as long as you realise and commit to 3/4 walks a day.

Original poster

Wantaskinnydog · 14/08/2018 20:53

Thank you everyone. I clearly under estimated having a whippet pup with cats as the literature I have read / breeders i have met at shows and spoken to simply said a pup growing up with cats will be fine. The majority of owners / breeders I've met or been in touch with all have had cats alongside their whippets. I will give it a lot more thought . I wouldn't ever get a dog without researching first so this thread has been helpful.

OP posts:

Downtheroadfirstonleft · 14/08/2018 20:55

Make sure your pup is entirely show line bred, rather than lure coursing line bred.

Original poster

Wantaskinnydog · 14/08/2018 20:57

I am only looking at a show bred as I had hoped to show. But it may not be a suitable breed, I understand this.

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Original poster

Wantaskinnydog · 14/08/2018 20:58

I just mean for fun, nothing serious. Main reason I had considered show bred is that they are generally calmer and most heart test, as well as less prey drive.

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Beamur · 14/08/2018 21:02

It is possible for dogs and cats to live together - I've got 2 cats I had to introduce an elderly dog to who came to live with us, dog is timid and older, not a chaser at all. They are all fine and mostly just ignore each other. We also dog sit for a friend occasionally which throws a Border Collie into the mix, but he is another gentle soul. One of my cats will come and snuggle up with him.

maggiecate · 14/08/2018 21:05

Whippets are fine boned and can easily be injured so the combination of kids + cats + patio that you access from the first floor would make me nervous. Lots of potential for rough and tumble that could get out of hand. They need gentle treatment and even a short fall can cause serious injury - if the patio steps are too steep for your kids I'd be very wary of letting a whippet loose on them.

KathyBates · 14/08/2018 21:08

I looked after my friends whippet puppy for 4 days in my flat with 2 house cats. Puppy was more scared of the cats (but they are sphynxs and nosey/ fearless so understandable) to begin with but by day 2 they were snuggling up together, he was quite affectionate. Cats weren't fussed.
Another friend took her adult whippet (or maybe lurcher) round once and there's no way I would have left him unsupervised, you could tell he was constantly fighting his urge to chase/ grab them.
My old flat mate had a chihuahua who was my first cats bestie and had no issues however not really being a dog person I used to get annoyed having to get dressed/ take it out for a wee all the time when it was cold/ dark/ wet/ I had a hangover!!
So it can work, I'd guess easier with a puppy too. You can keep them separated with a crate or baby gate initially if need be x

WorraLiberty · 14/08/2018 21:09

I've got a whippet/saluki cross who's almost a year old.

She's amazing with the cat, they snuggle up together and play gently together too, but that's very unusual. The cat was brought up with a dog (he came to me when he was 2yrs old) and the dog spent the first 3 months of its life in a cat foster home.

Exercise-wise though, there is NO WAY she could manage without a garden. We walk her twice a day in the park and yet she still has at least 4 or 5 sudden burst of energy a day, where she runs round the garden like a mad thing...full on for at least 20 minutes before she comes indoors and flops.

For a couple of weeks the garden was out of bounds (fence panels broken) and she was a nightmare...she because really destructive and used the whole house and its contents as a chew toy!

liz70 · 14/08/2018 21:11

"Main reason I had considered show bred is that they are generally calmer and most heart test, as well as less prey drive"

Our first whippet was entirely show bred, our second has a mix of show, racing and working lines. Both were/are equally calm - so long as they get enough exercise - and sweet with people and children. We don't have cats, though.

WorraLiberty · 14/08/2018 21:12

*became

twiglet · 14/08/2018 21:13

Sighthounds do have a prey drive but this varies dog to dog and what they have been brought up with not all will kill/can't live with cats.

I have a rescue greyhound saluki X so 2 sighthound breeds....my rescue cat is the boss of the house and the dog won't even walk past if the cat is in a doorway for fear of being swiped at! She whines until the cat moves or we move the cat......

As long as you cat train properly so reward the puppy for ignoring the cats building up exposure/situations etc then they are fine. Let your cats swipe at the dog seems a bit mean but Sighthounds are wusses when it comes to most things a quick wrap around the nose and they don't repeat it!

Flat is OK for a whippet as long as regularly letting out and a reasonable walk.

You will have to do more recall work with a sighthound and be patient whippets can be skittish, but with high reward treats (liver cake, hot dog sausages etc) they are fine.
They make lovely pets.

Goth237 · 14/08/2018 21:58

2 children, 2 cats, 2 adults and a puppy? All in a 3 bedroom flat?! Are you crazy? That sounds like it must be very cramped. It's not fair on the cats to introduce a puppy too, especially if they happen to be older. Cats are solitary animals and despite however well they tolerate each other, that's all they're doing. It is stressful for a cat to live with other cats, so to add a puppy into all that and in such a small space seems rather selfish. Not to mention the breed you are planning on getting. They need a lot of exercise. Are you planning on taking it for an hour long walk every day? And they need house training so they don't crap everywhere. I think it is unreasonable to cram so much into that kind of space.

bridgetreilly · 14/08/2018 22:00

Not with the cats, but definitely consider a rescue greyhound. They can do pretty much all their daily exercise in one go, then sleep most of the rest of the day, so they are ideal for flats.

Original poster

Wantaskinnydog · 14/08/2018 22:13

I would have thought a rescue greyhound would be literally the worst choice possible for a house with cats, given they've spent their lives chasing "prey". I wouldn't consider a rescue as with children / cats I want to start from scratch and know / be in control of all the history. But like I said we don't have a massive house so that's my main issue. But we haven't made any decisions yet and I'm not sure whether a dog is possible at all.

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