Getting two kittens and a puppy. Is this too mad?

[Cheekychip]

In a nutshell, we decided we wanted to get a dog as we had been wanting one for a while (pre kids) and now our twins are 2.5 years old the time feels right. Plus our son has autism and I have read lots of great things about how therapeutic a dog can be.

Then I came across the story of a family that got a cat for their autistic daughter with great success, a Maine Coon as they have the right sort of personality.
So I came across a litter of Maine Coon/Burmese cross kittens and thought they sounded like a perfect combination.............I loved two in the same litter for different reasons and when i did a bit of research the general consensus was that it was better to have two cats living together (preferably from the same litter) as they will amuse each other lots.
So we are collecting two kittens at the end of the week, which we are very excited about!

But now I am not sure what to do about getting the dog. We still want one and we could wait a while but I'm thinking if I get the pup now too then they will all grow up together and get along better.

I don't work so will be at home most of the time and my son having autism means that our lives are more home based as many regular activities aren't an option for us.

I grew up with pets but I haven't owned a cat or dog in years so I'm not exactly that experienced however I do feel confident with animals.

What do people think? Is it just a bonkers idea?

Any suggestions?

We got a puppy and two kittens when dc1 was four years old dc2 was 8 months old.

The kittens weren't too much bother, they entertained each other, the only annoying thing was that they used to have a crazy time really early in the morning... They would chase each other up and down the stairs for ages and knock things over in all their excitement!

Having a puppy is much harder work, like having another child!

Six years later we've still got all of our pets and the children absolutely love all of them! It is a lot to take on (and a lot of poo to scoop!) but it's certainly doable!

Have no advice but your story is adorable, slug. Nothing more cuter that little kittens playing together.

Two kittens and twins under 3 sound like a handful. Puppies are incredibly demanding of your time and attention and communicate with their teeth. They need constant company and at 2.5 your DC are very young to understand how to deal with the puppy. I would put off the puppy plan for a couple of years.

That's great gloriousslug, what breed of dog did you get? Do the cats like the dog?

I hear what you're saying backforthis, I suppose I am trying to compensate for the fact we spend much more time at home due to our sons autism so it would be nice to enrich our lives in different ways.

I am thinking we may opt to re home a dog that is past the puppy stage next year when the kittens are a bit older but then I have the potential problem of them not getting along.

I have owned kittens without playmates and they basically treat you like a playmate (by biting you A LOT, kicking you and trying to play with you...constantly). As a cat person all my and always having more than one cat, this behaviour was really different to me and sometimes even annoying (or painful). I felt like I was doing something wrong or I just ended up with a "bad" cat. :( Then I got him a buddy and that changed everything.

The best option is to definitely get TWO kittens. I got my kitten a buddy and from then on he totally ignored me unless it was for cuddles. He treated me like a human and not a kitten lol. We got another kitten eventually when the cats were older and he too ignored me because he was constantly playing with the other cats, and he was super cuddly with me, super gentle. Never ever get one kitten :P There is a reason people always say "get two" it saves you A LOT of anguish later. They will constantly play together and will see the "humans" as people to be gentle with. You will want this since you have kids. :)

Never had a problem since. :) As for a dog, I've never owned a dog, but if you want the kittens to be okay with a dog it's good to introduce them all when they are young. :)