Would you get a dog with elderly cats in the house?

[Fubsy]

Our cats are really old, nearly 18 and sleep all the time. I love them to bits, but at the same time Id like to get a dog.

Im not sure that this would be fair on the cats though, one of them gets a kind of nervous cystitis when anything changes (she peed in the living room when I was in hospital a couple of years ago and nobody noticed until I got back!)

But the could still be with us for years yet.

Any thoughts?

No, I wouldn't - not with such old cats, and particularly since it could make the one ill. They are presumably unused to dogs, and it would be quite a shock to their system to introduce one.

At 18 they are very elderly, and I'd say they deserve to live out the rest of their lives in peace and quiet.

I wouldn't either and at 18 it won't be long before they are gone - can't you wait until then?

Not unless I wanted my house and furnishings to smell of cat pee .....as that is how my darling cats demonstrate stress and general discontent (sometimes with a bit of puke for good measure)

One of my cats also suffers with stress related cystitis - he has to have a tablet for it every day for the rest of his life along with prescription food.

No I wouldn't.

Sorry.

They would not be happy and stressed cats are not good for your furnishings (or for their health).

1 of mine shits everywhere to let us know when she is upset

I thought this would be the answer! Im not planning on it in the near future, so dont worry. Too much else going on.

But dont some cats live into their 20s?

Not often. 18 is very elderly for a cat.