If you had youngish kids and two cats and accidentally dropped into a rescue centre...

[Lovethesea]

.....which kind of dogs would you think would suit?

I know individual dogs with experience of children (4 and 5) and cats but are there breeds or crosses you'd think had a good chance of working?

I've grown up with staffies and lurchers. Love staffies but too high energy for us at the moment, lurchers would see the cats as bait....

I work part time with occasional full days. Would try to organise a dog walker for lunchtime, but otherwise what breeds can cope ok with a busy family life but also chilled enough to be left at times.

I was wondering if an older dog would enjoy us, perhaps harder to rehome for the rescue and less bouncy than a young one so more happy to chill with us or snooze with the cats if we are out.

I'd love a giant breed but no way could we fit it in with food costs etc so thinking medium perhaps. Not really a small dog person but open to ideas!

Swinging from no way can we get a dog for years yet to I love dogs, oh look, rescue dogs need homes, we could get a dog flap in the back door .......

i think you will find it hard to find a centre that will rehome to you

Lurchers wouldn't necessarily see the cats as bait. I've had few that were fine with cats. Contact your local sighthound rescues and get your name down.

You might have a wait for a cat friendly, but they do exist. I promise.

Why caz? Because neither of us are SAHP?

Good to know about lurchers, I have a cat who brings us rabbits all the time so they could hang out together!

2 years ago I had a 7 & 9 year old, 3 cats, a couple of guinea pigs and we got a ..........rescue staffie!!

She is quite lazy, def not high energy, doesn't mind the kids infact likes following them about hoovering up crumbs. I don't work so am here with her most of the time although she is fine being left, my mum lives just round the corner so she will pop in and let her out for the loo if we are out for any more than a few hours.

kids and cats. A lovely friend of mine tried to rehome a second dog recently, and they wouldn't let her. A flat no. they said with dc under 10 and other pets it was a definite no. Seems crazy to me.

Not all rescues have the same rules, sighthound rescues in particular are excellent at looking at adopters on a case to case basis, rather than blanket rules.

A lot of smaller rescues also look at homes on a case to case basis.

I foster sighthounds with other pets and 2 young children and a job.

Ah I see. I heard lots of no's about rescuing cats too, but the cats protection were ok with us taking two (one then another the year after) despite the kids being toddlers then preschoolers.

So it might need to be the perfect matched dog at an open minded centre.

Good to know Doo, you dont work in the Norfolk area by any chance .....

Im in Norfolk Lovethesea

Wish you lots of luck with it x

North East, but we'll travel for the right home. I'm not sure if they have any cat friendlies in atm, but it's worth asking. I've been out of the loop for a while due to a recent house move.

Here Your cats and children definitely will not exclude you.

If not Doo, who would you recommend in our area as a rescue?

Scruples often get lurchers in and whippets are lovely too

The oldies club promotes older dogs in various rescues, since you mentioned possibly looking at an older dog

Kerry are based in Norfolk

Brilliant thanks, I just emailed the retired greyhound trust too as they have cat friendly dogs mentioned on their website .......

It's a kingsize bed, we can fit a greyhound on it with the cats .... and the kids coming in the morning ..... actually, the huge fluffy tabby huntercat takes up most of it by himself so they will have to snuggle or use the kids beds!

Try alldogsmatter.co.uk/about-us/ they cover Norfolk and East Anglia. We got our rescue through their London office.

Thanks LAK11, I'll add them. Kerry Greyhounds wont touch us because we have under 8's, quite understand it makes their insurance easier.

Visited Dogs Trust last night who have no smaller lurchers at present and none at all that are good with kids and cats. Did confirm my thoughts on type, though the staff member we spoke to did say she thought no lurchers or greyhounds would be ok to live with cats which contradicts the lurcher rescue sites. Dogs trust only check them with cats once a match is made so that wont work for us as we need one preferably fostered with cats so we are sure it can cope.

Lots of lovely wee terriers/spaniels/yorkies/tea cups but not for us. I need to get more active and stride out on walks. Lots of awesome staffies, dobermans and huskies but I think we need a lurcher to fit in best for us all. I am keen to train and really make the dog thrive, but I have no time to exercise a husky. I am not Iditarod material.

One poor old staffie looked terrified, kept running away to the outside area whenever it caught us glancing at him.

Hope he finds his safe space soon.

Have a look at EGLR as they have some lurchers that are cat safe - and they foster so this is known, not a guess/onee off check -and rehome to people with children.

We have a gorgeous lurcher from them, and three cats, a rabbit and chickens.

Thanks CMoT I've got that bookmarked too!

I've also seen lurcher link which looks very good at matching ted. Any experience of them?