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Where to adopt from with cats and child?

6 replies

plannit · 27/12/2020 12:30

Can anyone offer advice on where to adopt from if we have a couple of cats and an 8yo?

All the local rescues always want older children and usually no cats. Yet I know plenty of people with cats, young children and happy dogs.

I don't want to go to a breeder as I want to give a home to a dog that needs one. I'm very wary of the foreign rescues.

DH and I grew up with dogs but have not been in a position to have one as adults until now. 8yo loves dogs and is not the loud over excitable type, has always been gentle with the cats.

Thanks

OP posts:
Dappled · 27/12/2020 13:56

We've been in the same position as you and I spent about about 18 months looking into it and eventually we decided that, although I do strongly believe in adopting animals wherever possible, we would go down the breeder/puppy route to give ourselves the best chance of assimilating a dog into our child /cat household.

On looking into rescues it felt as though just having young children wouldn't have been an issue with all of the rescues, but the combination of cats + children made it almost impossible. I looked for almost a year at several different rescues and didn't see anything that they would recommend for children + cats. I spoke to a couple of dog behaviourists who recommended a puppy for the best chance of success with the cats. Our local Dogs Trust centre did tell me that the only dogs they would consider homing to us would be puppies and that they do get puppies in quite regularly at their centre, but that they go so quickly that you would need to be able to call into the centre in person at least every week or every few days in the hope that a litter may have come in - puppies never make it on to the rescue centres websites and the Dogs Trust don't hold waiting lists so you have to be willing or able to physically go there regularly over a period of time (this was pre-Covid, I don't know how they are operating at the moment). So this may be an option for you.

We also looked into rehoming a Trailhound, and only really decided against it because we felt a smaller dog would be better for us. Lakeland Trailhound Rescue rehomes trailhounds, either those who've reached the end of their competing life or younger dogs who just haven't made the grade. The dogs may have never lived in a house, so will need to get used to this. However, many/most have been brought up in environments with children and often lots of other animals around - they've often lived on farms or multi-pet households already, which is reassuring if you have cats. The lady I spoke to at the Trailhound Welfare was really lovely and I've read good things about the organisation - it's definitely something I would consider if you're thinking of a larger hound-type breed. www.trailhoundwelfare.org.uk. They seem like lovely dogs.

I've often read that some of the smaller rescues or the breed-specific rescues can be more open-minded at considering people with cats and/or children. Some of the breed-specific rescues in particular may know more about the history of the dogs and which have lived with cats in the past.

One thing I did feel wary about was some rescues I came across (particularly those rescuing from overseas) whose "cat tests" seemed very very brief indeed. I wouldn't rely on a "cat test", or at least I'd ask lots of questions about what the test actually entailed. We did actually attempt to adopt a dog who had been living in a foster home in a multi-dog household with one cat, so he had been deemed by the rescue organisation to be "cat friendly" and we were reassured by this even though with hindsight there were behavioural warning signs that had we been more knowledgeable we would have recognised as red flags (I got told this by the dog behaviourists I subsequently spoke to). It almost ended very badly for one of our cats, despite the attempt at keeping them apart initially and following all advice re. careful/distanced intros. One dog behaviourist told me the dogs' own instincts were suppressed in the foster home (which it had only been in for 2 weeks) because as a newcomer it would be submissive to the dogs already in the house and would follow their lead regarding behaviour towards the resident cat. I'm just mentioning this to say, be very careful to find out what you can of a rescue dogs history re. cats and don't necessarily feel reassured if a dog has lived with cats in another environment e.g. a foster home, or has met a cat briefly once.

Good luck with your search.

Sitdowncupoftea · 28/12/2020 12:56

Look at breed specific rescues. I adopted a few month ago and have cats. The dog was not cat tested I used a slow introduction.

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 28/12/2020 14:06

I'd second looking at a breed rescue. The dogs are often fostered in family homes, often for quite long periods so the rescue will have a fair idea (though as a PP said it can take a while for the 'real' dog to show through). A friend of mine fosters spaniels and they all seem to stay for a few months.

As for foreign rescues, there is a current thread on here...

And ultimately, it's not actually a sin to get a properly-bred and well-socialised puppy from a small-scale breeder.

bunnygeek · 28/12/2020 17:32

A rescue can only rehome based on the background information on the dog when it’s handed over and on the behaviour they observe when the dog is in their care.

Any rescue, big or small, may have dogs signed over who are suitable for children and cats but this is such a desirable trait right now some of these dogs can get upwards of 500 applications so the rescues can pick and choose whoever they want.

A lot of dogs signed over right now are probably going to have behavioural reasons for the handover, so no young kids. Or there’s a LOT of ex-racing Greyhounds as so many tracks have been shut, and they could well kill your cats.

With patience you’ll find your perfect dog but you may have to wait some time before it’s a) signed over and b) you’re the right fit out of hundreds of other applications.

79andnotout · 29/12/2020 23:24

I've got two cats and have adopted two rescue greyhounds. Wolverhampton greyhound trust are great. They were spot on with their personality assessment and gave plenty of support after adoption. We live in a small terrace cottage and the dogs and cats get on fine. Much better than the cats get on!

Funf · 31/12/2020 17:50

Personally I can see why rescues etc wont give dogs to people with cats, the risk just isn't worth it.

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