Dogs and cats - tell me everything you know!

[MaggieMagpie357]

We are about to rehome a gorgeous 12 yr old dog, Lhasa Apso/Terrier cross. Seems very calm, very healthy and active for an older lady.

This is our first ever dog, and we already have a cat (also 12.)

Please please give me your top tips about the practicalities of introducing them slowly to each other! It's going to be tricky to keep them apart in our open plan lounge/kitchen/diner at night time. Would you have the dog upstairs with you? She has abandonment issues and I don't know how she'll cope if we shut her in a room by herself 😢

There's some good advice here:
www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/dog-care/dogs-and-cats-living-together

Are you adopting from a rescue? It's recommended to do scent swapping of blankets before the dog comes home. So the dog has a blanket the cat has been sleeping on and visa versa.

I definitely wouldn't recommend them being alone together during the night, it would be safer for the pup to be with you.

Honestly?
Personally, I wouldn’t rehome an adult dog into a home with a cat and I definitely wouldn’t rehome an adult dog that was 50% terrier into a home with a cat.

You can get baby gates with cat flaps so that the cat can come and go as it pleases and can escape from the dog if chased. I've always found them very helpful for settling new cats and dogs in together

What’s your cat like? We tried getting a dog but our older rescue cat just couldn’t cope with it. Dog was great, lovely and friendly but the cat wasn’t having any of it. We also had an open plan set up and although we put stair gates up, cat needed to access cat flap via the dog zone! She did do this initially whilst pup was small but pup grew quickly and cat became terrified. She stopped going out the cat flap and spent her days in our bedroom. We had to return the pup to the breeder in the end.

Given our experience, personally I wouldn’t ever have a dog and cat together again but I do know people whose dog and cat live together fine so really, there’s no one answer.

@Retrievemysanity our cat is pretty chilled, adores human company but she was also rehomed so we can't be sure of her past experiences with other animals.

Tbh this is what I'm most worried about. Our cat is the fifth member of the family and we absolutely adore her, but we are getting a dog for our DD14 who has autism and anxiety/depression. The dog has been specifically matched with our needs by the charity so we are very keen to make it work for all of us.

We introduced a puppy into a home with older cats recently. They were very stressed by it all and rarely venture out of the bedrooms which have baby gates on them to keep the dog out. I don't want to be the voice of doom, but an older cat, who is set in their ways, is unlikely to be happy. Make sure they have some space where they can get away from the dog (and that they feel like they can get to and use their litter tray safely).

@MaggieMagpie357 sounds similar to us, DD who is 13 has Downs and we wanted a dog for her for various reasons but it didn’t work out. Funnily enough, DD actually said she preferred our cat which surprised me.

How’s the cat with other cats? Our cat loves humans but hates other cats. I think if you really want to make it work you can and it might of course be absolutely fine if they get on but if they don’t then it is tricky regardless of what you do. Feliway plugs helped a bit I think with ours but we did all the other things, swapped scents, gradual introduction, fed cat treats in presence of dog and vice versus (cat too scared to eat!) and it didn’t make any difference. Good luck though, hope it works out better for you.

We rescued a senior, 50KG, northern breed dog already having a senior, deaf cat who is incredibly attached to us. We kept the dog's harness on for a few days so that we could grab him if need be and used stair gates, and the cat took herself off to our bedroom for a good few weeks. He would be with us during the day and then sleep downstairs at night and she would sleep with us at night. We never forced them to interact and she came down when she was ready.

The dog absolutely adores her, wags his tail like crazy every time he sees her, tries to play with her whenever she gets a toy out of her basket and even stops her getting outside if a door is left open as he knows she's not allowed. She swipes and hisses at him if he gets on her nerves, and he knows that means to leave her alone.

Usually a resident cat will be in charge so as long as the rescue confirms the dog is cat safe, they'll settle into a relationship that works for them eventually.

Would your DD cope OK with the death of the dog? I'd be a little concerned given the dog is 12 that she would have to cope with that relatively soon

@squee123 because of her breed and current health she may well live to 16/17. Our cat is also ageing so it's going to happen at some point. Death is a fact of life so we all have to deal with it at some point. I was very much shielded from "difficult" situations as a kid and don't appreciate it now. I always vowed to be more open with my children.

Thanks @Gemster19 that's good to know

I love having dogs and cats. I have introduced 4 hounds and a poodle to cats, I made it very clear that the cats were privileged and watched like a hawk for any aggression. They all got it. The cats have been wary with each dog at first, which is as it should be.Now, the cats adore the dogs and kiss them hello. The dogs are civil.
If it doesn’t work, tho, you will need a plan b, and please don’t let that be rehoming your cat.

I honestly wouldn't introduce a terrier mix to an old cat. It's not fair. And I have cats and a dog.

We got our beagle when our older cats were 2 and 3 years old. They're now 5 and 6 and we also have a younger kitten who just turned one.

My older cat was (and still is!) unimpressed by the dog but he's young and they do exist happily enough - but I wouldn't inflict a dog on a senior cat who may be struggling with sight, hearing and her ability to get up and out of the way of a barking dog - especially not one that's a terrier and that's bred to chase small furry things!

Sorry, I know that's probably not what you want to hear but I don't think it would be fair on either of them.

If the cat becomes stressed you could end up dealing with medical issues (over grooming, hair loss, cystitis) and accidents in the house as she tries to "reclaim" her territory.

I think the best way to introduce cats and dogs is to either introduce a puppy to the cat or a kitten to the dog, so one of them grows with the situation as their "normal" if that makes sense?

Sorry, I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear.

I have cats and dogs. They get on just fine, but the cats absolutely need a place where they can get away from the dogs and snooze and, ideally, to be able to access it without going through the 'dog zone'.

I have cat steps up an external wall to an upstairs window, with a cat flap in it. THat room has food, water, litter tray and comfy beds. It has two (because beagles...) baby gates to keep the dogs out.

If they don't have somewhere safe they can access and settle you risk your cat moving out.

I also have to keep a close eye on my youngest dog because she will try and play with the cats like they're puppies, which the cats do not appreciate.

Proof it can work…

@Motorina that's just gorgeous!

I just popped back on here to say that we've now had our dog for a month and things are going extremely well - yay!

We introduced them very carefully and slowly to each other, the dog is very respectful of the cat's personal space and they tolerate each other very well. Which is the best we could hope for that this stage I think!

Our goal is now to have them sat side by side in front of the fire in time for Christmas 🥰

What a nice update! It took my 2 cats a lot longer to accept our 6 month old rescue dog, in fact, it was only after 2 years it had fully settled down and it took a lot of work/training. I'm glad you are going in the right direction so quickly I would still always keep a very close eye on their interactions and never leave them alone together though.

@MaggieMagpie357 that sounds absolutely brilliant. Side by side in front of the fire is pushing it. More realistic is the cat in the premium spot right in front of the fire, and the dog in their shade.

I’ve always had both & always terriers.
I’ve yet to own a cat that didn’t rule the dogs with a paw of iron.

@BuckyBarnesArm oh absolutely, it's still early days so we keep a close eye on them both to make sure they're both safe and happy. Maybe it helps that they're both ladies of a certain age and have little time for any nonsense!

@Motorina ha ha, yes that sounds about right!!

Brilliant, I'm glad it's working out so well for you.