Am I mad? Dog for crazy cats

[PolluxandCastor]

Hi, I’m a new poster so please be gentle!!
I am finally moving to a large house and one of the big drivers is having a dog. I currently have 2 very anxious cats. They have improved massively since adoption but are still nervous around new people etc.
what kind of dog would we be able to successfully introduce to our cats? Are we being crazy to even contemplate it?!

It can be done.
We had a skittish cat. I specifically looked for a rescue dog that had grown up around cats.
He did chase her a couple of times initially, and she lived on the top floor for a while (and was fed up there). He is essentially a cat-friendly dog though and will let confident cats we meet on our walks come up and rub themselves on him.

Eventually I started feeding her downstairs and her acceptance of the dog was pretty quick. They are now at a place where they will both sit on the bed, or in the same bit of sunshine on the carpet.

We've since got a second, far more confident kitten and he LOVES our dog - curls up to sleep with him etc and purrs when he comes in the room.

It could take a considerable amount of time for your cats to accept a dog; you do run the risk of them deciding to move out, and you may have to deal with complicated animal management strategies for years as you keep them in separate parts of the house though.

Sound post from pp.

I would add that if they're very anxious you shouldn't consider getting a dog until they're well settled in their new home, which could take months, and even then I'd consider waiting a bit longer.

It's not fair for them to go through the upheaval of a house move & all that means for them and then introduce a dog. I wouldn't consider doing so withing a year of moving tbh

I"d say yes, you are bonkers to consider having any kind of dog with two nervous cats.

I have a very quiet young adult Whippet and a family member has a rescue cat who is very flighty and nervous, and when we visit, the cat hides away in their bedroom.
We have tried to introduce them, but the cat is still incredibly nervous.

We have given up on trying now, and just keep dog downstairs, - You couldn't get a quieter dog than mine, either.
They say when friends visit with ''full on'' dogs, the poor cat has a meltdown and hides herself into a tiny space in a wardrobe, and stays there for hours on end.

It isn't fair on existing animals to freak them out with a dog if they are traumatised already.

There ARE chilled cats - my old Lrucher and Whippet used to visit a friend and her cat and even her house bunny and the animals just ignored each other.

It would probably be easier to have a dog first and then introduce cats...

I have to say, if I'm being really honest, I wouldnt consider getting a dog if you have an anxious cat. I think they'd be unlikely to take to it and its not worth the risk.

In a lifetime of cat ownership, I can also safely say that just because a cat tolerates other animals doesn't mean they're not stressed by them.

But if you're confident it will work and that you will have a big enough house to accommodate them all then OK...Just work out what you'll be prepared to do if it doesn't go well.

You give the cats space they can escape to, and you get a puppy, and you teach the puppy to completely respect the cats.

Admittedly our cat was on the stroppy side, but we had two puppies in her time, a farm-bred JRT and a working line gundog, both with serious prey drive. The cat ruled the roost, to the point of bullying the JRT.

Only you can know how your cats would react to a puppy, but I would go for a puppy and and not a rescue.

We have an anxious cat and a dog and they actually get on incredibly well - but the dog was here first so I'm not sure how much of a difference that makes.

The cat was also raised with other dogs as a kitten and our dog was raised with cats as well.

Personally in your situation I would go for an older rescue dog who has lived with cats and doesn't show them any interest. The last thing I would do is bring a puppy into the house.

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I've thought about the pros and cons of both a rescue with previous cat experience, and starting with a puppy who will only ever know a house with cats. I suppose I am looking for positive experiences to reassure me but the reality is that it will always be unpredictable, and if the cats couldn't adapt to a dog it would be absolutely heartbreaking once we'd brought him home. They are only 5 and 6 years old, so it will be a long time (I hope) before they are not the key consideration in any decision. I do take on board the point about giving them ample time to settle before we even think of any further change, post-move.