Unsure what to do re cat running away constantly.

[MyGastIsFlabbered]

One of our cats had recently started running away, sometimes for over a week at a time. I thought a neighbour was trying to adopt her but they've been on holiday this time so she's not been there.

She did come back of her own volition this time (last time was picked up as a stray & taken to the vet). We tried grounding her but she escaped again.

Trouble is, we're thinking of getting a dog & that's not likely to encourage her to stay. We've already told the DCs about a dog and now I really don't know what to do.

She seems happy enough when she's here but just likes wandering. I don't want to rehome her as she's lovely.

Any ideas for persuading her to stay with us (& how to integrate a dog as possible).

Personally, I've never had troubles with cats and dogs - which they seem to regard as big stupid lumps. I've always had big flobbly/well mannered breeds though and I'd be a little edgy about having a smallish terrier type - the sort that might have ratting in their bloodlines.

Were you thinking about a puppy or a mature rescue - and what kind of dog?

As to the running away? If you're allowing her out in the daytime, good food and a bad winter should help, cats being the pragmatists that they are. I'm not sure what else to suggest although other posters may have more thoughts.

We're going to get a cat friendly rescue dog rather than a puppy. I've always thought that dogs & cats very soon get the pecking order sorted but now DH has said maybe we should reconsider bearing in mind the cat's tendency to run off.

If the cat has proper 'safe space' (eg I never allowed dogs upstairs so the cats knew that that was theirs) and it's a sensible breed, I wouldn't have thought it would make much difference.

Are you sure that DH isn't - with the advent of autumn - suddenly realizing that he might have many many years of dog-walking in the sleet and rain? That's actually a very real consideration of course - our dogs were walked three times a day for an hour each time as an absolute minimum and although we've always had breeds that needed plenty exercise, it contrasts greatly with 'putting the cat out' and going back to the fire in mid-January.