Only had dogs before - what do I need to know?

[BurningBridges]

So if I get a rescue kitten, when can I leave it? How many weeks till it is safe for him/her to be alone? I work 3 days a week so can't guarantee kitten will have company 24/7; is that ok? Also if we get a pupppy in a year or so will that be a disaster?

If your going to get a dog at a later date I'd get an adult rescue who likes dogs.

That way they wont leave home when the dog arrives, I have known cats leave home when a puppy turns up.

really? Oh dear Fluffy. Anyone else have info?

I completely agree with Fluffy. An adult rescue that is used to dogs would be the best thing. Not only because of the dog thing but also because kittens really hate to be left alone. So if you can't get a pair of kittens then it's best to get an adult anyway.

But as you are planning to get a dog then an adult rescue that is used to dogs would certainly be the best bet.

Adult cats that haven't lived with dogs don't usually adjust very well to one...in fact adult cats that have lived with dogs before don't always accept a new one, one of mine hates the current dog.

Either an adult cat that actively likes dogs or dog first then kitten would have the best chance of going well.

Yes you could get a kitten now and a puppy later and it might work out, but you're stacking the odds against it a bit.

Absolutely agree with everything that's been said ,personally I'd get the dog first ,I know plenty of people who have had cats either move out or move upstairs when a dog has moved in . Have you considered a house rabbit burning , they can be fairly easily litter trained ,are great fun and have the added bonus of not wandering off and getting knocked over which is sadly an issue with cats .

Surely a dog and rabbit isn't a recipe for harmony is it Flora?

Get the dog first or get them at the same time. Cats will decide who they live with and quite often move out and adopt another family if your household doesn't suit their needs.

Cats need a bit less attention than dogs but do still need to be cared for and some are very independent whilst others crave human company and don't react well to being left alone.

Do some research, go and visit some rescue places and you might even get lucky and find a cat and dog who come as a pair from a previous home.

No I agree a rabbit and a dog may not be a match made in heaven but it is a match that is easier to manage . I live on a fairly quiet road and my neighbour has lost 3 cats to cars in the last 10 years on local roads and it is a real risk , I've posted on many of the OPs threads about her dog and I would hope she wouldn't mind me saying that I'm not sure her family would deal well with another tragedy .

Thank you Floral it was well said and well received and I am very grateful for all this advice.

I would also say if you are hoping to have dog + cat I would get the dog first then think about a kitten or a dog-tolerant adult cat afterwards. No experience of dogs personally but when I went overseas for a couple of years a friend very kindly looked after my cat (he was about 5 at the time), about 18 months into this she then got a puppy. From what she said, my cat then spent most if his time outside, he wasn't keen on the dog. It was a rural area & in the end he was fine but really he would have been much happier without the dog.

In the same way my old cats were always very wary of my children (they were 13 & 12 when the first baby arrived) whereas the current cat, who we took in off the street as a kitten, has been used to small children from the start & is much more tolerant of them. I imagine if we'd had a dog the kitten would have adjusted to that in the same way.