I want a cat again- but have a dog now

[polkadotpjs]

We lost our 19 year old last year and I got lovely support on here as I was devastated. I'm now really craving having a cat again, but worry about having one with our dog. He's nearly 2 and has obviously lived with our cat before she died but she couldn't be arsed with him and mostly ignored him. Dog reacts if he sees cats on a walk, but equally is a scaredy dog. He was in a house with a cat yesterday and ran to find her, then ran away as soon as he found her (she's previously cornered him - so I think he liked the idea of finding her rather than anything else)
Can it work, cat coming into a dog's home? We got a cat when I lived at home and our dogs weren't interested but I'd hate to do the wrong thing. Any experience of bringing a cat in to a now only doggie house?

19 year old cat I mean of course.

We have three cats and a dog.

Cats are aged 6, 5 and 1 and the dog is almost four. So he came as a puppy to a home with two young adult cats, and we got our kitten when he was just turned two and a half.

It's been absolutely fine tbh - they all share water bowls and beds, but we do have to feed the cats separately and make sure the dog can't access their food or he will knock it to the floor and eat it

He also likes to get in the litter trays and eat their poo - the fresher the better

I had a 10 year old cat when I got dog who was 12weeks (cat had previously lived with xh’s old dog for four years). Big old cat put puppy firmly in his place, definitely boss cat, and they co-existed quite happily, even cuddling up together on the sofa in cold weather.

Dcat died aged 15 and after a couple of months I decided I would get another. I went to cats protection and was very honest about our household. 4 year old DD and I chose a 15 month old rescue boy who was big and very confident. Staff at the rescue were happy he would cope well with a dog already used to cats. It took him a while to settle in, we made sure he could access high and quiet places and that ddog still got lots of attention, but the two of them are quite happy together now. Ddog is boss, and runs to stand over Dcat if he is being naughty, scratching furniture or jumping up where he shouldn’t (especially now we also have a hamster), which is quite funny. Ddog is also quite disgusted with Dcats habit of bringing in dead mice as gifts.

This is hopeful. I'd love another and reading the story about the cat who had adopted an OP was cementing the urge!

It can absolutely work with careful introductions, given the dog is useful to living with a cat I would be very hopeful he could again. I would consider going to a rehoming centre and asking for a cat with a history of living with a dog, ideally you want a cat like your friend's one that won't run away because that's when they become really exciting, if you can find one with a history of not being too arsed about dogs or being happy to donk one on the nose if he's being too full on then it could definitely work again.
Best of luck!