Question for dog owners with cats.

rthompson81

Be cautious when you first introduce them. Most dogs will learn to respect the kitties and even become friends (although you may have an upset kitty in the meantime who pees on your bed a couple of times), but some, like my mom's dog, have a really strong instinct to kill cats. We found that out the hard way when my mom brought her dog to visit me (I have two dogs in the house and they are fine with my kitty), and we ended up with an almost dead cat... she survived, thank goodness, but I will NEVER allow my mom's dog in my house again. My pups, on the other hand, could care less about chasing the cat. And my previous dog and the kitty used to play fight and snuggle all the time. You just never know.

harley_rose

I have an Elkhound (along the same lines of Huskies) I had a maine coon cat for 10yrs without any other animals, then I went to the shelter got my dog at 6mos old.. .My cat slapped my Elk once to let him know he was the king of the house that was it.. once in a while 7yrs later my dog will jump at my Maine Coon Cat and he will turn give him a look like try it buddy.. of course my dog just turns and walks away.

angijunbug

We had 2 cats first & then adopted a beagle pup from the shelter. They did great together & actually the cats are the "pack leaders" when it comes to the animal dominance in the house. It's quite funny to watch! Then we acquired another dog & she is a fox hound/beagle mix. So now we are up to 2 & 2. I will say that we do have a separate room that the cats can hide out in when they feel they have to. It has all their stuff (litter boxes, food bowls, water bowls, their beds, window seat) in that room as well. Plus the dogs have their own kennel to hide away & nap in too. Best of luck to you!!!

vzucco

I have three cats (Magnus, Seamus, and Blink) and one big dog (Fable). Fable is some kind of mutt maybe boxer/shepherd, but he is very large and tall (about 85 lbs). All my animals were adopted or rescued, the cats came first and then we found Fable when he was about 4 months old. The cats were definitely freaked out at first, they would either hiss at him or swat at him to let him know that he needed to get out of their space. Fable was just curious about them, and he's always been very gentle with them. Now it's a little over a year later and they all love each other, they sleep together, play together, even drink water out of the same bowl together. If you train your dog right, the cats will eventually realize the dog isn't a threat and they'll all get along. Good luck!

paulyarwooduk

My dog passed away a couple of years ago, but when I adopted her from our local shelter I already had 4 adult cats with 5 kittens (until the kittens were re-homed), a bunny and several guineapigs. I felt as though I was living in an ark. My dog was a terrier cross-breed that looked just like this one: http://puppydogweb.com/gallery/manchesterterriers/manchesterterrier_huntoon.jpg

She had a very calm temperament and was very good with cats. She was good with all my animals and they all used to be laying asleep in front of the fireplace whenever it was cold. Very sweet.

A friend at work had a dog and a cat who got on well. She then adopted a second dog but it and the cat still don't get on.

In my experience a dogs breed and/or size do not always play a part in whether or not they are good with cats. If you adopt a dog from a shelter they always check whether or not they are good with cats.

TheKitsune6

1) Get a dog that has been properly socialized
2) If you can't bring the dog to your house to see how they interact before you adopt, bring the cats to the shelter once you've picked out a few that may work.
3) walks and kayaking are great but low on the exercise scale for a dog, don't get a hunting or herding dog as they will need way more stimulation than that (which if they don't get often leads to destructive behavior).
4) Get an adult dog so that you already know what kind of temperament you are getting yourself into. Puppies are cute, but there are many amazing dogs with established personalities and traits that make them better for going into a new household.
5) Talk to the shelter people about your needs! They know the dogs really well and will make recommendations based on that.
6) Do not rush the decision! If you see a dog that you absolutely love, remember it's like a shoppers high! Make sure it meets all your criteria first. Take the time to explore all your options so you really can pick the best fit for your home.

Best of luck!

jrnygirl

I brought a dog into the house and slowly introduced her to my two cats. I set up a baby gate so the cats could escape down the hall without the dog following. I introduced each of them to the dog with the safety of the baby gate between them. Sure, they hissed and growled at each other, but they were able to see each other and get familiar. After a short period of time, they were able to coexist without the dog trying to chase them down. one cat played with her and the other cat just kind of ignored her.

it just takes patience on the owner's part, but in the end it will all work itself out.

Elizabeth_C34

I forgot to mention that we do have a fenced in yard that we can use to play with the dog also. The only exercise won't be walking. We can easily handle playtime.

Josie_lifting_cats

Currently I have a beagle, boxer, and 2 cats. And everyone gets along okay.

However, we started with cat #1 and then beagle. Then boxer. Then cat #2.

We temporarily housed an injured cat, and everyone freaked out.

So it can go smoothly, or sometimes everyone can lose it. I haven't found a method to the madness yet.

ruggedBear

One word - training! I have dogs, cats and even a rabbit that all get along. Once in a while someone gets uppitty and starts chasing someone around, but it seems like they're having fun! If it goes too far, a solid swat on the nose with a bit of claw extended seems to stop the roughness and remind the big bear that the little ones really rule this roost!

I've brought home numerous shelter cats, and have also introduced very large puppies to the mix and if you can't control a big dog with your voice, chaos ensues. Good training is key, you have to teach the dog that chasing the cats is not acceptable, the same way you train them not to jump on people, etc - lots of praise and treats!

When bringing home any animal, behaviorists will tell you to introduce them slowly, one at a time. I use the behind closed door trick - keep the new animal in a room with the door closed for the first day or two - the other animals in the house will sniff around and get used to their smell before they meet. Then bring them into the room one at a time and guage the reactions. Sometimes you have to scale back the interaction to a few minutes at a time until they get comfortable. In my house now, they all pretty much ignore each other which is the ultimate peaceful goal!

I should add that any trouble I've had has been with the cats getting along without getting all territorial and spraying - I found that one male and one female seems to be the best combination for us - too many males and you end up with a pissing contest, literally!

Mustlovepugs11

When we got our pug our cat was not very happy. It took at least a month for him to get us the us having a dog in the house. Now they are buddies and play together. Also I bring my pug kayaking with me! He has his own life vest and everything!

NaomiLyn15

It all depends on your particular pets. I had two cats when I got my first dog. She was a bit to bouncy for the cats, and it took them years to warm up to her. My cat Taylor doesn't really like anyone, so I never expect her to like another animal (she doesn't even like people), but that is ok because she basically lives under the bed. But, even she eventually warmed up to the dogs. She doesn't play with them or cuddle with them, but she lives with them without any drama. My other cat, Kloee (we had to put her down in November due to cancer) was the cat in charge. She hated Emma when we first got her, but by the time we put her down in November they were best buds. But, the whole situation was different when we got Daisy. She is our big St. Bernard. She was instantly friends with both cats, to the point where Kloee would lay with her and cuddle. It definitely depends on the personality of the animals that you get.

I have found that big dogs are really gentle. But, really it is all in their personality. Many times at a shelter they may know how the dog does with cats. Your cats are going to be pissed probably no matter what, but let them get used to the dog on their own terms. Your house might be chaos for a bit, but it will get better with time. Dogs are really great to have, you'll love it!

dolphin9803

We used to have 2 cats (one of my kids accidently let them out never to be seen again) we also have 2 dogs. The cats where here first and then we got our Lab they never really seemed to mind one another as he learned very early that they hurt him when he would try to play with ...lol About a yr later they were the best of friends, then we got out Pittbull she never did learn that the claws hurt but she also never actually tried to hurt them just ruff them up a bit, before they got out they had become the best of friends and sleep, played. eat together. Just takes some time for them to get the routine down is all. Lets see if pics work:

tabbydog

Make sure the shelter has tested any dog you get with cats, to make sure the dog is cat friendly. Some dogs WILL kill cats, and it is heartbreaking when it happens to you. I adopted a Jack Russell terrier many years ago and he killed one of my cats so I had to send him back. He hadn't been tested and I didn't know any better then. I have two dogs and a cat now. The dogs are a boxer and a lab. The lab has been around the cat since he was a pup, and the boxer I adopted at a year old. We were careful at first, but she had been cat tested and she was fine. Now they are all great friends and play together.

Overall, it totally depends on the dog's temperament and the cat's temperament. My cat was raised with dogs from a kitten, and I think he thinks he is a dog. Just be careful, and make sure whatever shelter you are dealing with is knowledgable and you should be fine. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

RyanDanielle5101

We had our cat before getting our black lab and they love each other so much. I have pictures of the cat curled up next to the dog sleeping:)

When we first got the lab we introduced them right away, Simba(the cat) was a bit scared at first and tended to hide but then Simba got more comfortable and they have gotten along ever since. Sometimes Bella(the lab) with have the cats whole head in her mouth when they are playing but nothing bad has ever happened between them. Bella likes to chase Simba and Simba is usually always faster and gets away because he can hide under things and Bella is just so big she can't keep up. The cat also picks on the dog sometimes when he wants to play, he will claw at Bella from a chair to tick her off and then they go running around the house for a half hour playing. I'm not sure if we just got lucky but there has never been a problem between them. However Simba does not like other cats anywhere near him, my BIL brought over his cat one day and Simba flipped out.

MY BIL also has a cat and dog and they have no issues either. He has a beagle.

HauteP1nk

I have two dogs and two cats. They all get a long pretty well. The female dog and cat don't really like each other too much, but they tolerate one another...haha On the occasion the female dog will chase the female cat but for the most part they all ignore one another. My male cat cuddles with my female dog, and my female cat cuddles with my male dog (no seriously I think he is her boyfriend as she is always grooming him!).

Of course, they all get a long pretty well I think because my two dogs were brought into the house when they were puppies. They are used to cats because that is all the knew. So if I were you I would consider getting a puppy... Of course, I find that my cats are the ones that have issues with other animals. My female cat is very territorial and if I bring another animal into the house she suddenly becomes a bully. I know you are fearful of your cats being bullied, but it might actually be the other way around because it is the cats house first.

msbanana

I really think it depends on the temperament of the animals.

I have a 10 year old half Maine Coon Tortoise shell cat who hates (and always has) anything that's small and moves fast. She LOVES people but hates kids, will tolerate and even make friends with big dogs (she LOVED my Bull Mastif, She was best buds with my Mom's Black Lab and my neighbor's Standard poodle) but would prefer to eat the face off of anything in her size range (she's 18lbs and she lit into my neighbors very loving butslightly excitable bishon-poodle).

I'm planning on adopting another dog and I'm currently looking at an American Bulldog. He's an adult that was raised with cats so he's good with them and he's big enough that she's not going to try to challenge him.

If you have the ability- test drive some dogs. Borrow a friend or neighbor's dog bring him in and see how the cats react. If they are cool and just want to check it out then you may be pretty safe with any dog that is good with cats. If they freak out... Well that's an invitation for doggy chase... If the dog's SUPER playful and/r young you'll have a ruckus on your hands. (Or at least that's my experience.)

Good luck!

cessnaholly

We had a persian cat for about 5 years and then got a German Shepard adult from a rescue. The instant that poor dog (52 lbs) walked into the house the cat (6 lbs) chased her into the bathroom and wouldn't let her out. It got better though. The cat sniffed at her when she was in her crate or sleeping. Overall, they learned to live with each other. Then we brought home 2 more cats. We just made sure that the cats always had a few places where the dog wasn't able to go. the dog got a swipe on the nose here and there but pretty much left them alone. The only cat the dog ever chased was the outdoor cat and I think that was more because of her herding instinct than anything else. The cats would sleep on the dog's bed and the dog would just whine and go lay on the floor. The cats would try to eat her food. And they shared a water dish. But the dog was the only one allowed to sleep in our room. The Persian didn't start sleeping with the dog until about 8 years and that was only because she was there first and the dog laid down next to her - on the dog bed.

And what other people said too - Make sure the rescue or shelter tests the dog with cats first. Keep them seperated for a bit until they get used to being in the house together. We put my dog in her crate or in the kitchen with baby gates. Go slowly. Give them time.

Good luck.

lisanxd

As long as the dog doesn't try to eat the cat they'll learn to get along. I would say definitely, don't leave them alone together though for a while. Our dogs either go in their crates or in the fenced yard when we are gone. Who knows what would happen if they were left inside... but sometimes when we're doing chores like putting laundry away or showering we'll leave them all together in the house for ~30 minutes and they do fine. When we got our first dog, the cats were pissed. Now we've had him almost 2 years and one of the kitties will rub against him... she still will intentionally get him to chase her for entertainment. We got another dog a year ago and she doesn't understand why the cats don't both love her... she's quite a lover. But they are starting to warm up to her now too. They've both been batted on the nose a few times :-)

xo_morgan

i got my dog from a breeder..the cat absolutely hates her. but my cat is a callico & shes been the queen bee since we got her as a kitten..shes now 6 and we threw a dog in the mix. not everyones the same it all depends on your cats personalities. my dog absolutley loves the cat. wants her attention 24/7 but the cat has nothing to do with her except hissing and clawing

amagus

I did it the other way around. I had an older dog and got a 5 month old kitten. The adored each other, and it brought new life to the dog and really socialized the cat to be very people friendly. I have never seen a case where a dog and cat did not figure out the living space to each of their satifaction. On the other hand, I know of numerous cases where a new cat was introduced into a house with a cat or a new dog was introduced into a house with a dog that did not work out. Maybe they have more territorial issues with their own kind.

On the other part of your post, do not torture a husky by making an animal that is suited to cold weather live in Florida. You are planning to make this a compaion in your workouts and that would just be cruel. I have seen it done, but it just isn't right. Your dog will shed all year going from heat to air conditioning, and will likely have skin ailments from the bugs and heat. PLEASE get an appropriate breed. Your Vet can help you pick one that is suited to your lifestyle and workout plans.

tiggersstar

We had 2 adult cats and one cat that was still acting like a kitten at age 2 when we got are puppy. He has never got on with the adult cats and they give him a wide berth. But the younger cat and the puppy hit it off straight away and they were like best friends. Play fighting and sleeping next to each other.

Unfortunately he was run over last year and the dog appeared to deeply miss him, as did we. He was a large soppy cat. I decided to get a kitten and ended up taking two kittens that were brothers. The kittens and the dog are so close. I presume because he had already had a cat friend, he knew how to behave towards the kittens. They are so sweet together. The dog is almost 2 and the kittens are now about 8 months old. You will often find all 3 of them curdled up on the sofa.

From my experience, i would say that a young dog and a young cat may get on, but older dogs that visit my house, chase the cats. So if the dogs come from non-cat owning family, i probably wouldn’t get it.

Hope that helps


:flowerforyou:

...how do i add a pic?

Shayyy01

I adopted all my furbabies.
I had a cat for 10 years before i adopted my dog. I adopted an older dog ( same thing for walking, to bad she is a diva and wont walk with me) When i 1st brought her home i had her in a crate. So my cat could come up and sniff the crate and they could get to know each other that way. I didnt leave them home alone ever at first. When i would leave i would have them separated in different rooms. As they got more comfortable with each other i would leave them home alone together for short periods of time. I really didnt need to do all this, my dog and cat could care less about each other. They just share their home and me.

When adopting a dog, see if they have been introduced to other cats. Or if they have been "cat" tested.

When i adopted my kitten 6 months ago, she drove both my older cat and dog crazy but they do get along and i have no problems
Good Luck!
Nothings better than rescuing a shelter dog.

jadesign19

Hi there. I also had two grown kitties (about 9 years old) when I adopted my shelter dog. It was pretty funny because the cats adopted the 2nd floor (where their food was) and the dog adopted the first floor. One of the cats, the dominant one, eventually took over the whole house. Now, 7 years later, we have had no problems. Sadly we lost one cat to renal failure last year (the dominant cat). Our other cat still ventures downstairs from time to time but not often.
My suggestion to you is crate your dog and take the time to train them. We trained our dog not to go upstairs and also to leave the cat alone. It just takes time. Our dog is about 50 lbs and loves loves loves his crate. I leave the door open and he spends most of his time there.
Also, make sure you keep the litter and the cat food away from the dog. They will eat both as puppies. Not a good thing.(Plus it pisses the cats off). Good luck and I hope you enjoy your menagerie as much as I do.

surfrgrl1

Hi all,

My husband and I were thinking of adopting a shelter dog to be a walking buddy and (hopefully) a kayaking buddy for me. We live in Miami, so a dog that is heat-tolerant is preferred, though I absolutely love huskies. He/she will not be outdoors during the summer months.

We do have two cats already who pretty much run the house (indoor only).

If you've adopted a dog, how did the cats handle it? Are there certain dog breeds that are gentler than others with cats? I don't want my kitties to be chased, barked at, or harassed when the dog is inside.

Thanks!

I adopted my adult cordi mix dog, from the humane society. Fortunately for me, he was an 'owner surrender' and they had left information about him when they brought him to the shelter. They said he was fine with cats, and as it turned out, he never has bothered my girls at all. They in turn did not bother him. I think a lot will depend on your cats too. I took him to the vet the other day, and the vet's cat was there running around. The cat came right up to him and bit his tail. He certainly was not used to being harrassed by a cat, but he is so mild mannered he didn't do anything about it other than come to me and hide! I've seen dogs and cats get along just fine. Make sure that you can take the dog back if it doesn't go well. My sister's dog, part poodle/****zu chases my cats when he comes to the house, and I don't care for that at all!

HeidiMightyRawr

It depends on the dog, and how accustomed they are to other animals, in particular cats, and also how young they are.
I got 2 cats in July '10, and then our dog in Oct the same year (Golden Retriever) I think because they were both so young (born in May & August) they were fine and got on well

The first time we brought doggy home, we let him out, to get greeted by one of the cats who'd been outside - she was so scared! Arched back, tail all puffed up! She got used to it though and started going up to him and sniffing him within the hour.

He was quite rough with them as he got bigger (playfighting) but I think that was mainly due to him being a young excitable puppy. You could tell he loved them though, and wasn't just being aggressive. When our 2nd cat died on the road last November (first one went missing before that) he got very sad about it, and used to look for her a lot.
If the dog is quite a lot bigger and excitable like mine you may have to watch them carefully around the cats. They may not mean to harm but they can do accidently. My dog has a dog crate for when we're out and asleep, mainly for training reasons, but it helped make sure that when they were together, we were always around.

Edit: He never barked at them, but he chased them round the house a lot (they loved it, but yours may not) If you don't want that, I would get an older dog who's not quite so bouncy. I hear they calm down after the age of around 4 years. Ask the shelter where you get them from, about the dogs temperament.

Lleldiranne

If you're getting a shelter dog you can ask how they are with cats. But it depends on both the dog and cats. You may also be able to do a trial basis to see how it works. Just let them know your concerns and see what they can do.

bprague

I don't know if your shelter will cat test any dog you are considering adopting, but hopefully they will.

I can say, huskies in general are NOT good with cats or other small animals. Check our your local husky rescue's website and you'll see that most of them are listed as not good with cats. I will say that I had a next door neighbor years ago who had a husky and ended up adding two kittens to her home with no problem, but he was an awesome, awesome dog overall.

I wouldn't risk bringing a dog in that hasn't been cat tested. Chances are, they will learn to coexist, but if not, you will always have to worry about whether or not the dog will kill the cat. It's not a risk I am willing to take.

I have two goldens and a lab/golden mix and they were raised with cats. Matter of fact, my one golden is petrified of the cats because one of them used to chase him through the house when he was a puppy. She's an evil cat!

Not all goldens are good with cats, either. It seems if they are raised with them, they are great with them, but once they have developed prey drive (usually from chasing squirrels and rabbits), you can't always train it out of them.

Edited to add, the smaller terrier type of dogs can also be highly prey driven. The were bred to be ratters, so it's bred into them.

Funny enough, our golden was about five when we brought home two kittens. One of the kittens and the golden became best buds until our golden passed away- but the cat laid with our poor golden the whole time she was sick. Now our poodle HATED cats and he was brought into the house with the cats already established.

Now we have a 1 year old pug, who has no sense of boundaries and is rude beyond belief as well as a brand new kitten (both cats passed). They are getting along great and the cat plays with the dog's toys etc. I think that the biggest player in this happy family is that the cat is a wee baby still, and is 1. super playful and 2. goes with the flow.

Dmenace28

I have two amazing dogs, a Chiwawa and an 80lbd English bulldog... My boy wouldn’t care if there's kitties around but my Chiwawa would feel threatened and would give them a hard time. My big boy is protective of her so... dunno what would happen; he's too busy sleeping, eating and farting. She 's the instigator...

I have heard an aweful story about a big cat eating a puppy Chiwawa because it was jealous of all the attention it was getting… that’s just messed up! 

Me, I get itchy just thinking about cats. Check out my posted pics of my babies.

Dmenace28

Take a look at my babies!!!