Pet Lovers, Help!!!!

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  • afortunatedragon
    afortunatedragon Posts: 329 Member
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    I disagree with this statement. Dogs need someone who is a leader -- hence the reason there are Alpha's in packs -- and as a pet owner if you're "dominant" (for lack of a better term) then your dog will view you as the leader which is what you should be. Showing a dog "who's the boss" so to speak establishes his place in the "pack".

    It has nothing to do with not being a dog but establishing the pecking order and letting your dog know that they're not the ones who rule the roost.

    Autsch.
    The whole "who is the boss" argument led to hitting dogs, usage of prong collar and other useless and completly unsuitable "training methods"
    I highly recommend books like Turid Rugaas "calming signals" and Patricia McConnel "the other end of the leash"
    There is no pack, as a human is unable to do the things dogs to do to each other or use their body language to verify the place in the pack. Pack is striktly for dogs only. Some people are quite good in reading and sending signals, but so much just goes over ears and tail and we humans do not have tails and ears in a size allowing to communicate.
    You are the food supplier and to go with humans was beneficial for dogs so they adapt.
    But never make the assumption their adaption and their urge to please (well, most of them), have anything to do with you being Alpha to your dog.
  • Chain_Ring
    Chain_Ring Posts: 753 Member
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    take it to a shelter.
  • liketobike2
    liketobike2 Posts: 25 Member
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    You could get kid-gates to create a barrier between the cat and dog. I have a friend with that arrangement and it works for her. But there would always be a risk.
  • SamLD88
    SamLD88 Posts: 111 Member
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    They'll adjust. Or, at least, mine always have, and sometimes, they've had strong prey drives.

    Good luck! We just adopted a stray too. She's got claws but you can tell she had some developmental issues.
  • Blacklance36
    Blacklance36 Posts: 755 Member
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    Thanks guys! I'm off to work now but really appreciate the input. I'm still pissed at the carelessness of the stupid people who dumped her.... :-/

    Innocent question... but how do you know she was dumped and is not lost?

    My friend lost her cat and we found it a block away under a persons door step, but that was a week later and the poor thing did not know how to get home. Did you try to find the owner?
  • morehealthymatt
    morehealthymatt Posts: 208 Member
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    Recently was "forced" to take in a family member who came with a cat (one day notice!). This cat is unusally loud, very vocal, mews at everthing. My 2 y/o pit bull mix is like the little brother to this mature cat. He runs around it pokes his nose into it (his favorite), sniffs at it whenever the chance arises. The cat puts up with it, but at times will take a swipe, this only makes my doggie think the cat wants to play.

    ...but then I started noticing puddy cat being welcoming to the dog...lying in areas and in a position that invites doggie to play. Oh, the cat is so coy about it.

    But mostly, doggie is annoying the cat. Nothing even resembling aggression has been evident, to the extent the dog lets the cat drink out of his water bucket and hang out in his kennel.
  • Canwehugnow
    Canwehugnow Posts: 218 Member
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    We had a cat show up on the property where I work last year (right before Thanksgiving). She was declawed as well. Usually, I just wrestle the strays, call someone to neuter/spay them and let them back into the property. There are TONS of cats that come and go, it's a farm-setting. But, anyway... this beautiful little girl, which I named Magic (she was black and white so it looked like she was wearing a little magician outfit lolz).... she was declawed and CLEARLY a house cat! So pissed.... whoever dumped her is a sick, sick person! Anywho... I tried finding the owner, giving them the benefit of doubt... nope, no one claimed her. So, I kept her at work, fed her, washed it, took her to the vet and adopted her out to a friend. But, that really annoyed me... how can a person just dump an animal... especially declawed around winter time!?!?! ugh, people are so annoying sometimes.

    As for your new furbaby, I think you have a shot. You need to introduce them slowly, and keep the doggie in the crate at first. My kitty and doggy HATE each other (yes, hate!) but they've gotten alone pretty well... it does help that El Tigre (cat) has tons of places to climb on and get away from Koda (dog). Plus, Koda's a chiweenie (half Chihuahua, half Dachsund) so it's not like Koda would do anything to Tigre anyway...

    Good luck! & I hope you end up keeping the little furbaby. Cats need us, espescially when we have good hearts... which you seem to have! <3
  • jonnyman41
    jonnyman41 Posts: 1,032 Member
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    we managed it but it was not easy. Started out with one dog and then got a kitten and had no issues. Kitten grew to young cat and we took on an adult rottie too. Adult rottie had lived with cats since being a puppy so all in the house were happy. first dog died and along came playful pup whom the cat was happy to teach a lesson or two!! as in don't mess with me. Again peace resumed. Finally rottie died and we took on a labx rottie adult. Now this dog was not cat friendly at all, but very people friendly. Initially we closed up the cat flap into our kitchen and started controlling the cats access for his safety though he was pretty dog savy himself. The cat could come and go in and out of our utility and had a bed and his food in there plus we would let him in through the front of the house to stay in the living room whenever we were home with us and possibly the new dog too. this way we were there to issue commands to the dog if needed and otherwise the cat was still getting plenty of loving time with us.
    We never let the cat and dog be alone without an escape route for the cat. did a lot of leave it training with the dog treat in both hands, saying leave it on one hand and rewarding with the other.
    It took months before we were happy that the cat and dog were safe with each other and unblocked the kitchen cat flap so that the cat could again decide when to come and go. (NB the dog beds live in the kitchen hence originally blocking access)
    The cat never became close friends with the puppy or the rottie cross unlike the very close relationship with the previous two dogs but they did settle down and coexist fine eventually.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVJiwa9LHiw&amp;list=PL0C724F6F6A597540&amp;index=8

    but firstly make sure you are not depriving someone of their loved pet. Our cat used to pretend he lived in half the local houses!! but he would still come home too. And if you do keep it be prepared to do lots of work and don't trust your dog for months yet
  • bugaboo_sue
    bugaboo_sue Posts: 552 Member
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    Thanks guys! I'm off to work now but really appreciate the input. I'm still pissed at the carelessness of the stupid people who dumped her.... :-/

    Innocent question... but how do you know she was dumped and is not lost?

    My friend lost her cat and we found it a block away under a persons door step, but that was a week later and the poor thing did not know how to get home. Did you try to find the owner?

    ^^ This.

    I said on the last page that the cat could have run away. It might not have necessarily been dumped off. I'd try to find the owners first via fliers and such.
  • Nette117
    Nette117 Posts: 23 Member
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    Hey there is still hope. I adopted my dog when she was 1 and she was a cat killer. She more so had a strong chase and catch instinct. I dont think she meant to kill them. But I had 2 cats when I adopted her and she became friends with one of the cats and would think about chasing the other if it ran past her. As long as you keep an eye on them for a while I think you will be fine.
  • amcook4
    amcook4 Posts: 561 Member
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    Bring her somewhere to get a microchip scan. All shelters, vets, etc should have them. There is a chance that she did have a good home and somehow escaped (clawed through a screen or something), being declawed she did belong to someone at some point. Yes, her former owner might be a horrible person, but it could also belong to an innocent person who is really missing their pet right now. Get her scanned first to rule that out.
  • AlliecoreXX
    AlliecoreXX Posts: 78 Member
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    Thanks guys! I'm off to work now but really appreciate the input. I'm still pissed at the carelessness of the stupid people who dumped her.... :-/

    Innocent question... but how do you know she was dumped and is not lost?

    My friend lost her cat and we found it a block away under a persons door step, but that was a week later and the poor thing did not know how to get home. Did you try to find the owner?

    Valid question....which I wish I could answer but can't of course....I have put up ads on several local sites in hopes of finding her family if she is lost instead of dumped. I do hope that is the case...but unfortunately my street is the neighborhood "dumping place" for unwanted pets, due to the fact that my neighbors are known around the community for always taking in the strays. I love them for it, but people take advantage of it horribly. So, while she may be validly lost instead of dumped, the odds are low....but there still is always the chance.
  • AlliecoreXX
    AlliecoreXX Posts: 78 Member
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    And yes, for those who were wondering.....I am actively looking for the owners in case she is lost instead of dumped. I'll be posting a notice several places downtown tomorrow

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