Input needed quickly please

My kitten is supposed to be going to its new home this morning (it is now 3.34am) and the owner has a 14 week old puppy. A Jack Russell Terrier. I was always slightly concerned then this evening a friend mentioned terriers being hunting animals and it will most likely chase the kitten.

I looked it up and read some horrible stories of them killing kittens as soon as the owner turns their back and how many JR's actually die from darting across the road to get a cat. I know nothing about dogs so until someone mentioned it to me properly I just assumed that it wasn't a big risk.

Now the want to be owner to my kitten is excited, her children are excited and she is due to come and get him at 9.am

I want to sleep but I am torn, I HATE letting people down but how can I let kitty go to a home with a JR puppy after what I just read? I will forever worry. I came down as sleep isn't happening and I see kitty curling up to the others and feel nothing but guilt. I do not want it to go, I am willing to keep it, I can afford to keep it, I will end up with 6 cats though.

If I do decide to keep it how on earth will I tell her? The thought of plucking up the courage to tell her is killing me.

I am really torn, I would love some input please.

i feel for you and wish you well. have you had a chance to discuss the issue with the would-be owner? maybe she is not aware of prior experiences between JRs and kittens/cats.

if you don't feel right about giving the owner the kitten - don't do it. in the end, only you can make that decision.

i don't know if there is a contract between you and the would-be owner or some sort of formal agreement. but at the same time, no animal deserves to be placed into a home where there is a reasonable amount of risk known.

JRs are a rat dog - meaning they like to go after small, scurrying critters that burrow. kittens, to my way of thinking, fit that mold.

i would do a little more research - find a JR group online and talk to someone there. or maybe first thing in the morning you could call an animal shelter, rescue group or a vet and get their opinion.

i have never been in your position and do not envy you. but i will keep you and the kitten in my thoughts.

ultimately, you are responsible for the care and well-being of that kitten and securing it a safe, loving and stable home. if you cannot in good conscience place the kitten in the would-be owner's care, do not do it.

wishing you all the luck and goodness in the world

deb

I agree with "lady tiger" go with ur gut feeling...don't comprimise the safety of your kitten....you have to feel right about the adoption..if you do not then thats your choice to make..if she gets upset..then "oh well"
your protecting the kitten. If she is a decent person, she should understand, if she gets mad then maybe this is a person you would not want to adopt ur kitten

Always go with your gut instinct. However, just because the dog is a Jack Russell doesn't necessarily mean that there will be a problem. We had a Jack Russell who passed away early this year, and he used to snuggle with the cats and clean the foster kittens. He was very aggressive with strange people but we never had a problem with other animals. We currently have an almost 3 year old Jack Russell mix who is also very good with the cats.

But again, if your gut feeling says that this is the wrong home, then don't let the kitten go. I learned long ago to trust my instinct and because of it I had a would-be adopter of one of my current kittens go nuts and start causing problems and getting other adopters to back out because she didn't get her way. I had a bad feeling when I met her and I'm glad I listened to that.

Tough spot. A friend of mine has a JRT and several cats. So far nothing has happend, but the cats are full grown when the JRT pup was brought in.

I would tell her something like this:

"I know your family is very excited to be getting a kitten; however, I've learned that JRT's and cats may have problems due to the fact that JRT's are prey oriented and will chase/kill a cat/kitten if given the chance. While you may never have a problem with your JRT and a kitten, the risk is there and its not a low risk. If you decide you still want a kitten, PLEASE do not leave the dog and cat alone without supervision at any time. If you leave the house, then crate the dog or put the cats in an area where the dog is not allowed contact.

I'm just telling you this, because you have kids and they would be heart broken if your kitten was killed by the dog"


BTW this was something that came from a JRT message board and was posted on our labrador board. The JRT owner had several cats. The dog and cats got along for years. One day they came home to find one dead/mauled cat and the JRT was attacking the other one. Luckily they saved the cat, but could never trust the JRT alone with a cat again. They had no idea what started it, but something snapped in the JRT. They cautioned about crating JRT's or putting cats in another area if you were not there to supervise.

At one time I was considering getting a JRT - I think they are cute/adorable. But I would not want to risk a dead cat.

Thank you for your advice.

I whimped out and got my partner to tell her. She wasn't happy about it but afterwards I felt nothing but relief. We decided that we are going to keep it

good to hear it. i'm sure you made the right choice.

i have a staffordshire bull terrier but he was a pup when i had my first cat felix so he made it his cat insticts to tell rosco he was the boss now i have a kitten as felix passed away

the kitten is 8 weeks old but is soon learning how to warn rosco she is the boss lol

since rosco as been brought up with cats he thinks of himself as a cat so he knows the kitten maens business

the moral of the story lol is that i dont think the kitten should go as the pup was there first it would be diffrent if the cat was there first and was older than the pup if it makes sense lol

donna

True to some extent. But if you have a dog breed that tends to be more aggresive or prey oriented, its better to err on the safe side and separate them when not supervised.

My friend had full grown cats when she got the JRT, but IMO there's still that "one day" that might happen.

I used to own a JRT and I would never trust her alone with my cats. She was a wonderful dog, but its in their breeding to hunt small game, and cats fit into that category. She got along great with the cats while someone was around, and we used to crate her when we left the house. One time however, we went outside for TWO minutes to get the mail, and when we came back she had one of the cats by the tail and was shaking it. Thank god it was one of the ones that could care less, and when we separated them, she was purring, but thats not the point.
I wouldn't trust any dog bred to hunt small game around small game. Its not worth the risk. I eventually had to end up rehoming the JRT because I did not want to have to worry constantly about my cats becoming injured.
I'm glad you chose not to let them have the kitten. They were probably wonderful people, but you did the best thing for the kitten.