getting a new dog with a 13 year old cat

smoky

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I was thinking of getting a dog. I have a 13 year old half persian black cat. I always thought you should get the cat and dog both as babies so they grow up together.

I wasnt sure what type of dog I was going to get something from a Jack Russell, or fox terrier to a german shepherd.

Like a watch or guard type dog.

What advice would you have? Would you need to get a very disciplined dog if you are going to put it with an old cat?

No need to worry I dont plan to do this for a while. I was just looking at my options.
 

momofmany

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I would absolutely not get a high strung dog like a terrier with a senior cat. I would also avoid puppies of any breed as they are high strung by nature.

I adopted my first dog when my OTB cat was 13 years old. Within a month, he got ill with cancer. I can't blame the adoption of the dog on the cancer, but know that the stress of adding an unfamiliar species into the house could have triggered a condition that was already there. The dog I adopted was 18 months old and very calm. It didn't matter. I am now overly cautious about introducing any change into my household when I have senior cats.

If decide to you adopt, I strongly suggest that you take your cat into a vet and have a full geriatric profile done on your cat to make sure he is healthy, and do this before you adopt the dog. And yes, I would get one that is very disciplined if you can find one. But discipline has to be instilled in them by you - you won't find one ready made when you adopt. The breed doesn't guarantee discipline, it can just it make it more prone to the discipline you instill.
 

goldenkitty45

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IMO I would NOT get a JRT or terrier with a 13 yr old cat! JRT's can and do kill cats - you should not trust them totally (coming from a JRT owner with cats - her JRT killed one of the cats and was attacking the other).

And you don't want to get a puppy either. You need a well trained older dog - maybe 3-5 yrs old for best results. Has the cat ever been around dogs before? If not, you might not get one at this time as it would be a lot of stress on the older cat.
 

fuzzles

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It depends on the JRT. I have a jack russell and her and my cat love each other and they both play with each other all of the time, though I did get my cat when she was 6 months old and not a senior. I haven't ever had experience with a JR puppy though seeing as how I found my Jack as a stray on the street infested with heartworms
Maybe you could look for an older Jack Russell or dog that will be calm around the cat.
 

judi

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Originally Posted by smoky

I was thinking of getting a dog. I have a 13 year old half persian black cat. I always thought you should get the cat and dog both as babies so they grow up together.

I wasnt sure what type of dog I was going to get something from a Jack Russell, or fox terrier to a german shepherd.

Like a watch or guard type dog.

What advice would you have? Would you need to get a very disciplined dog if you are going to put it with an old cat?

No need to worry I dont plan to do this for a while. I was just looking at my options.
How about a Golden Retriever?
 

sharky

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How large of a dog can you handle??
 

goldenkitty45

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This situation (JRT) was from a JRT message board. The JRT grew up with the lady's cats and had no problem for years. But one day, something snapped (she will never know what happened) and the JRT attacked one of the cats and killed it. She walked in to find another one of the cats in the jaws of the JRT. Luckily the cat survived, but she warned that you should never leave JRT's alone without supervision with cats.

Crate them, put them in another room, etc. - just don't walk out the door and leave them all together. Your JRT might be fine....now, but I'm just relying what happened.

I was considering JRT (cause they are cute), but I would not want to worry about the "one day" with my cats.
 

fuzzles

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I tend to keep both of my dogs (JRT and dachshund) penned up in another room when I leave the house anyway. Have you considered a dachsund? They're awesome little dogs but they are hard to potty train (mine took a year and a half and she still has accidents). BTW I wouldn't recommend a lab with a cat. I'm so mad at my bf's parents because they put their 13+ year old cat to sleep because she was acting "weird". She started acting weird right when they got the dog and hid in their bedroom the whole time. I guess hiding away from a really obnoxious, high strung dog was weird enough to kill the poor kitty. I wish I could've taken her before they did that... They really weren't cat people. When I got my kitty I told them about it all happily when they asked what was new and his mom was all, "Why in the world do you want a cat?" /end rant
 

goldenkitty45

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Why not a lab with cats? Keno loves them - tho she is not one of the really hyper labs either. I know many lab owners that have cats and kids and the dogs get along fine.

Just curious as to why you don't recommend them?
 

fuzzles

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I was just saying no to labs just based on how the lab they have harassed the cat so much that the cat started hiding away in their bedroom only to come out to go to the litter box. Like I said before it depends on the dog. They also have a really small backyard that is mostly a in ground swimming pool and so she doesn't get to burn off all of the energy she has so she's very, very hyper. She attacks anyone (jumps all over you) that comes to the door and you get scratched to death when she does that. That's the only really excessively hyper lab I've been around and its actually the only lab I've really been around multiple times. With the way she acts I've just been turned off by ever wanting a lab because it's so bad. No one in my family has ever owned one. We've always had mutts or terriers. So please think about what kind of dog you want for yourself I'm just giving my opinion based on my experience. I'm sure if one was to find a less hyper lab then it wouldn't be bad at all.
 

capt_jordi

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I would go with a smaller dog maybe even a breed that is known to be more cat like than dog like?

Although thats not saying that a big dog may not work! We got a 2 year old great dane when our oldest cat was 11ish. And the dane was terrified of the cat and got popped in the nose a few times. But they did become best of friends before we moved.

I do second the older golden. I love goldens anyways but we have so many that just want to sit there and be petted and loved on at work.
 

petstorejunkie

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Ideally you would want to adopt an adult dog that was raised with cats. The difference it makes in their interactions is huge. Shelby my Border Collie loffs cats, and understands their demeanor, she never stresses out cats. Paddy is a JRTxCorgi was not raised with cats but is compassionate and brilliant. She cannot detect the subtle signals that Nanuk gives, and Nanuk gets nervous when Paddy is ramped up and playing. Nanuk lives in my office with a litter box, food water, and 3 beds when we are not home, as that is the safest situation for him. When we are home, everyone has free roam of the house, and generally stays close by.
 

fluffstuff

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The easiest way to do this is to have a trial run at home with the dog.

Many breeders and shelters will allow a day or weekend of "testing"

It's the best way to see how both will get along in my opinion.

 

isabel

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Originally Posted by Petstorejunkie

Ideally you would want to adopt an adult dog that was raised with cats. The difference it makes in their interactions is huge.
I totally agree. Look for a dog that was fostered in a home with cats. Still take lots of time with introductions and never leave them alone together (this can take lots of time) until you are 100% sure the dog is fine with the cat. I mean the dog will not not chase, bite or harrass the cat. My dog(s) are never ever allowed to chase/harrass the cats - one bite in the wrong spot can kill a cat instantly.
 

ahem

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Originally Posted by smoky

I was thinking of getting a dog. I have a 13 year old half persian black cat. I always thought you should get the cat and dog both as babies so they grow up together.

I wasnt sure what type of dog I was going to get something from a Jack Russell, or fox terrier to a german shepherd.

Like a watch or guard type dog.

What advice would you have? Would you need to get a very disciplined dog if you are going to put it with an old cat?

No need to worry I dont plan to do this for a while. I was just looking at my options.
Hi,
I have a somewhat similar situation (I am exploring the idea of adding a dog). I have a black, bored persian (2.5 years old) for which I want to get a dog to own, train together and love and have fun with. Clearly the dog is more for the cat than for me. Assuming that cat and I will do all the selection, introduction `well`, I still wonder if this will work. What is your motivation to get the dog?
 

white cat lover

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I would just like to add here as well.....cats & dogs as companions often do not mix. They do not usually play together, become to best buds....unless you have an exceptional dog & an exceptional cat.
 
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