Thinking of getting a dog

maddox's mom

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I currently have a cat; we have been together for a year and I have seen him come a loooong way. He will actually get on my bed now when I have company; I never thought I would see the day! Anyways, I have always been an animal person, and I have been contemplating on adopting a dog in a few months. However, I am wondering if that would cause a problem for my Maddox. The old saying, "fighting like cats and dogs" comes to mind, and I am quite terrified. Is it rare for cats and dogs to get along? I really think that with time Maddox could adapt to having a dog (properly trained, of course) around, though I know it would take time. So, for those who have tried this, is it a good idea, especially for an older cat?
 

nekkiddoglady

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If the dog is raised around cats, they ussually do fine.. the cat may be leery at first, but as the cat sees that the dog isnt a threat, they get along ok.

I wouldnt expect them to be best buds, that seems to happen rarely, but they can at least learn to tolerate each other.

I would advice on seeking an adult thru rescue whos temperment around cats is known.. you dont have to get a Senoir dog, but even one whos about 2-3 years old, and past the goofy puppy stage may be your best bet. You can try for a puppy too, and raise it around the cat, but your cat may be less tolerable of being harrassed by a rambunctious pup.
 

nekkiddoglady

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Also I would make sure that the cat has some "dog free" zones in the house.. such as a room that has a baby gate up, so the dog cant get to the cat.. if the cat feels the need to get away, it has that option.. as they grow more comfortable with each other, you can take the gate down.
 

momofmany

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I agree with the previous posts. A dog free zone can also be a cat tree.

3 dogs and 10 cats here and have previously had 5 dogs with all the cats. They all get along very well. My biggest mistake was to adopt a single puppy when my last gang of 5 all crossed. The cats hated his rowdiness and I had to go back to the shelter and adopt his littermate brother to give him someone to take out his playfulness with. If you haven't had a dog in a while, starting over with 2 puppies is not an easy thing to do. Most dogs start to settle down around 3 years old and that is a great age to adopt if you have an older cat.
 

ilovemyhades

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We actually have 2 dogs and a cat. Baxter(male dog) was our first pet when he was about 2 we decided to get him a friend to play with so we got Hades(cat) as a kitten, Hades is a scaredy cat about everything and has been that way since we got him, it took about a week for them to start coming around eachother but before we knew it they were playing and were so used to eachother we really had no problems with them fighting. Baxter is just more of a human kind of dog he thinks he's one and wants to be with humans. So last year we got Zsa Zsa (Dog) as a puppy and right away Hades wanted to play with her and was so amused with her. They are best friends they play all day and sleep next to eachother it is really cute and they also never fight, so I think if you get a dog it would be great I think it would be a good idea to get it as a puppy. Good luck! What kind of dog do you plan on getting?
 

calico2222

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I agree with getting an older dog that is used to cats instead of a puppy. Yes, a puppy you can train that the cat isn't a toy, but it's hard to train them that they aren't their playmate either. An older dog that has been with cats before seems to realize "this is your space, and this is my space". Especially since your cat is older, it would be better to get an older dog that will let her live her life and not want to play all the time.

We have 4 dogs and 7 cats, so they CAN live in harmony. Not all the cats are as thrilled as some, but here's a pic to show that they can get along.



Expect some chasing...I will tell you most chasing in this house is instigated by the cats! They know exactly what they're doing and I can almost hear them laughing when it's the dogs that get yelled at.

Definitely have a safe place for Maddox to go to, either a room or a cat tree. Getting them to get along takes time though. They may be best friends, or they may just tolerate each other's existance but normally, after time, there isn't any major problems. That depends on both of their personalities too.
 

Willowy

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4 years ago I went to a high-kill shelter and picked out an 85-pound adult male mutt with unknown cat history and brought him home! Probably not the best situation unless you know a lot about dog training, but it worked for us.

I would recommend a private adoption, directly from the previous owners or from a rescue that has their dogs in foster homes. That way you'll have a better idea of his trustworthiness around cats.

I definitely recommend getting an older dog, at least 2 years old, but 3 or 4 would be better. I'll never get a puppy again. They're way too much work.
 

white cat lover

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At the shelter here, we get surrender forms & ask about how the dog is with other dogs, cats, kids, etc. So the dogs who were owner surrenders, some we can tell if cat friendly or not.

I would personally go for a middle aged dog, around maybe 5 years old. Read up on your breeds - for instance terriers tend to want to chase, a Greyhound (sight hound) might be more likely to chase Maddox. I've got a Pointer mix - she will run down a cat given the chance, but knows not to mess with the housecats or they'll re-arrange her face.


I've fostered Great Danes, Staffies, Pits, Rat Terriers, Jack Russels, Poodles, Lab X puppies, Shepherds, Elkhound/Lab X....a lot of different dogs. Some did great with the cats, one almost ate one of my cats - so choose wisely.
 

neely

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Originally Posted by nekkiddoglady

Also I would make sure that the cat has some "dog free" zones in the house.. such as a room that has a baby gate up, so the dog cant get to the cat.. if the cat feels the need to get away, it has that option.. as they grow more comfortable with each other, you can take the gate down.
Exactly! We had our beloved black persian, Neeko, for many years before adopting Sean, (dog). Prior to adoption we cat tested him as best as possible at the shelter, i.e. walked him thru the cat area and had him meet several of the cats. Neeko was fine but we did the introduction slowly. Although he never really bonded w/Sean they were able to coexist nicely. Our present cat, Neely, took to Sean immediately. See for yourself.
 
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