Planning for the future pet-wise - need suggestions (kinda long)

Hey all. DH and I are talking about our future pet-wise and was wondering if we could have some expert input from all the wonderful and experienced petlovers we have here. I realized many of you have a variety and so may be able to help. This is our situation:
We were dog lovers way before I was a cat lover. I was temporarily staying in a different city and fell in love with my roommates cat and decided to adopt one and here we are with Calvin. We are in this city for 3 years but will most likely move. With the housing market the was it is, we opted to rent for our limited time here and at that time, since we were looking to get a dog, we had the provision for 1 dog in our lease (it is a 30 month lease). When we decided to rescue a cat, we asked our landlord for an additional pet and they agreed to that. So basically we have permission for 1 dog and 1 cat.

DH and I were talking about rescuing a dog this summer and the discussion went on to getting another cat. Since our relationship with our landlord is not as great as it used to be when we got permission for Calvin, I am not sure they will give us permission for a 3rd (which may be more than we can handle right now) and our option would be to negotiate not getting the dog and a cat instead - which , again, makes me a little sad since a dog is what we wanted for the longest time. But we also have to think about Calvin now.

A couple of things we are thinking:
1) Calvin may like a play buddy but we think he may be a little on the demanding, jealous side. He is very loving and well bahaved now and maybe getting another cat (close to his age) will change that if he does not take the new addition well
2) with a dog we can do the babygate thing so that Calvin has his privacy when he needs it. He seemed to be ok with the dog at his foster mom's place.
3) Once we buy a place in 2.5 yrs (Calvin will be 3 then), I would like to get another cat. Our ideal situation is 2 dogs and 2 cats when we have our own house.

The above rationale seems to be geared towards rescuing a dog this summer (we are looking for a larger breed) but are we being too selfish? Any inputs would be appreciated.

If both of you want a dog, get a dog. Plenty of cats are the only cat their owners have and they are fine. Also, I have known plenty of cats and dogs that were friends because their owners had one of each. Maybe you're right about calvin, and a couple years to mature is what he needs before another cat is possible. By then you could get another kitten and he might take it under his wing and teach the newcomer. That's what my 2 year old cat did when I got a kitten; he definitely thinks he's my kitten's father.

dogs and cats usually do fine together! But you do need to take breed into consideration or if from a rescue find out if they do temperament testing with cats! A lot do now.
Slow introductions is the the key! Good luck with finding a puppy! I'm searching for one right now too!

Thanks a ton, rad65 and capt_jordi for the encouragement. It's not till summer that we are thinking of getting the dog. We will first look at a golden retriever rescue and labrador rescue to see if they can give us someone who's been fostered with cats. Since we are in no hurry really, we can wait a bit. Or else, I guess, a reputed breeder. I am not allowed to have certain breeds and mixes of certain breeds, hence rescuing a mixed breed may be dicey.

The thing is I will be gone for work for weeks in the next couple of months and DH works long hours. Calvin will be home alone - but hopefully he'll sleep as he does. He's very fond of DH and so I know he'll be well taken care of and happy with DH when he returns in the evening. This was not planned and even if we plan to get another kitten now, I will not have the time to introduce them the proper way and deal with any unexpected developments concerning the new kitten. Guess lots of toys, the radio and lots of loving when DH gets home will have to do. I do not know about him but I know I'll miss him life crazy - the thought of the trips make me want to cry.

If you have your heart set on a dog then get a dog. If you were to get another cat for Calvin, try getting 1 the same age. It was very hard here at first, when they were all seperate ages.

Lynxx was 9 and had been an only cat for 9 years. He didn't like Luna, and he hated Midnight. Luna was 12 weeks old, and Midnight was 3 weeks old. We weren't aware of his age at the time. He was supposed to keep Luna occupied, and way from Lynxx . But he was to little. Midnight was so tiny he'd get hurt playing with her, he couldn't even leave my bedroom for fear he'd get hurt. So they were seperated until he was big enough. It was very hard keeping him and Luna seperated, because they wanted to play. And of course by the time Luna and Midnight could play together, and leave Lynxx alone it didn't matter because Lynxx died.

Thanks, My4LLMA, for the great input. Am so sorry for your Lynxx
Yes, I plan to either get one of Calvin's age, in case we get a feline friend for him. In case we do not, at this time, I am thinking of 2 kittens when he's older.
Our heart is more for getting a dog and we would like to rescue but the problem is we may not get one since we do not have a fenced in yard. We go for walks practically everyday (except when the weather's too bad) and so we would be leash walking the dog but let's see how that turns out. DH is willing to wait till we buy a house in 2.5 yrs. The 2nd option is getting a puppy from a breeder. Cannot wait for summer to see how this all plays out.

Originally Posted by Calvin&I

Thanks, My4LLMA, for the great input. Am so sorry for your Lynxx

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Thanks.

Clearly you really want a dog. So go for the dog, even if you have to wait a couple of years. A lot of people on here have cats and dogs that get along great. I can tell you my grandparents German Shepherd, and their Siamese got along great, they were like best friends.

It can definitely work, totally depends on the dog. My parents have 2 dachshunds and a pomeranian ("my" dog growing up, but still lives at their house).

When I brought my cats over to visit, the dachshunds were a real problem. We tested them on leashes first to be safe, and found we just were not comfortable giving them, free-run in the same room as the cats. They seemed to view them as prey and kept trying to lunge at them (they are a hunting breed).

However my pomeranian got along with them perfectly! He actually ignored them, which only made the cats more curious.

So you just need to find a dog that seems comfortable around cats and doesn't view them as something to eat/chase, and introduce them slowly. Your cat may be freaked out at first. Both my cats puffed up and hissed when they first met my dog, but after they realized he was no threat, they started curiously following him around, trying to play with his fluffy tail.

I would get a dog from a great rescue organization that knows their dogs and make sure that pet is cat friendly. I have had several dogs with my lone spoiled kitty kitty, including visiting dogs, and have had to do extensive ongoing training with a personal dog that wasn't good with cats, so it can be done that way too depending on the amount of space you have available (I have areas in my house blocked off by a baby gate for the cat only to protect the litter box, etc.) and dedication to training on both you and DH's part.
But it is easier if your dog is already good with cats.

Originally Posted by Calvin&I

The 2nd option is getting a puppy from a breeder.

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Puppies take way more time than a kitten. Also if you want a large breed you should invest in training classes along with your regular socialization.

When I had an apartment with one cat I got another thinking my cat would be less demanding if she had a playmate. Instead I had two demanding cats. You both want a dog, get a dog. Believe it or not, Great Danes make pretty good apartment dogs. So many people say they don't have room for one but our two, our foster Dane and our Staffy Bull are all crammed into the same 12x12' space we are at the moment and we have another 2500 square feet of house for them.

Thanks My4LLMA, saitenyo, cococat and danewillow for all the great advice.
We do have room to give the dog and the cat their space with baby gate etc but will just have to figure out the layout.

I know puppies are way more work and so rescuing a little older dog would be my first choice but the yard will be the issue. Then again, it may be easier to train a puppy to walk on a leash and be contented without a fenced in yard.
So, it seems that dog it is. Since Calvin rules the house we are refering to the future dog as Calvin's pet

I can only tell my experiences with getting new cat/kitten, and here's how mine have been: Utu was my first cat, I got him when he was 12weeks old, and 3 months later I got him a friend, Kuura, who was 12weeks old. They got along just fine after Utu got over his slight "I'm older than you, you're so childish that you annoy me"-period.
Then a bit later I got an adult cat, Casper (RIP), at that point Utu had been neutered for few months and Kuura wasn't. The new cat was unneutered stud, same age (1,5 years) than Utu and Kuura. Kuura was fine with him, but Utu absolutely hated him and started to get aggressive and fight. Utu is the alpha cat here, so it was expected that this might happen, and after 2 months Casper went to live with a good friend of mine and all was well again.
Then Kuura became a sire for the first time and I got a male kitten from the litter. Tomu came to me at 14weeks and he was accepted immediately.
And.. (they are addictive.. ) then came little Luna from Germany. My first female, age 16weeks. Tomu was jealous at first (he was 10 months old, the others were 2,5y), but then he started to nurse Luna. Utu and Kuura just accepted Luna right away.

I've also had couple of adult females (queens) visit here. What I have noticed is that Kuura, my only unneutered male, will accept anyone. Utu, the neutered alpha kitty accepts only kittens. Tomu, neutered boy, also seems to favor kittens. Luna has just had to settle in with the boys, so no experiences of her reactions to new cats now that she's not a kitten anymore.
At the moment my fantastic four are doing just fine here, I don't have large house, but several climbing options and they do have places to go if they want to be alone and I can separate them if needed.

Originally Posted by NorthernGlow

I can only tell my experiences with getting new cat/kitten, and here's how mine have been: Utu was my first cat, I got him when he was 12weeks old, and 3 months later I got him a friend, Kuura, who was 12weeks old. They got along just fine after Utu got over his slight "I'm older than you, you're so childish that you annoy me"-period.

Then a bit later I got an adult cat, Casper (RIP), at that point Utu had been neutered for few months and Kuura wasn't. The new cat was unneutered stud, same age (1,5 years) than Utu and Kuura. Kuura was fine with him, but Utu absolutely hated him and started to get aggressive and fight. Utu is the alpha cat here, so it was expected that this might happen, and after 2 months Casper went to live with a good friend of mine and all was well again.
Then Kuura became a sire for the first time and I got a male kitten from the litter. Tomu came to me at 14weeks and he was accepted immediately.
And.. (they are addictive..

) then came little Luna from Germany. My first female, age 16weeks. Tomu was jealous at first (he was 10 months old, the others were 2,5y), but then he started to nurse Luna. Utu and Kuura just accepted Luna right away.

I've also had couple of adult females (queens) visit here. What I have noticed is that Kuura, my only unneutered male, will accept anyone. Utu, the neutered alpha kitty accepts only kittens. Tomu, neutered boy, also seems to favor kittens. Luna has just had to settle in with the boys, so no experiences of her reactions to new cats now that she's not a kitten anymore.
At the moment my fantastic four are doing just fine here, I don't have large house, but several climbing options and they do have places to go if they want to be alone and I can separate them if needed.

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Wow -you were serious when you said you speak from experience! glad that you were able to discern these patterns. For me, with just Calvin, I am not sure how he will be in accepting either a dog or another cat. It also tells me that there will be no way of really knowing how he'll react till we get another furry one. I thought unneutered well less accepting, though it is quite the opposite in your case. Glad that the fantastic four are doing well

Originally Posted by Calvin&I

I thought unneutered well less accepting, though it is quite the opposite in your case. Glad that the fantastic four are doing well

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That's how it usually goes, but Kuura is very mellow stud. He doesn't spray mark, yowl or things like that, he just wants belly rubs and loves everyone. I think that's because he is not the alpha cat, and he knows he will never be as long as Utu is here (and even the little lady Luna is higher in the hierarchy than Kuura).

I'd say the key is definitely the cat's personality, and if he/she will be in equal status with other cats, or does he/she have the need to be a leader or maybe not so confident. When you get a kitten to join an adult, the kitten will grow to be what the adult cat "let's" him/her to become, but an adult cat is already used to being something. If for example taking an adult kitty from a shelter, you can ask how they are with other cats and see if that would fit with your cat. You know your own cat, so you can at least to some point estimate if he is a dominant one or an easy going cat.

My DH and I love animals. We would both love a dog but decided that it would be unfair to bring a dog into our family because we work such odd hours that the dog would be alone 10 or more hours each day. Cats on the other hand...that we can do and ours do fine with our weird schedules.

We lost our oldest cat Jack last week. He had been a solo kitty after the death of Mo about 5 years ago. Jack upset Mo; he was a total hellion and Mo was a skittish guy so after Mo died (diabetes) we didn't want to subject another cat to the spaz that was Jack. We missed having multiples, so we got Lily 2 years ago and Boo 1 year ago. Jack did wonderfully with them! He accepted both of them without a hiss and although he made it clear he was in charge we didn't have any rough times with the three of them. I would have never thought it would be so easy.

I guess my point is that you just don't know how they will do together and that they will sort things out for themselves. Same thing with dogs and cats. When I researched dogs that would get along with cats, it came down to Welsh Corgis and Labs. I have a townhouse so a Corgi would be better for us, but with space I'd choose a Lab.