Advice please on a new puppy? (A bit long!)

Hi all.

It's been a while since I've posted - things are really hectic at the moment! I have finally moved in with Maxey at last and things are going really well. We are very happy and I feel really lucky to have found someone like him.

We decided a few weeks ago that we wanted to get a puppy, and on the weekend we found our little girl, and the whole situation was perfect and an opportunity not to be passed up. The only thing is, we have moved to a new house and haven't brought the cats over yet because we wanted to wait until things were settled before we brought them over.

This has really thrown a spanner in the works because we really weren't planning to get a pup this early as we wanted to get the cats settled first. But it hasn't happened that way and now I am concerned about the whole introduction phase and how well the cats will cope. I'm not particularly worried about Sunday - she grew up with dogs and is used to them. She is very placid and accepting of just about anything. I am a little worried about Sashka, though, as she is still very kittenish in a lot of ways and has no experience with dogs.

Our pup, Ruby, is extremely placid and quiet, she is very well-behaved and affectionate and I am not the slightest bit concerned about the cats' safety around her, I just wondered if anyone had some advice about how to keep the kitties feeling secure and happy in a new home, and with a new pet as well.

try some feliway plugs and buy lots of cat trees so the cats can go up high.

I would reccomend a few 'dog free' rooms for the cats and a stair gate to stop the puppy going up stairs.

I was going to get a baby gate so that Ruby can stay in her room by herself and the kitties can have the rest of the house and just get used to her smell. But we are not getting the cats over until this weekend and hopefully by then Ruby will be out the back pretty much all the time. She has a mattress and lounge in the shed and she is quite happy out there - it doesn't seem to bother her being out alone and because she is a Labradoodle and will be quite big we don't want her as an inside dog. Plus I will be keeping the cats inside for a while anyway till they get used to the new house.

just have a lot of patience and give the cats lots of escape routes, thats what my vet and our dog trainer told us.

oh and read the article on here about dog/cat introductions.

Make sure the cats have a room for JUST them...no puppy allowed. it works wonders for our cats. that they know they have a room to go to. and they can not be bothered by the pups. It helps alot. Glad your pup is laid back, lol ours arent.