Pit Bull & Cats?

As long as they are introduced properly at a young age they should be fine As you may know, they hissing and growling are to be expected at first. Start off with some supervised play-time, and move up from there, until you can trust them to be alone together. I am sure the cats will let Mr. Puppy know soon enough who is boss LOL

Oh I so agree with you.

My mom has a Pitt Bull that is gentle as well. He came AFTER the cats. And he soon learned that my moms cat GUMBO is boss. I think they will be just fine with each other in time.

8 months is still with in the time frame for a pit bull to be okay with cat s ... slowly introduce them and keep an eye out ( not for aggresion but being so strong pits can be rough housers)

I agree with the above post, even if the dog isn't aggresive, dogs tend to try to play with cats the way they would play with other dogs - which of course, cats find highly offensive to their sensibilities. Be cautious at first, but after a while, you'll just have to let the dog get a swat in the face before he realizes he has to leave the kitties alone.

As with any dog, the new pup should have a basic knowledge of some commands, and know his/her place in your home (i.e. YOU are the leader of the pack, not the pup). "Leave it", "sit", "stay" are definites. Having had a pit mix in our family, another command that was helpful was "Release". They have such strong jaws, that we couldn't get her toys away from her to play fetch with. So "release" was used often with her, especially while playing.

Pits are generally VERY intelligent dogs, and they can have a stubborn streak as well. They will be quite protective of their family if there is a threat, but if you make sure that the cats are part of the pup's family she will be protective of them too.

Some people (no one I know personally, only people on this site) manage to keep pit bulls and cats together, but personally I would never take that risk - pit bulls are terriers, and terriers are a class of working dogs who have been bred for many years to chase and kill small animals. Many people I know who have pit bulls who are otherwise sweet and wonderful dogs admit that they will kill a cat if they get the chance (one has admitted to occasionally finding dead cats in his yard with the dog).

It's possible to very carefully introduce them and have a semblance of peace, but it's very risky, even if you start out with a young puppy (3 months or less). If the dog's prey drive is stimulated, the results can be disastrous. In this case, you have a dog who at 8 months is much closer to adulthood and sexual maturity, and it sounds like she's already responding aggressively to the cats (barking and growling). Please don't risk it with this young dog - find her a good home without cats.

During the time I worked in an emergency animal hospital I witnessed far too many sad times when owners brought in their severely injured (or dead) cat because the dog suddenly turned on it even though they had gotten along well together without incident for a long time. All it takes is the right circumstances to set off the dog's latent but very strong prey drive, and the cat is done for.

We have two dogs ourselves, so I'm not anti-dog - I'm just very careful, and would strongly recommend you choose a breed of dog more suited to life with cats, and not one who's bred for killing - terriers of any type, from a large pit bull to a small rat or jack russell, are a bad idea with cats.

If you're sure you want to try it anyways, follow the introduction advice in Hissy's article about introducing cats and dogs carefully, and never leave the animals unsupervised together. Crate train the dog, so that you can keep her safely confined when you aren't there to supervise.

I had a pit bull puppy for about a week last summer (found her at a gas station...found a GREAT home for her through rescue less than a week later...unbelievably lucky!) and she was totally fine with my cats. I had to keep her crated at all times because I had a 5-week-old kitten and she could have easily killed him just by trying to play, but I was totally comfortable with her interactions with the older cats in my house.

This site (click here) has a lot of useful information about the breed and about responsible pet ownership for people considering a pit bull.

This page (click here) from the same site addresses the issue of pit bulls and other pets sharing a household.

hth

Just be VERY careful. Pitbuls have a high prey drive and it's better safe than sorry. If the dog does show any sign of aggression, keep it away from your cats!!

A lady who used to breed dogs says this about Pits:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
They were bred to clamp onto bulls throats and snuff the life out of them with their (Pits) powerful jaws.

She says when Pits get excited NOTHING will stop them.

She says they are like loaded guns or live granades, they are "SAFE" until the trigger is pulled, and it only takes "one time" to go off to cause massive injuries or death.

She says "that's the way it is with pitbulls.....it just takes one "trigger" to set them off.. " and that people who have them and also have cats or babies are playing with fire!

MyBabies, I have to jump in here because what you've posted is misinformation that is perpetuation a negative image of these dogs. They're having enough of a time as it is without people saying things that have no basis in fact.

A dog as unpredictable as you've described is one with severe problems, either a genetic disorder or brain problems.

"Most people who say that a dog is "unpredictable" simply don't understand dogs. They believe the stories of people who were "just petting the dog, and suddenly it went crazy and bit me!" In the overwhelming majority of these cases, the victim simply doesn't understand or has missed canine warning signs. " (http://www.happypitbull.com/myths.htm#7)

These dogs originated for dog fighting and bull baiting, yes. Many pit bulls are agressive to other animals if not socialised and raised properly. The one thing they are NOT by nature, is agressive to people.

Gemini, I'm sorry to hear you can't keep her, but you have to do what's best for your kitties, who in this case, were with you first If you don't have the time to properly care for her and socialise her, then it's for the best that you don't keep her. I'm sure she'll make a wonderful pet for someone!

Nicole,

If the shelters can't take her, I'd suggest contacting veterinarians in your area to see if they have a list of contact info for purebred rescuers - if this is a pure pit bull, you might be able to get a pit bull rescue to take her. An Internet search might turn up pit bull rescuers for you to contact too.

I'll pray that you can find someone to take her You're very sweet to try and help this pup, but you're also wise to put the safety and well-being of your existing pet cats first.

*A caution: if you receive offers from people interested in adopting her directly from you, be sure to carefully screen them to make sure she goes to a suitable home - unfortunately some unsavory types are attracted to pit bulls because of their reputation, and you want her to go to a good home, not somewhere she'd be abused or used for fighting.

I could'nt disagree more! This is why they are banning these beautiful dogs, because people belive this mess! In all fairness all dog breeds were breed at some point to do a specific task- hunting,retrieving etc... just because a dog is a "hunter" does not mean they will hunt anything! It is the careless owners not taking the time, love and devotion to learn proper training and behavior for these puppers. The reason this lady says these bad things about pits is because she was breeding them. They were not brought up to be loving housepets they were brought up to breed. And I am sure they were kept outside in a run, with little human contact, and breed again, and again, and again. I would have an attitude too! Being a pit bull owner I am furious about people discriminating against these gentle giants, it is not the dogs it is the people!

Gemini, I am very sorry you cannot keep the pupper There are MANY pit bull rescue organization that will take the puppy and find a great home for it- just type in pit bull rescue and your state, I am sure there are plenty in Georgia. Is she/he full blooded or do you know? Do you have any pics?

I'm glad that most of our members are open minded about these dogs. They really aren't a bad breed per se, not any more so than German Shepards and Dalmations and Dobermans were in the 80s when they had a bad rap. The problem is some of the people who own and breed them. ALL of the pits I have known or met were wonderful dogs. A stranger was just a friend they hadn't met yet. And most of them didn't know they were really too big to be lap dogs.

Honestly, that statement above sounds like it's from a bad breeder; from someone who wanted to make a quick buck by selling the breed-of-the-day. They probably didn't properly train or care for these dogs, and then blamed the breed instead of their ignorance for their failures.

Gemini, I am sorry that you cannot keep the pup. She sounds like a doll! But I commend you for realizing that you don't have the time to properly care for her, and that could possibly put your cat at risk. The world needs more realistic pet owners like you! And I agree to try to find a pit bull rescue that can take her if you can't re-home her yourself.

Another thought - is it possible this pup belongs to someone and is lost? The pitbull info site mentioned that they can be escape artists.

Your vet or a shelter can check her with a microchip scanner to see if she
has a microchip implanted.

You can also check the newspaper, and call around to your local shelters and vet clinics to see if anyone has reported her missing.

I looked at her picture and she definatly is full blooded! What a gorgeous little girl How many pit-bull rescues did you come across in Georgia?

try these 2 if you have'nt already-It's worth a shot:

www.pbrc.net

www.pitprintsrescue.com

I also ran across a pit bull forum that seemed very helpful, but you have to join first I have'nt done so yet, but here it is:

www.game-dog.com

Seems like alot of understanding, responsible owners on there! I also seen prople looking for pits, so maybe you will have some luck there

the forum one looks cool too. Seems like a good bunch of dog people like us TCSers LOL I am planning on joining the forum- like I said, just from browsing on there, I seen a couple of people looking to adopt a pit- most did'nt have the $ for one from a breeder, they are like 500 bucks!!! They also might have more suggestions for you....

She's very sweet. I hope you can find her a great home.

I have heard that too, but the woman who said this has raised dogs and she has a freind with a Standard Poodle whose mom was killed by a loose Pit. Mom was out with the puppies and Pit went for her. Lady also has another friend whose Shepard was killed by a Pit who got loose. THAT is why she says they are dogs who are waiting for their trigger to be pulled.

This woman has bred many different dogs, like Shephards and all size of Poodles. She right now has a Standard Poodle sevice dog.

She knows dogs and she thinks the Pits are dangerous.

Pits raised right are only dangerous in the fact that there bite is double the strenth of a german shepard , std poodle or like dog ...

I deal with dogs every weekend and Pits are usually the nicest... Meanest little Poodles... I have also had pits with cats and most that are rasied with are a okay ...

My Pearl is part pit and she is wonderful with cats and kids. She and Rowdy have a supervised romp, every evening. They roll, wrestle and chew on each other and nobody gets hurt.

Rowdy was 10 weeks old, when we got her and immediately decided that dogs are large interactive cat toys. Pearl was about 3 months old and she just wanted to play with anybody - human, canine or feline.

If the dog is properly raised and trained, he/she will be fine with cats, regardless of the breed.

that is so true, anassa plays with pandy like she's another dog instead of a tiny kitty, pandy swats her when she's had enough though or gets onto the 6th floor of the paws mansion to have time alone.

as for pitbulls, i don't know anything about them, therfore i can't say stuff about their personality, however, they are just a dog like any other dog and sometimes dogs get cranky, most of the time it isn't their fault, it's people's fault for not doing something right.

anassa is a pure English pointer cross Irish wolfhound....both hunting dogs, one hunts birds and the other wolves yet she is the sweetest dog with the cats and i leave her alone with them all the time, sometimes she will point at pandy and pandy knows what that means now, if nass gets too close pandy will rise onto her back legs and swat nass in the face...pandy has actually started to lift her paw when she see's a moth or something interesting, it's almost as if she's pointing, like anassa

bonnie doesn't like nass at all but they can co-exist if they stay out of each others way, generally, they are all good together and i don't worry about it.


felicia

OK, this Lady is entitled to her own opinion, but she is spreading these horribly untrue things about these gentle giants around to other people. I agree some are dangerous, but they are not family dogs, they were raised for sport or to breed. If she knows dogs than she knows they all can be dangerous, not just the pit bulls.