Adopting - Cat first? Dog first?

[miao_kitty]

Hi Y'all. Not sure if this is the best forum, but it has more to do w/ the animals' behaviors than the actual adoption process.

My friend and her boyfriend currently have 0 pets. He wants a dog, she wants a cat. Which one should they adopt first? He wants a larger dog breed and she's worried about the dog killing the cat. He wants a puppy and she's flexible between cat and kitten.

Would it be better to get the cat first? Or both at the same time?

Thanks!

 

[ducman69]

I wouldn't do the same time. Either would work, dog first might be easier.

Be sure that they research dog breed temperaments. Unlike cats, dogs have been bred for thousands of years for specific uses, and this is very much ingrained in their psychology and can vary quite a bit by breed.

You want to avoid a dog that was bred with a very high prey drive and a low biddability drive. These are the types of dogs that given the right circumstance will chase down and attack a smaller furry animal that runs from it, and is inclined to ignore their master's commands to the contrary.

Personally, I would compromise and tell them they can both get what they'd like, by looking at a very large and doglike cat breed, such as the Maine Coon. Show him pictures of an unusually large example, and some videos of Maine Coon's learning obedience and fetching and the like, and they will likely both be happy. I'd also push them towards adopting two Maine Coon siblings from a litter (boy boy or boy and girl), and point out that this way they can keep each other company, but they will both share the same trees, toys, and food, which makes the logistics of owning two animals MUCH simpler and more cost effective. With a dog/cat, they can't eat the same things, they don't play with the same toys, the dog may eat the cat's poop, they can't wrestle together the same as two cats, dog can't play tug-o-war with the cat, the dog will not be able to tolerate its alpha being gone as long as a cat, dog will need to be let out frequently to do his business but you don't want the cat running out as it can jump or wiggle through fences, its just more of a hassle.

^ That is a man's cat; they have a more powerful jawline and large appearance that may change his mind about cats being feminine as they are more like small lions heh.

 

[nerdrock]

I'm a dog person and there is no way that if I wanted to get another dog, or my first dog, that I would get a dog like cat instead, no offense.

I love our Leiki and she is very dog like, but she isn't a dog. She fetches, comes when called, plays with the dogs' toys, sleeps with them, wrestles with them (they don't wrestle back though), and she has tried to play tug (or maybe she was just trying to steal the toy, lol) but didn't succeed.

I would get the cat before the dog, or get them together if the cat is a kitten. Definitely research the breeds of dog before hand, but if he wants one that is high prey drive then he can still get that too. Our two dogs are high prey drive and are used for hunting, but we take precautions and it works. Both of our dogs grew up around cats, I really do think that helped a lot. The biggest thing if you have ANY dog around a cat is to make sure that the dogs are crated or separated by a door from the cats when you can't watch them or when you aren't home.

By raising a dog with a high prey drive with a cat/kitten as a pup and doing the proper training from the get go, you drastically reduce the chance that the dog is going to hurt the cat - the chance is always there though, with any dog.

By raising the cat with the dog, you're also minimizing the chance that the cat is going to have a fit around the dog and act more like prey.

 

[ducman69]

Originally Posted by nerdrock

I'm a dog person and there is no way that if I wanted to get another dog, or my first dog, that I would get a dog like cat instead, no offense.

You're female though, right?

Not implying that dog-like cats are the same as dogs (I've cared for labs and a boxer), but just suggesting it may be an option for a guy that hasn't owned either before.

Small dogs and little cats are considered by most, at least among my crew, to be quite feminine and so aren't really investigated at all. Maine Coons are a more masculine type of cat in appearance/size IMO that many guys that might not otherwise consider a little domestic shorthair may be interested in. Definitely easier to have two cats or two similar size dogs than a cat and a dog in my experience.

And for clarification, I agree on raising together, but separating adoption by a week or two. Trying to get two animals with different needs settled in simultaneously would be challenging IMO.

 

[just mike]

Originally Posted by miao_kitty

Hi Y'all. Not sure if this is the best forum, but it has more to do w/ the animals' behaviors than the actual adoption process.

My friend and her boyfriend currently have 0 pets. He wants a dog, she wants a cat. Which one should they adopt first? He wants a larger dog breed and she's worried about the dog killing the cat. He wants a puppy and she's flexible between cat and kitten.

Would it be better to get the cat first? Or both at the same time?

Thanks!

I've done it both ways in my lifetime, Dog first then cat and vice versa. It makes no difference IMO but don't do it at the same time. I'm just trying to save you some stress. A kitten and a puppy would most likely be the best mix but you never know. If an adult cat is used to bouncing puppies then an adult cat would be fine with a puppy but I'd probably go the kitten route myself. Adopt them separately, maybe a couple of weeks apart. I would most likely adopt the puppy first but that's just me. I'd want the puppy to be used to house training and start on some training before introducing a new "brother" or "sister" into the mix. After the puppy has settled down, introduce the new kitty (kitten or adult) but always supervise their time together in the beginning. I usually do the safe room routine for any new animal I bring into the house. The new animals sleeps in the the safe room away from the other animal(s) and is gradually introduced into the household.

This didn't work for 2 of my cats though. One of my Snowshoe females wanted nothing to do with being away from the rest of the animals. The Maine Coon/Siamese female just wouldn't tolerate being cooped up. She learned quickly how to break out of her room. Thankfully it worked out in both cases but I'd rather have had a more gradual introduction. If nothing else, just to ease my own stress

 

[Willowy]

I would say to get the cat first if they get a grown cat. It's easier to train a puppy to accept cats as household fixtures than it is to train a grown dog to not think that cats make good snacks.

Or get a puppy and an older kitten (4 months or older) at the same time or a week or 2 apart. Then they can grow up together and be friends.

 

[kit e cat]

I had cats first. Then dogs. Then more cats. Then another dog. etc. You get it. My golden retriever had never seen a cat in her life when I got her at 15 months old, and you would have thought she was a mother dog greeting her long lost puppies...much to the disdain of the cats. But they got over it. My semi feral kitty who was terrified of her won shadow took to the golden like it WAS her mom, and won't stay off of her when they lay on the couch.I'd get the cat first. But not wait until the cat is older and set in his/her ways before you get the dog. Even though mine are fine, the younger cats took to the cats much easier than the older ones.