Want to get a dog but getting terrified

[bootsm]

I have a 7 year old orange cat and we recently lost a senior cat. We want another pet and thought this might be a good time to try a dog. I havent had a dog since I was a kid though. Anyway, as we start to find dogs we think might be a good fit, the more terrified I get. We are going to go look at a dog that has lived fine with a cat before but I'm still scared of my cat getting hurt.

The dog is a mix of small breeds: dachshund/chihuahua/mini pincher. He's a little cranky around highly energetic dogs and doesnt do well with small kids. He snaps at them I think but hasn't bit. He's also possessive of human food. The thing is my cat is highly possessive of his own food. But the current owners say he's good with other dogs generally and cats and good about giving them their own space and listening to cues. He also seems to be well trained.

I have read that with any kind of dog, there are no guarantees that a cat is completely safe. You never know when something might unexpectedly trigger a prey drive. We live in a condo and it's big enough to give them both space so maybe I'd keep them separated when unsupervised.

On one hand, we're excited to get a dog possibly and we have a good feeling about this one but I can't help be a nervous wreck.

Would you take the risk in getting a dog?

 

[fionasmom]

How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog - TheCatSite
How To Keep The Dog Out Of The Cat’s Food And Vice Versa - TheCatSite

I have owned dogs with cats for almost my entire life, and not the recommended breeds if you read various articles as mine have generally been terriers or herding breeds. A lot of this depends on carefully introducing them and, in most cases, expecting the dog to behave around the cat. You need to take special care that your cat feels safe if you bring a dog into the house.

He's also possessive of human food

Do they give him human food as treats or is he on a home prepared diet of human food?
Feeding them in separate places with supervision would be necessary. Keeping them separated when you are out is also a good idea, especially until you see what their relationship is.

Is the dog with a rescue or someplace that will take him back if this were not to work out?

 

[Furballsmom]

He snaps at them I think but hasn't bit. He's also possessive of human food. The thing is my cat is highly possessive of his own food. But the current owners say he's good with other dogs generally and cats and good about giving them their own space and listening to cues.

Hi
This is my personal opinion, but I wouldn't get this dog. Lots of members have both cats and dogs, but some dogs just shouldn't be around cats. People will suggest to ensure the cat has a high place in order to get away, ie; cat trees etc. Others might suggest to feed the new dog and your cat seperately.

All dogs can be, and need to be, trained, and this one needs more if he's possessive of human food and snappy.

You are mentioning that you're getting more and more concerned. Can you keep looking? Have you talked to various shelters, which would be a better route to go rather than relying on social media contacts, and clearly stated you need a mellow, cat-loving or at least cat friendly dog?

 

[bootsm]

How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog - TheCatSite
How To Keep The Dog Out Of The Cat’s Food And Vice Versa - TheCatSite

I have owned dogs with cats for almost my entire life, and not the recommended breeds if you read various articles as mine have generally been terriers or herding breeds. A lot of this depends on carefully introducing them and, in most cases, expecting the dog to behave around the cat. You need to take special care that your cat feels safe if you bring a dog into the house.


Do they give him human food as treats or is he on a home prepared diet of human food?
Feeding them in separate places with supervision would be necessary. Keeping them separated when you are out is also a good idea, especially until you see what their relationship is.

Is the dog with a rescue or someplace that will take him back if this were not to work out?

Thanks for your answer. He is on a raw diet I think. But they're mostly referring to him stealing food! It's from private owners, I'm not sure we could take him back but we're going to find out this weekend. I get the feeling we can tho, they know we'll have to see how he goes with our cat

 

[bootsm]

Hi
This is my personal opinion, but I wouldn't get this dog. Lots of members have both cats and dogs, but some dogs just shouldn't be around cats. People will suggest to ensure the cat has a high place in order to get away, ie; cat trees etc. Others might suggest to feed the new dog and your cat seperately.

All dogs can be, and need to be, trained, and this one needs more if he's possessive of human food and snappy.

You are mentioning that you're getting more and more concerned. Can you keep looking? Have you talked to various shelters, which would be a better route to go rather than relying on social media contacts, and clearly stated you need a mellow, cat-loving or at least cat friendly dog?

We've only just begun looking but looking everywhere aside from breeders, definitely set on getting a rescue. We get the sense this dog is cat friendly since he's lived fine with one before but he doesn't at the moment and each cat/dog is different. I'm definitely going to pay attention to how I feel though and if it's just too stressful or I don't feel confident, we'll keep looking or just not get a dog. Just at this point, I'm not sure I'm going to feel comfortable even with a cat friendly dog. I'm just getting so nervous that any dog might get triggered.

 

[Geul]

It is so great that you decided to adopt a dog!
What about going to a rescue center and spending some time with the dogs there? I usually look for such places at petsylife.com You can also talk to the workers and explain your fears. Sometimes we worry about things because we don't know what to expect.
If I were you, I'd choose a cat-friendly breed. We have a bulldog and they are big friends with our cat.
But regardless of where you get a dog and what breed you choose, you will need to introduce it to your cat.

 

[neely]

I think in this case getting a dog from a foster might help you make up your mind. The foster mom or dad would be able to tell you how the dog interacts in their home and if they have a cat/cats that would be ideal. Definitely take your time and don't rush into anything. We've always had cats and our last dog was the best with felines. We really didn't know for sure since he came from a shelter but we were prepared to make it work. One of the cats wasn't crazy about a dog being in the house but our dog never bothered him so they coexisted. The other cat was a bit shy but didn't mind the dog. After both of those cats passed we adopted a new cat who thought she was a dog. Needless to say they got along great. One thing for sure, you need to have a sturdy crate for the dog, keep a Kong in it for chewing or filled with treats to keep them happy and occupied. As for your cat there should be high shelves or a safe place for him to escape and rest. Although Mini-Pinschers are sociable they are also energetic and prone to chase smaller animals including cats. Since the dog you were considering is a mix of three breeds it's difficult to know which of those breeds is more dominant.

Good luck, have you made any decisions?

 

[nurseangel]

I would be hesitant about a dog that is food aggressive. I would hate for a dog not to get a home for that reason, but I worry for your cat, too. It's funny how we never put too much thought into mixing our pets when I was growing up and they always did fine. But now I research until I even get tired of looking.

 

[Kflowers]

When after decades of cats I decided to add a dog I thought about what would keep the dog safe while it learned to behave around the cats. The first thing was to get a dog with a long muzzle or at least not a short one and NOT poky out eyes. The second thing was to get a dog who was sufficiently bigger than a cat that I wouldn't forget he couldn't jump down from my arms without breaking a leg. I met several small dogs who had broken legs from jumping down from their owners' arms while the owner was standing up. This is something to keep in mind because you are used to cats who can do this without harm. Admittedly, I didn't end up with a small dog, but there are some in the 25 pound range that might do well for you.

 

[iPappy]

B bootsm I'm curious what you decided to do? I've brought dogs home before but I am very, very selective and downright picky. I hope if you brought the dog home, they're settling in nicely!

 

[Margot Lane]

Only dog I ever had around a cat was a cocker spaniel mix. Boy did that cat put the dog in its place!

 

[Kris107]

I know this thread has gone quiet, but wanted to share my experience. I always grew up in a house with 2 cats and a dog. I love dogs. So, after a lot of consideration, my husband and I moved forward with getting a dog. Before we did, we committed that our first priority would be our 2 resident adult cats. We got a puppy because we thought that we could train the dog better and perhaps rule out some behaviors an older dog could have. We could establish the rules. In short though, the dog did not work out. Our cats were too unhappy. I have a scratch mark on my dresser where one cat was trying to get away from the dog. The other cat hid and pooped in our bedroom. It just wasn't right for us. We didn't have enough separate space for the cats to feel comfortable and happy. It was hard to go through as giving up an animal is very sad. In the end though, we had to do what was right for our "current" family.

 

[KittyCat_chitchat]

As above, just throwing my experience out there - but in my case it was a success story. When I was looking into getting my first dog, I knew I needed one that would integrate with my Siamese cat Empress Wu. She was seven years old at the time, very small, and somewhat wary of new people and experiences, but otherwise confident in anywhere she regarded as her space, and the undisputed alpha kitty when she'd had her brother around.

I initially tried to find a suitable rescue dog as I thought it would be best to give an existing dog a home, but it was very difficult to find one that was both guaranteed cat friendly and would fit into my lifestyle. One rescue in particular kept trying to match me up with dogs who were clearly high prey drive and that I did not feel I could trust with my cats. I got the impression that they had this "It's just a cat" attitude and couldn't get why I was being so picky.

In the end, I decided to follow the path of least resistance and get a purebred puppy, as a) you can make a reasonable prediction of a purebred dog's personality and b) a small puppy would not be as intimidating for Wu as an adult dog, and would grow up being used to having a cat in her life. I actually did an internet search for 'cat-friendly dog breeds', and rough collies were on the list. I decided on them as some family friends had them, and being a herding breed, they weren't developed with killing instinct as a major priority.

I got a collie puppy from a reputable breeder. Before she came home, we designated one room a dog-free zone and blocked it off with a barrier that Wu could navigate but a puppy couldn't, and we set up a crate where the puppy would go when we weren't supervising her. The initial idea was to do a gradual introduction (which I'd still recommend). However, when we got little Becky home, we were taking her out to go to the toilet when Wu showed up to see what all the fuss was about. Becky toddled up to Wu and asked her to play. Wu showed no signs of fear, just did a peeved Siamese meow then started sauntering off with Becky toddling after her, until Wu went into her safe room. There was more of the same over the next few days, with Becky just asking to play and Wu going into her safe room when she felt like she needed it, but mostly just looking at Becky and occasionally bopping her on the nose (with her claws in) when Becky got too bouncy for her. We were of course always keeping an eye to make sure it didn't escalate, and it never did.

They ended up being best friends. They never cuddled up to each other, but they slept uncontained in the same room and spent time sitting in the garden together. When one of them went for a vet visit, the other one would be noticeably worried when she went and relieved when she came back. If you asked Becky "Where's your kitty?", she would go and find Wu. Wu used to play a weird game where she'd very deliberately work Becky up into chasing her and then dart off and jump to a high place. Becky would just stand there looking confused.

When Wu passed, Becky grieved. On the day, she lay on her bed with her head against the wall, and for weeks afterwards she'd jump up all excited if she heard a sound that she thought was Wu. When we got Ozzie, she was curious about him, but sadly he was too nervy to ever trust her and would run away from her. She didn't help by barking at him when he ran. However, while it was an uneasy coexistence, there was never any aggression and they just lived in different areas of the house until Becky passed last year.

TL;DR: I got a purebred puppy and she and my established adult cat became unlikely besties.

Here are Wu and a very young Becky hanging out together.

 

[KittyCat_chitchat]

More particular to you, B bootsm ...

None of the above is to say that you can't integrate an adult rescue dog with a cat, but I would say that you need a cat and a dog with the right personalities.

Firstly, what is your cat's personality like? What is their background? Part of the reason me getting a puppy worked was that Wu was a confident alpha cat within her own territory, and wasn't going to flighty and nervous. She came from a reputable breeder, so we knew her background from kittenhood, and that she didn't have any bad experiences that might make her nervous of a dog. Myself, if I had a cat that was more sensitive and/or had parts of their background that I just didn't know, I would go for a puppy and do a very slow, careful introduction to the cat.

Secondly, as you say, you need to get to know the dog. I would personally make sure the dog is obedient to commands, so that you know you can reliably call them away if they're bothering the cat. I feel sure that once you meet the dog, you won't be as worried as you are now. Take time to observe their behaviour and get to know them, and then honestly ask yourself if you can imagine this dog and your cat living together. If not, keep looking.

Thirdly, if you end up going to a rescue, pick your rescue carefully. I'd love to be able to say that, because they're all about animal welfare, all rescues will be understanding of your concerns - and most of them will be. Unfortunately, though, there are exceptions to that rule. I've also met plenty of dog people who wouldn't let anything happen to their dogs, but still somehow have the 'it's just a cat' attitude (I really don't get those people!). Whatever you do, don't let anyone pressure you into adopting a dog you do not feel you can 100% trust with your cat.

Finally, I cannot stress the importance of careful introductions. Keep the cat and dog separately at first. When you do in-person introductions, have the dog in a muzzle and on a long training lead until you are SURE you can trust them with the cat. Even after they're settled in, I'd personally have at least one dog-free room where the cat can go if they need a breather.

And another thing: even if you end up with a cat and a dog who get on really well, I would ALWAYS feed them separately. Dogs are walking dustbins who will hoover up anything, and cat food is not designed for dog consumption and will cause health problems. Either feed the cat in a designated dog-free room, fence the cat's food off, or feed the cat somewhere elevated like a windowsill. I also wouldn't recommend cats having access to dog food, again for health reasons.

Apologies for the long posts. I hope they're helpful, and that I've reduced the worry of anyone reading this, not made it worse.