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?
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?