ProperCharlie

i know that there are legions of cat lovers here, so quick question for you:

my mother lives in the *rse end of no-where (argyll), her husband loves cats. i was thinking of getting them a pedigree cat as a present, but they have a dog (1 year old flat coat retriever). will the dog and cat get on, in all probability? also, what is a good bread of cat to go for? or should i forget the idea due to potential incompatibility between dog/cat/me?

tia

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

At first there maybe a bit of conflict, it depends on the dog's and cat's temprament.

If the dog isn't that bothered about cats or other dogs in the area then it may be ok, if it's hostile towards cats then you'll have a problem. At the first introduction, there maybe some problems, but in most cases, conflict or not, they'll get used to each other and settle down after a few months.

ProperCharlie

the dog is pretty docile. in fact, it's pretty thick. all it wants to do is fetch sticks all day and has never shown any interest in the farm cats that wander about the place.

Nick

No no no!!

The problem will be with the current cat, who will see the new cat only as an invader to his/her territory. Problems can include fighting to inappropriate toileting. A cat is a solitary creature & does not crave company. Cats will only usually accept other cats from the same family group. There are methods to integrate new cats, but they are very time consuming & don't guarantee a happy household. Cat magazines are full of problems caused by introducing new cats!

ProperCharlie

they haven't got a cat at the moment. the farm cats aren't theirs, i was just saying that the dog isn't one of those that goes in for chasing any cat that it comes across.

Muffleman

I've never had a problem when introducing young animals, you may have a problem if you introduce a grown adult cat.

I have a dog and four cats, they all get on fine.

If the cat grows up with the dog then it'll have no problem, and I doubt very much that your retriever will have a problem with a kitten - animals will rarely sense the young as a threat.

Obviously, the down side is training the sharp clawed, stinky pooping curtain shredder !

All the best

Matt

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

My aunty used to take in rescue dogs and cats. Generally after a few months they'll all settle down. Cats find their favourite hiding place, dogs just do what dogs genrallly do. They are all from diferent families, and at first may have squabble, but they all get used to each other. At one point she had 6 cats and 4 dogs all in the same small house!

ProperCharlie

so what is a good make of cat? or all they all much of a muchness? i know michael (step father) had some type of siamese type thing years ago, and reckoned it was ultra intelligent.

Party Bird

Ive had my cat for 18 months now, and i got my puppy about 6 months ago, and we are still waiting for them to see eye to eye.

I think if we had got the cat first it may have been a different story, but at the moment she hates the puppy and he just chases her everywhere!! To be honest if your getting the cat from a kitten, they will adapt to the dog a lot better than if it was the other way round (like mine!) It is very frustrating because my cat was very loving and always near by, but since we've had the puppy she never comes downstairs anymore due to fear of the dog. It is actually pretty upsetting coz she does have a lot of love to give!!

Sorry for going on.......my advice would be to go ahead with the kitten. The dog will soon love it!!

SomeDude

There are no hard & fast rules, so the answer would be: "depends".

If you bring the cat in at 12 weeks old, and it has been socialized properly, there should be no problem what so ever on the cat side. Dog: depends really, could be jealous, so they would have to coach them.

We did the reverse: introduce a dog into a household of 5 cats, and it's working (but also has been a bit of work).

They are now up to the point that they will lie together in the dog basket.

To be honest, I wouldn't want to have missed those "interactions" for all money in the world.

HTH

Muffleman

Nah, go for a Maine Coon - great cat...sort of. Very different to your average moggie.

I used to box with one of mine , it was hilarous - I'd put my dukes up, and so would she (wimmin eh ). Then we'd start, she would hit me (no claws) and you'd hear it feet away...it was hilarious.

Gorgeous looking too - worth a look.

Matt

Party Bird

Somedude,

How did you get your cats to get on with your dog?! Im dying for ideas as i hate my cat hiding away all the time!!

ProperCharlie

not a bad looking critter - bit tigerish. quite like it.



cheers for the info.

Muffleman

Yup, that's em. They do different colours too, blues, silvers, reds etc.

Matt

SomeDude

My cats were gone the first 2 weeks and you could see them think "no way I want to be around that smelly awful creature".

We didn't panic, were patient, and made sure we teached the dog that they were "one up" the social ladder.

Slowly, they got hungry, came back in, had a few rucks with the dog (who wasn't agressive at all, just curious and playful).

We made sure they had places to "jump on" so they could get away from the dog if they felt so.

But like I said, it depends on so many things: dog character, cat character, how they were brought up in the cattery, if they go outside or not ...

FWIW, 4 off my 5 cats are Coons as well, and "in general" they are a bit more "laid back".

Nick

Animals as presents are not a good idea, why not discuss with them what type of cat they'd like? You have a few options, you could visit a rescue centre & get a cat from them. Otherwise, I'd suggest a fairly laid back cat, unless they'd prefer a curtain climber? Any oriental type cat can be very highly strung, somewhat destructive, although slightly more intelligent. Good home-loving & non-destructive cats include the British Shorthair (in several TV ads at the moment). Visit a cat show or buy a few cat magazines to get an idea of what's available. Also getting the cat from a good breeder is very important once you decide on a breed.

Muffleman

I'm very jealous mate

ProperCharlie

nick - i will chat with them about it. seems like the oriental types will be a bit too stressed out for that environment.

ProperCharlie

what about this geezer:

Brendan Hughes

<Russian accent> You styupid Amerrican puppy...</Russian accent>

We've had mixed experiences, all with Weimaraners and non-pedigree cats.

We took in a 6yo weim from a rescue centre after being assured it was fine with cats. It ignored our two for 3 weeks, then in the space of 2 days maimed one and killed the other. We believe it ignored them when they were slow-moving, but once they turned into hyperactive furry things (as cats do occasionally), it sensed prey.

Dog went back (very sad story), we bought a puppy.

Remaining cat gave birth later. We kept two of the kittens. Pup and all kittens got on famously - as SomeDude says, the interactions are great.

10 years later, we have a new pup. He harrasses the cats, just like any precocious youngster trying to push the limits, but they know what claws are for, and so does he now.

Good luck.

little miss fire

I've had my cat for 5 years. She was the only animal in the house for 2 of those. A year ago we got our puppy (12 week old staffie). Jasper the cat lived in the upstairs of the house for about 5 months. She wouldn't come downstairs at all. When Odin the dog could be trusted with going upstairs when we weren't at home, in a matter of days they were like best mates!!!! Jasper still has here places where Odin can't get her (mainly the window sills) and she still gives him a grumble and a clout every now and again, but at least she comes downstairs for a fuss now. She even forgets herself sometimes and fusses the dog!!!!!!

Party Bird - stick with it. They will becomes friends soon.

SomeDude

Ta Muffleman. They are rather special cats aren't they ?

Sad story Brendan, and a good warning that things can go seriously wrong as well.

You are also quite right that a young dog will try to "push the bounderies". When ours does that, we hear a short "kaiiieeeeet" from the dog

I guess it's a bit like "can male species of the human race live together with female species".

PC, how does the dog react to cats on the street ?

Apparition

One of our cats does get along with our dog, the other won't come near him.
Pedigrees are likely to be a tad highly strung and therefore not as likely to gell with poochy !

Audi-Boy

If you're gunna get a pedigree get a bengal:







They're a minature tiger innit.

Brendan Hughes

Presumably spotty tigers are teenagers?

eClaire

My auntie had a Staffie for years; our cat Chewy went to live with her and they got on really well. They use to lie in front of the fire all snuggled up together

vibrio

I would say they do mix.







also dogs and bunnys mix to

astraboy

Vibrio, you must have the softest alsatian in the UK!
Although it does seem to like using the cat as a pillow
astraboy.

SomeDude

These must be photoshopped

Nah, seriously, great pics

Party Bird

They are really good pics Vibrio...wish my dog and cat got on like yours do!!