View Full Version : A new dog for 2 cats!
etccarmageddon
21-09-2004, 21:11
I've just got a rescue dog (big german shepherd)and have not yet intro'd it to my 2 cats (who have seen her thru window and understandibly arnt impressed!)
The dog hasn't shown any interest in the cats so think it's cat freindly, however to reduce the possibility of a blood bath!.. any ideas on the best way to do it, step by step?
What advice can you offer - especially anyone with experiences!
All advice appreciated.
If you have two cats then why get a dog at all ? It's just asking for trouble.
etccarmageddon
21-09-2004, 21:30
thanks - that's helpful!
If you have two cats then why get a dog at all ? It's just asking for trouble.
Not necessarily Paul, years ago we owned a dog and 3 cats, brought the dog in after the cats and they all learned to leave one another alone.
Best solution is not to leave them all in the same room on their own for the first couple of months or until you can trust them.
thanks - that's helpful!You asked for any advice, my advice is don't do it ;) but I guess it's too late ... :D
Chimaera
21-09-2004, 22:24
I've had a look and come up with several bits of info but this one doesn't look too bad: http://www.doggiedoor.com/dogscat.shtml
Several sites suggest keeping the dog in a special dog crate so it can't chase the cats, until they have got used to each other. I tried to introduce a cat into our house a couple of years ago, although my dog is friendly and had no intention of chasing the cat, the cat would have none of it and turned into the creature from Hell every time they were in the same room together. The cat eventually absconded via the bathroom (ground floor) window and is now happily in residence a few houses up the street (with the neighbours' consent!) although he still hates my dog! As my dog is now 11 years old I have dissuaded everyone from trying again - it wouldn't be fair on either the dog or cat!
Good luck! :D
Florence
21-09-2004, 23:09
We had two cats when we gave a home to a german shephard dog that was a rescue dog. The dog only looked at the cats when she first came in the house and the oldest cat walked up turned sideways and lunged at the dog hanging on the dogs head. The dog yelped and spent months petrified of the cats. Now they sleep together and look after each other also share each others food.
Just don't try to rush things and try not to let the dog see the cats run away as that is what gets the dog to chase the cats..
poolking
22-09-2004, 06:29
This thread is useless without pictures. :)
Do you have pictures of her? :D
etccarmageddon
22-09-2004, 09:29
This thread is useless without pictures. :)
Do you have pictures of her? :D
soon!
I managed to get one cat in the same room as her last night in a strictly controlled setting - she has to lie down and not make any sudden movements as the cat sits with me.
she's been barking a few times during the night at the sent of passing cats at the garage door! so there's still a chance she'll be going back to the rescue centre if she doesnt fit in with the cats or if she needs more attention that we can offer.
she is a beauty - 7 years old. last owners got rid of her cos they couldnt give her enough time. another was in the home were there because 'new b/friend didnt like him/her' - this is why I'd only get a rescue doggy.
nb. I'm stunned my cats are still with us today - I was expecting at least 1 to go awol.
update - pictures now attached - note she is a SOGGY DOGGY due to a morning walk. she's unsettled a little so we're seeing how things go - 1 cat is okish but the other is a cause for concern as she is stressed. we're reviewing things at the end of each day as the cats and dogs well being matter a lot but the cats are our first priority.
Was the dog "cat tested" at the rescue centre, and have the cats been used to a dog before?
An Alsatian... well they can be very good, or very bad ... I hope it knows "leave!".
A dog for two cats - Not a bad deal
Wonder what I'd get for a wife?
I've found the best way is NOT to seperate them, the cats will naturally be inquisative after a while providing the big JS doesn't go for them. Hold the dog and allow the cats in naturally DO NOT throw them in the same room and hope for the best!
We had two cats when we gave a home to a german shephard dog that was a rescue dog. The dog only looked at the cats when she first came in the house and the oldest cat walked up turned sideways and lunged at the dog hanging on the dogs head. The dog yelped and spent months petrified of the cats. Now they sleep together and look after each other also share each others food.
Just don't try to rush things and try not to let the dog see the cats run away as that is what gets the dog to chase the cats..
I had the same thing with my dogs and cats, leave them alone and they will sort it out between them.
In my experiace (which is little and limited) I find that its best to seperate them at meal times as dogs seem to be very protective of their food, though this is not always the rule.
This dog sounds like its only barking at passing cats because it cant see them from inside the garage, and may be scared/trying to defend itself, if you get me.
I hope you keep her, she looks really nice :), and it'd be a shame to have to take her back to the rescue place as alsations aren't usually the ones that go first :(
etccarmageddon
22-09-2004, 18:55
sadly, we decided to return her today after evaluating her over the last day. one of my cats was very anxious and was suffering too much - added to that the fact that doggy had a lot of energy and therefore would need someone with plenty of time to spend with her. I told the home that if we were to keep her on it would be for selfish reasons. I recon someone with the right amount of time and energy will really enjoy this dog.
I think she'll be snapped up very quickly as she's a beauty and she has lots of plus points - she loved attention and was very friendly. she is able to sit at your feet as you watch tv and is also house trained.
she banged her head into me at one point and didnt yelp or get angry with me!
Ahh well, as you say its probably for the best, and you can't risk something happening between the dog and one of the cats, as the dog could have to be put down then, but as you say she is beautiful and should be taken soon :)
Florence
22-09-2004, 20:04
I thought I had done the wrong thing 2 months after taking in the dog even told my husband to ask the old owner if he wanted her back now he had a home... But now three years later I am glad he couldn't take her back. She is a lovely dog and none of us would change her..
etccarmageddon
23-09-2004, 00:09
We're sad about taking the doggy back cos she had a lovely personality.
:(
Florence
23-09-2004, 08:22
We're sad about taking the doggy back cos she had a lovely personality.
:(
Settling cats in with a dog is a long process and needs careful handling.. Yes even the most distressed cat can come to terms with sharing a bowl of food with the dog ours did. She spent the first week living on a shelf she managed to jump to after attacking the dog only coming down when she knew we was all in bed as the dog went upstairs with us to try and settle things down. Now she jumps in the dogs food and makes the dog wait till she has finished even though her food is down. My hubby often says she is a typical woman...
If I remember it was around 4 months before we could leave the dog in the same room when we was all out now we go out and they snugle together. If one cat is out late the dog is a pain always asking to go out back until the cat is in then she settles down. If another cat comes in after our cats she runs it and our cats sit there while she runs past them, they never run from her and she never chases the wrong cat. If we take the dog on holiday the cats are crying all the time looking for her when she comes back they are all over her purring.
We have four greyhounds, a cairn terrier and 3 cats. Introductions were carefully made over a long period and they all live together very well.
This summer there has been a new development. Our biggest cat has discovered rabbits and takes great delight in bringing live rabbits into the house and calmly marching into the room with four greyhounds lounging around and depositing bunnie on the floor...............think about that one!
Mr_love_monkey
23-09-2004, 09:05
We had a border Collie (rescue dog from the rspca), and several cats - they loved each other - the dog was a frustraited mother (we later found out that she'd had been got rid of once she'd become pregnant, and as soon as was possible the rspca rehomed the pups, so she missed them) - so she would groom the cats, which would work well with dogs, since their fur is different, but with the cats we ended up with some cats that had spikey hair where she'd dribbled over them whilst she was grooming them. This carried on even when one of our cats had kittens - Tess (the dog) took over grooming the kittens, because the cat wasn't the most hygenic of cats - and often the kittens would curl up on her and sleep.
Tess even used to let the cats 'turkey trot' on her when they were trying to get comfortable...
She was a lovely dog... it was so upsetting when we had to have her put down, when she became so ill, and was in so much pain that she couldn't move :( (that happened within the space of 2 days).
After that we got a German Shepard as well - and by that time we only had 2 cats left since we're talking about the space of 13 odd years. They say as a rule you get 2 kinds of German Shepards, either they are the quite aggressive ones, or you get the incredibly dopey ones, that tend to be frightened of most things.... guess which type we got. Suffice to say we had to stop the cats chasing the dog... :)
We got a rescue greyhound a couple of months after our Samoyed had to be put down.
The cat initially decided that he wasn't going to live in the kitchen with this interloper but under our bed, now 4 months on the dog is terrified of the cat who will start spitting and hissing as soon as he gets within 20 feet of the poor dog.
Once the dog has played the game and acknowledged that the cat is the boss we have peace and quiet, they'll even drink water out of the same bowl at the same time. :Yikes:
Tea time can be interesting sometimes, while we were dogless the cat got used to having a few mouthfuls of his tea and then leaving it for hours, he's not yet worked out that as soon as he turns his back the dog stops eating hers, nicks some of his then goes back and finishes off her own. :D its not unusual though to see the cat happily eating the dogs tea while the dog just stands there watching :shrug:
etccarmageddon
05-10-2004, 18:11
thanks for all the advice folks!
In an act of either optimism or stupidity we visited the dogs home again at the weekend and took another German Shepard back home to trial.
This one is an upgraded model! Travels in the car like a normal passenger! He also appears to have been pooed on from a great height by previous owners as he has no issues other than he's not a puppy anymore - that's my theory anyway. For the first time yesterday he started to properly wag his tail!
It was heart breaking seeing the dogs which people have casted off. I'll never pay money for one when there's plenty already homeless.
He's another lovely beast except he's currently being worked on re his instinct to chase a cat when it sees him and legs it! He also smells!
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