# Adding a cat to the pack



## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

It's been a few months since we tragically lost Dorian, our awesome cat. When he died, we said we'd likely stick to just the dogs for a while, as the house is already pretty crowded with just the two of them. Plus we were too sad to want to go through the whole thing again anyway.

Lately, though, I have noticed my husband's computer open to pictures of cats on Petfinder. He's a consummate cat person and has said a few times that it's just not the same without one, but now it's looking like it could be soon.

So...has anyone had success adding a cat to a dog household? Dorian was already here when the dogs came in, so it was a little easier for him to already have his routines and hiding spots in place, and just work around those when teaching the dogs things. Adding a cat (who will probably be freaked out in the new environment already) to a home with dogs seems a little harder. Especially since my two tend to think of cats as playmates and/or toys.

Is there a good way to bring in an adult rescue cat in this situation, or do we really need to stick to kittens?


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

A cat who has lived happily with dogs would probably be able to cope. My cats live with toy dogs, but face down my neighbours' Newfie and Great Dane. But two kittens from the same litter can be a good bet - they entertain each other, which could save the dogs getting too much involved with playing with them while they are vulnerable. I would talk to your local cat rescue centre, and see what they advise.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I think that's just great that you're getting a cat. I once added a kitten to my household where we had an adult male GSD. He was death on cats and would chase one if it came over our fence. He almost killed one once, had it cornered and had his forelegs trapping the cat in the corner of the fencing, but I called him to come just in the nick of time...and he was really obedient, turned on a dime and came running. So, I had to supervise VERY carefully and not let them be together at all at first without some kind of barrier between them. I fed them pieces of steak in the runner of the sliding glass door with the cat on the inside and the dog outside with the screen door between them, the glass door opened. They ate near each other. This was years ago...like about 33 years ago. Anyhow, they'd growl at each other while they ate their treats. Well...long story short, with some other exercises in desensitizing and so forth...and keeping them apart when not directly hovering with loads of reinforcement, they got use to each other and became fast friends. The dog was still not fond of neighboring cats who would come in our yard...was in fact dangerous to them, but each subsequent cat or kitten we added to our household, he was crazy about and protective of them and we added a few. Funny how things work out. I don't think you'd have any trouble if you make sure to give the kitten or adult cat a safe place to be able to get to. And to supervise at first VERY carefully. Since your dogs have already experienced a cat, I'm sure it will work out. You can also work on training if the dogs get too playful or rough...reinforce behavior you like, prevent their self rewarding rough play, of course. Maybe a kitten would be best unless you can adopt a cat that's use to dogs. I agree with asking the shelter people what they think. But do keep in mind that this will be a new comer, so even if your dogs lived with a cat, they may still need some easing into the idea of an _interloper_ joining the family so be careful at first till you see if they show any signs of resource guarding or territorial b.s. Good luck. I hope you find just the perfect kitty for your family.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Lisa (and anyone else in S Calif).........if you are close enough for a day trip to San Diego, right now the San Diego Humane Society is waiving all adoption fees so all the animals will get forever homes for Xmas......lots of Kitties!!!!! The news said a generous donation to them is making it possible....all of the cats and dogs are fully vetted(spayed/neutered, shots and FIV testing on the cats!) Oh yeah, they also have other animals too! rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, birds, etc! They said they will do this until the 24th!


This is for all the locations here.....Escondido, Oceanside,San Diego.......What a great event!


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

MollyMuiMa said:


> Lisa (and anyone else in S Calif).........if you are close enough for a day trip to San Diego, right now the San Diego Humane Society is waiving all adoption fees so all the animals will get forever homes for Xmas......lots of Kitties!!!!! The news said a generous donation to them is making it possible....all of the cats and dogs are fully vetted(spayed/neutered, shots and FIV testing on the cats!) Oh yeah, they also have other animals too! rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, birds, etc! They said they will do this until the 24th!
> 
> 
> This is for all the locations here.....Escondido, Oceanside,San Diego.......What a great event!


Wow, that is a great event! I love things like that that give a little extra incentive. I'll let the husband know. He went from looking at Petfinder profiles to telling me he wants to go to a shelter in Burbank "just to look," so things could be happening. I've made it clear we have to have a good cat sanctuary spot set up in here first! 

Hopefully they remember their indoor cat manners...they spotted a cat out on the street earlier tonight and they were definitely keen to chase after it. Luckily neither of them have ever been really aggressive toward cats - at worst they just try to play too hard.

Good point on territoriality, though. Cleo does have a little tendency toward that, mostly in regards to her crate.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

lisasgirl said:


> It's been a few months since we tragically lost Dorian, our awesome cat. When he died, we said we'd likely stick to just the dogs for a while, as the house is already pretty crowded with just the two of them. Plus we were too sad to want to go through the whole thing again anyway.
> 
> Lately, though, I have noticed my husband's computer open to pictures of cats on Petfinder. He's a consummate cat person and has said a few times that it's just not the same without one, but now it's looking like it could be soon.
> 
> ...


My experience has always been that cats and dogs get along very well. 

We got our first cat in 1975, 2 years before we got our first Poodle. But in 1990, our cat passed away. By then we already had 4 Poodles, and in April of that year, we added Ashley kitty to our family. The dogs loved her immediately. They did chase her some when she was a kitten, but that was in play, and she liked it too. After once she got settled in and older, the chasing stoped. Ashley had a bond with my Poodle Skipper, and I would often find them sleeping next to each other.

As for a kitten versus an adult, that's personal preference, but I would think that if you do go with a somewhat older cat, you should make sure that you are looking at cats who will get along with dogs. Because if the cat has never been around dogs, it could pose problems, or maybe a longer time to adjust. Personally, I always want to get my cats as kittens. I love the idea that I will be her only human mommy. We can grow and learn about each other, and hopefully have a very special bond.

Hope this helps in some way.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

I got Walter Grey at the shelter a little over a year ago, he was 5 at the time. So it can be done, getting a kitten doesn't guarantee that it will like the dogs.


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## oshagcj914 (Jun 12, 2016)

I did the opposite and added dogs to an existing cat household. My cats were 5 at the time and had never been around dogs. It didn't go as well as I had hoped. Finn (the puppy) has a fair bit of prey drive and loved to chase the cats. They were not used to dogs, so they didn't know to avoid running or scratch him/bop him in the face. With a lot of time and training, we got them to the point where all animals could be in the same room or near each other, but they were never friends and I don't think they ever would be. My ex now has Finn and I'm down to Asaah (who leaves the cat alone) and one cat, so kind of a moot point now  

If it were me, I'd consider a kitten to grow up with dogs if your dogs are gentle with cats. Otherwise, try to find an adult cat who is really used to dogs. See if you can take your dogs to the shelter to meet a cat before you adopt. You could also see if you could find a purebred cat from a breeder with dogs who is looking to rehome one. They're likely to have been socialized with dogs. I have a couple friends who have got adult Bengals from breeders and are really happy with them. If you're looking for a friendly cat that likes to play with dogs, a Bengal might be good. They have a lot of energy and are really smart and interactive.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

I introduced a six month old kitty to my 2 year old Asta who had never been around cats. The cat, Jax, did have some dog experience. I was careful at the beginning to keep them separated and to give both the cat and the dog their own time with me. Gradually I gave them more and more space and time together. Now they play chase and Asta will lick the cat. Sometimes Asta is not gentle enough so I have to give him the command to play nice. All in all, the introduction was a success although I still wish Jax would not hide so much. Good luck with your quest for a kitty.


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

Thanks for the input, guys! The husband has next week off, so he may make a new cat (and cat/dog relations) his project for the week. Obviously most cats take longer than that to really settle in, but it's a good start.

We're focusing on cats and kittens that have been socialized with dogs - or at least seem confident enough to handle ours. I hadn't thought of contacting cat breeders - it'd be fun to find a great big Maine **** who outweighed both of my guys for good measure. :laugh:


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