Cats and dogs getting on

[Cheekystar]

Following my previous post about adopting a cat, do some cats and dogs get on?

I ask as my mum comes to visit regularly with her dogs and if we do get a cat I wouldn't want it to be scared, equally I don't want to tell my mum not to bring the dogs

[bigmamma]

My dog loves cats and wouldnt harm them but then she was from a breeder who had cats as pets.
Cats often dont realise she only wants to play though when they see her 45 kilo frame heading for them!!!

[divegirl]

Hi, I totally agree that dogs and cats can be the best of friends, I have three dogs and two cats who all pile up together to sleep! BUT and it is a big but! This has taken time. It took my first kitten about two weeks to be accepted by my dogs and even longer for her to stop trying to kill them....she was only playing....honest! The introduction of kitty number two was far easier as the dogs were by now used to having a cat around....and he was a lot more docile than his older 'sister' Church. It could work, but you'll have the added problem of just as they get used to each other the dogs will go home and then you'll all have to start again when the dogs next visit. That said my lot spend hours playing together...three Yorkies of varying ages and tempers plus Church the killer kitty and Mouse the fluffball Ragdoll from hell!!!! We recently lost our Dane, Floyd [ the master of all he surveyed], even he wouldn't mess with Church!!! And atm we have a visitor called Harry a Cairne Terrier who is here to stay for a couple of weeks, who couldn't give a toss about the cats.....he's more interested in the Degus....but that's a different story....lol

Good luck whatever you decide,
Lisa x

[pmjblue]

I adopted a cat when I already had a dog and neither of them bothered with each other - however......I then had a new dog and the cat went nuts - they eventually got used to each other and I left them both with the run of the house when I went out and I knew they were fine. This started all over again when I had another dog. But........my fathers cat, who I might add I rescued when it had been run over, tries to 'kill' my dogs, and any dog that enters the garden. He gets on their backs and tries to scratch their face - he is like a killer lion. He will never get used to the dogs as my father lives down the bottom of our garden in a granny flat, and has done so for 6 years. But if it is only your mom bringing dogs on visits, why cant you just put the cat in another room, as long as the cat doesnt know the dogs are there it wont get scared?

[paddywak]

A lot depends on the circumstances, my mum & dad had a rescue cat & dog that got on really well together, they had them both from babies & I think they thought they were really sisters. Max my GSD on the other hand hates the neighbours cat & if one comes into "his" garden he goes really crazy. I think this stems from when he was a pup, he would see the cats in the garden & go to see who they were & they used to hiss at him & one clawed him Now he's grown up he's getting his own back & showing them who owns the garden

[wolf63]

and remembe no matter how small and innocent your cat is when you get it it will be more than able to scare the sh*t our of any size of dog.

Most dogs are just curious when it comes to cats. Most cats just want to be obeyed and considered leader of the pack.

[paddywak]

wolf, that might work with most dogs but i can assure you they don't frighten Max. I don't know what would happen if he ever cornered one because they don't hang around long enough once he goes into the garden, it's his patch it & cat free zone as far as he's concerned

[k8bailey]

my mums 3 cats (Elvis, Stan and Sid) loved her 1st dog, stan even taught it how to be a cat and catch mice but when she got her second the cats all hated it so much they all left home, one feeds himself and only comes back once a week or if he's ill and never comes in the house, one was so miserable he had to move in with me and the other moved in with a neighbour a few doors down my mum never sees him now but is told that he's doing well!

I think maybe if enough time is spent introducing them slowly they could get on but like others have said anytime they start to get used to each other it'll be time to go home again and you may have to start all over again, the dogs are hyper anytime they meet someone new even when they've met before, it takes them days to settle around the stranger.

Don't let that put you off though, even if the cat isn't happy about having a dog around, it won't be all the time, cats usually just go and sulk for a couple of hours and then they're fine!

[Dee Sa]

we had a cat and a dog that got on well, ate each others grub etc and peace & harmony in the household then-----we took on a rescue dog that had been really ill treated, she saw the cat gave an almighty war cry & all hell was let loose, we tried putting each others bedding together to get used to the smells etc didnt work, we gave the cat the spare room to sleep in for safety, well eventually it worked out but it took about 2 years, they are not best friends but they tolerate each other [ well the cat gives her a whop every
now and again but no more war.].
It will sort itself out but you have to give them time.
Good luck.