A Dog AND A Cat????

[Spy Car]

People tell me this is a bad idea.

What do I know from cats??? I'm a dog guy. Cats??? 

Mrs Spy Car seems to be suffering for pre-empty-nest syndrome. Fine when she was talking a tortoise, but a cat?

And we have a dog. A bird dog. Vizsla. Strong prey drive. Sweet as can be, but a hunter.

This is a very bad idea right? Cats and dogs??? That can't work, right.

Oh dear. Oh dear.

Bill

 

[Starr]

Well, I've seen it work. Good luck! 🤣

[Spy Car]

5 minutes ago, Starr said:

Well, I've seen it work. Good luck! 🤣

You are pulling my leg, right? Come on!

Bill

[Syllieann]

I've pretty much always had a dog and a cat.  My family has typically had large hunting dogs, and we pet sit for each other. There is a lot of animal mixing going on.  We have really never had problems with hunting dogs that were introduced to cats while they were puppies.  Sometimes an old dog doesn't want to play, or an old cat doesn't want its butt sniffed, but they generally don't try to kill each other. There was only one I was mildly concerned might try to kill the cat and it was a Wheaton terrier, the first terrier in the family.

My cousin, who had a cat at the time, married a man with a vizsla and everything was fine when they combined households.  I don't recall if the dog had been socialized with cats while it was a puppy, but it was fine combing them both as adults.  And as a side note, I have always had declawed cats (rescued-not interested in debating whether this is humane with anyone who might object) and they usually still manage to take the alpha position.

Edited October 30, 2020 by Syllieann

[Syllieann]

Just now, Syllieann said:

 

Ugh, dp

Edited October 30, 2020 by Syllieann

[Familia]

I have trained our dog to, at least, not maul the cat.  She only butts him around.  Hard!  The cat sets no boundaries, so they are rarely unsupervised.  If we are not looking, or the dog is in her puppy-crazy mood, she resorts back to ‘cat’s head in dog’s mouth’.  

Fortunately, cats are fast!

[Junie]

The answer to cats is always no.  Unless it's a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

[Spy Car]

1 minute ago, kand said:

I see YouTube has a bunch of vizla and cat videos, so 🤷‍♀️. You’d have to handle the introduction process really well. We’ve had multiple dogs with cats, but always did very careful introductions. Our current dog will bolt toward a cat if we encounter one outside, but completely ignores our own cats. 

Slowly, like a year or two? What's slowly???

And what's a "careful introduction?" 

This sounds like such a bad idea.

Bill

[Paige]

Get a bigger cat breed- a nice sturdy maine coon or something like that. It should work fine if you're dog is well trained, and I believe he is. We've gotten several kittens and my high prey dogs did fine once they were introduced carefully. He has to think the kitten or cat is family and clearly under your protection. 

One thing we had to watch was if our cat gets outside (very rare!) my dog gets confused for a minute and will chase him. I'm pretty sure she'd figure out who it was but we always called her back quickly. 

[Syllieann]

1 minute ago, Spy Car said:

Slowly, like a year or two? What's slowly???

And what's a "careful introduction?" 

This sounds like such a bad idea.

Bill

Like a few hours most likely, or until they have finished sniffing each other and lost at least temporary interest.  Then keep an eye while they are together for the next few days.  By then you will probably be good to go.

[Spy Car]

2 minutes ago, Familia said:

I have trained our dog to, at least, not maul the cat.  She only butts him around.  Hard!  The cat sets no boundaries, so they are rarely unsupervised.  If we are not looking, or the dog is in her puppy-crazy mood, she resorts back to ‘cat’s head in dog’s mouth’.  

Fortunately, cats are fast!

Mrs Spy Car is looking at slow fat cats. If you can belive that. Some breed called an American Shorthair. They look like snacks.

I suggested an Abyssinian. Sleek and fast and wild enough to perhaps survive. Who knows?

Vizslas are very fast!

Bill

 

 

[Spy Car]

1 minute ago, Syllieann said:

Like a few hours most likely, or until they have finished sniffing each other and lost at least temporary interest.  Then keep an eye while they are together for the next few days.  By then you will probably be good to go.

Hours? Days???

For real? Have you met a Vizsla? They have one track minds. 

Oh...I don't know. Such a headache.

Bill

 

[Pen]

Well, it can definitely work.

But it can also be a dog snack or a cat smack and the dog’s eye put out.

We had our current dog arrive as a big puppy with preexisting cats who were raised in part by a dog so quite used to dogs.    One cat and the dog easily bonded. The other took years to get to an understanding.  The main part of the understanding is that when it looks like a problem is developing I get in between them. 

Maybe Mrs Spy would like a puppy?

Edited October 30, 2020 by Pen

[Familia]

I am sorry to laugh, but, ”...look like snacks” ROFL!

If you can keep them apart when not supervised, I say, indulge your wife.  Always indulge your wife!

[Pen]

1 minute ago, Spy Car said:

Hours? Days???

For real? Have you met a Vizsla? They have one track minds. 

Oh...I don't know. Such a headache.

Bill

 

 

Months?   If you put in a lot of training.

[Spy Car]

2 minutes ago, Familia said:

I am sorry to laugh, but, ”...look like snacks” ROFL!

If you can keep them apart when not supervised, I say, indulge your wife.  Always indulge your wife!

Which looks more like a meal to you?

 

[Spy Car]

7 minutes ago, Pen said:

Well, it can definitely work.

But it can also be a dog snack or a cat smack and the dog’s eye put out.

We had our current dog arrive as a big puppy with preexisting cats who were raised in part by a dog so quite used to dogs.    One cat and the dog easily bonded. The other took years to get to an understanding.  The main part of the understanding is that when it looks like a problem is developing I get in between them. 

Maybe Mrs Spy would like a puppy?

Now my dog goes blind?

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!

I love Chester. No.

Bill

[Spy Car]

10 minutes ago, Pen said:

Well, it can definitely work.

But it can also be a dog snack or a cat smack and the dog’s eye put out.

We had our current dog arrive as a big puppy with preexisting cats who were raised in part by a dog so quite used to dogs.    One cat and the dog easily bonded. The other took years to get to an understanding.  The main part of the understanding is that when it looks like a problem is developing I get in between them. 

Maybe Mrs Spy would like a puppy?

I agreed to a tortoise. I thought I was golden. 

Oh no..she's calling me into the other room to look at kitty pictures. I kid you not.

Bill

[Pen]

3 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

Now my dog goes blind?

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!

I love Chester. No.

Bill

 

Cat slamming dog in face with claws out is a risk.

otoh they might become friends

[Shoeless]

I have a dog and 2 cats. The dog loves the cats and the cats love him. ❤️ They play with each other every day. 

But my dog is a lab, who's pretty sure everyone is his new best friend. Maybe other dogs would not be so excited about a cat. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

We have a dog, cat and two rabbits. The rabbits are the top of the pecking order. All my dogs have been able to learn the difference between “family “ and prey. 
 

We introduce new animals first by letting them smell each other- usually with the smaller animal crated. Then we separate them with a dog or child gate. We’ve moved from that to leashing the dog indoors and allowing the smaller animal free range. All my dogs have been well trained and know “leave it” very well. 

[Spy Car]

1 minute ago, Pen said:

 

Cat slamming dog in face with claws out is a risk.

otoh they might become friends

Chester did not eat the lovebird my wife found when it was a baby.

But he twitched, and drooled, and was on the edge of control every time that bird was out of the cage. I never thought it would survive.

Poor birdie keeled over a couple months ago. Had a few close calls.

Bill

[klmama]

3 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

We have a dog, cat and two rabbits. The rabbits are the top of the pecking order. All my dogs have been able to learn the difference between “family “ and prey. 

LOL!  Everyone I've known who has had a rabbit has said the same thing - the rabbit was in charge of all dogs and cats living in the home, even if they normally hunted wild rabbits outside.  

[Pen]

Feed Chester up nice and very full with his yummy raw foods, then let him

meet kitty in circumstance where kitty can’t run and Chester can’t chase 

then do things like pet them both and treat them both for calm behavior around each other. 

Does Chester know “leave it” reliably?   “Leave it” is very useful as between dog and cat .

I also tell my dog to move his head away from the kitty who hates him before he gets slapped. 

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

6 minutes ago, klmama said:

LOL!  Everyone I've known who has had a rabbit has said the same thing - the rabbit was in charge of all dogs and cats living in the home, even if they normally hunted wild rabbits outside.  

The rabbits would grunt and lunge to make sure that the other animals knew not to mess with them. 
 

Our cat would puff up and growl to warn our dogs off as well. 

[Spy Car]

"Drop it" might work.

Oh dear. Oh dear.

And now my son is buying into this insanity.

I could be in real trouble here, people.

Bill

 

[Spy Car]

1 minute ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

The rabbits would grunt and lunge to make sure that the other animals knew not to mess with them. 
 

Our cat would puff up and growl to warn our dogs off as well. 

We had an awesome rabbit (pre-Chester).

HUGE. One of those Flemish GIANTS. His name was Bork <---which is what happens when one asks 4 year olds to help name pets. My son did not hesitate when asked. "Bork." It stuck.

One day Borked leaped in the air and kicked his feet out to the side in a big leap (which was his habit) and I think he snapped his spine. It was terrible. RIP Bork.

I ruined my own thread. This is not going well at all.

Bill

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

2 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

We had an awesome rabbit (pre-Chester).

HUGE. One of those Flemish GIANTS. His name was Bork <---which is what happens when one asks 4 year olds to help name pets. My son did not hesitate when asked. "Bork." It stuck.

One day Borked leaped in the air and kicked his feet out to the side in a big leap (which was his habit) and I think he snapped his spine. It was terrible. RIP Bork.

I ruined my own thread. This is not going well at all.

Bill

 

He died happy. A leap like that is called a binky. 

[Spy Car]

4 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

He died happy. A leap like that is called a binky. 

Bork was such a happy rabbit. So huge.

He liked to frolic.

Hmmm...should I try to negotiate? 

Bill

[sangtarah]

16 years ago we got a very confident, very small, kitten. She has ruled the house and all other furry creatures since. At the time we had a black mouth cur, a high energy, high chase dog. But he knew to leave her alone (he was teachable). She kept him in line. She is old and much weaker now, but she still doesn’t let the 5 month puppy push her around. 
Maybe animal confidence helps? 

[Spy Car]

1 minute ago, sangtarah said:

16 years ago we got a very confident, very small, kitten. She has ruled the house and all other furry creatures since. At the time we had a black mouth cur, a high energy, high chase dog. But he knew to leave her alone (he was teachable). She kept him in line. She is old and much weaker now, but she still doesn’t let the 5 month puppy push her around. 
Maybe animal confidence helps? 

How does one build confidence in kittens? I know nothing about cats. Dogs I know. I'm like a dog whisperer. 

Cats confuse me. Where do they eliminate? Can they go outside? Do they come back?

And the dog is in and out and in and out. We couldn't keep a cat from escaping.

Bill

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

5 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

How does one build confidence in kittens? I know nothing about cats. Dogs I know. I'm like a dog whisperer. 

Cats confuse me. Where do they eliminate? Can they go outside? Do they come back?

And the dog is in and out and in and out. We couldn't keep a cat from escaping.

Bill

 

You choose a confident cat. One that doesn’t cower in the corner. One that is curious and a bit adventurous. 

[Spy Car]

5 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

You choose a confident cat. One that doesn’t cower in the corner. One that is curious and a bit adventurous. 

OK. That's the same thing I do with puppies.

So I have a very bold dog. Great move, right?  

Chester, drop it!

Drop it NOW!!!

I MEAN IT. NOW!!!

Good dog.

Bill

 

[klmama]

16 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

Cats confuse me. Where do they eliminate? Can they go outside? Do they come back?

Cats can possibly go outside to eliminate, but then you may have piles of cat waste in loose soil next to your house or in your garden, and when other cats smell it there they may decide to go there, as well.  While outside they also tend to hunt songbirds, rabbits, chipmunks, etc.  Many municipalities have ordinances requiring all pets to be restrained, including cats.  As for coming back, well, they are cats.  They do what they want when they want it, so they may not come back when you want them to unless you tie them.  Instead of letting them roam free, most people choose to have their cats use a litter box inside the house, necessitating daily scooping of feces and urine into baggies for disposal, assuming you use clumping cat litter.  Every so often, you bag up and dump what's left, because of built-up ammonia smell, and scrub the cat litter box, then start fresh with new litter.  There are other types of litter that don't clump together into a solid, but generally they smell much stronger.  

 

[Spy Car]

4 minutes ago, klmama said:

Cats can possibly go outside to eliminate, but then you may have piles of cat waste in loose soil next to your house or in your garden, and when other cats smell it there they may decide to go there, as well.  While outside they also tend to hunt songbirds, rabbits, chipmunks, etc.  Many municipalities have ordinances requiring all pets to be restrained, including cats.  As for coming back, well, they are cats.  They do what they want when they want it, so they may not come back when you want them to unless you tie them.  Instead of letting them roam free, most people choose to have their cats use a litter box inside the house, necessitating daily scooping of feces and urine into baggies for disposal, assuming you use clumping cat litter.  Every so often, you bag up and dump what's left, because of built-up ammonia smell, and scrub the cat litter box, then start fresh with new litter.  There are other types of litter that don't clump together into a solid, but generally they smell much stronger.  

 

I'm gagging.

That sounds so gross.

Bill

 

[klmama]

9 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

I'm gagging.

That sounds so gross.

Bill

 

Yep.  And since it will be your wife's cat, it's reasonable that it be your wife's job to clean up after the cat on a daily basis.  Many people do it twice daily to keep the smell and mess down.  By the way, cats sometimes track litter beyond the litter box area, so regular vacuuming may also be important.  That's in addition to regular vacuuming of furniture to get fur off, assuming the cat sheds, as most do.  As she researches cute kitties, make sure she also researches best ways to handle shedding, plus types of cat litter, types of litter boxes, how to trouble-shoot and retrain cats who have litter box issues, how to introduce cats and dogs, etc.  Everyone will be happier if they go into this with eyes open and some knowledge at hand.

[klmama]

Oh, and for vacuuming furniture, it may be best just to use the wand to suck up fur, not the beater brush attachment.  That tool can damage upholstery fabric if used often.  

[Jean in Newcastle]

22 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

I'm gagging.

That sounds so gross.

Bill

 

If you have the right litter and take care of it, it isn't so gross.  Your wife (since she's the one who wants the cat) can scoop morning and night like I do.  It's a clumping litter.  It doesn't smell.  I get rid of it in the trash can (in a plastic bag). 

A cat will need to be fed of course.  And you will need to keep the dog out of the cat's food and vice versa.

Cats can get sick and need vet visits.  And vaccines just like dogs.  I am pro spay and neuter of cats.  For one thing, neutered cats don't tend to spray like unneutered cats can to attract potential mates. 

Cats need licenses just like dogs in most municipalities.(though cheaper).

I am pro- indoor only cats.  But my area has coyotes, cougars and bears.  Small animals like chihuahuas and cats are called "coyote bait" here.  There are cats though that are indoor-outdoor.  They can eliminate outside and come inside for food and sleep.  But again, that is not my personal preference.  I will spare you my very strong feelings on this since I do understand that people have differing opinions. 

I am strongly anti- declawing for cats.  Even for indoor ones that don't need claws for protection.  (Though a dog-cat household might necessitate claws.)

Cats can have annoying behavior just like dogs can.  They can eliminate outside of the litter box, though most of the time that is solved with good litterbox cleaning and good health care.  They can throw up things like hairballs.  (My personal nemesis with my cat.  I am solving it with cat probiotics and by keeping my cat in the bathroom for the first 20 minutes after eating because that's when he does it.)

 

Edited October 30, 2020 by Jean in Newcastle
typo

[Ellie]

2 hours ago, Spy Car said:

People tell me this is a bad idea.

What do I know from cats??? I'm a dog guy. Cats??? 

Mrs Spy Car seems to be suffering for pre-empty-nest syndrome. Fine when she was talking a tortoise, but a cat?

And we have a dog. A bird dog. Vizsla. Strong prey drive. Sweet as can be, but a hunter.

This is a very bad idea right? Cats and dogs??? That can't work, right.

Oh dear. Oh dear.

Bill

We've always had dogs and cats together. We even had cats and a greyhound, which you know is a hunter. However, she was only two years old when she was taken off the track, so I'm guessing her prey drive wasn't strong enough to make her a winner. 🙂 She was screened by the rescue group and it was determined that she was cat-safe, and it turned out that she was. We had five cats at one time along with the greyhound.

[Matryoshka]

2 hours ago, Junie said:

The answer to cats is always no.  Unless it's a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

No, no, no, it's exactly the other way around - the answer to cats is always yes! - unless it's the musical. 😹

[Spy Car]

27 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

If you have the right litter and take care of it, it isn't so gross.  Your wife (since she's the one who wants the cat) can scoop morning and night like I do.  It's a clumping litter.  It doesn't smell.  I get rid of it in the trash can (in a plastic bag). 

A cat will need to be fed of course.  And you will need to keep the dog out of the cat's food and vice versa.

Cats can get sick and need vet visits.  And vaccines just like dogs.  I am pro spay and neuter of cats.  For one thing, neutered cats don't tend to spray like unneutered cats can to attract potential mates. 

Cats need licenses just like dogs in most municipalities.(though cheaper).

I am pro- indoor only cats.  But my area has coyotes, cougars and bears.  Small animals like chihuahuas and cats are called "coyote bait" here.  There are cats though that are indoor-outdoor.  They can eliminate outside and come inside for food and sleep.  But again, that is not my personal preference.  I will spare you my very strong feelings on this since I do understand that people have differing opinions. 

I am strongly anti- declawing for cats.  Even for indoor ones that don't need claws for protection.  (Though a dog-cat household might necessitate claws.)

Cats can have annoying behavior just like dogs can.  They can eliminate outside of the litter box, though most of the time that is solved with good litterbox cleaning and good health care.  They can throw up things like hairballs.  (My personal nemesis with my cat.  I am solving it with cat probiotics and by keeping my cat in the bathroom for the first 20 minutes after eating because that's when he does it.)

 

I don't know much about cats--full admission of the truth here--but I would never think of de-clawing a cat. 

The thought of a litter box--my wife when we first met had a roommate with a cat and a litterbox that was kept in the bathroom of their apartment--and 25 years later I'm still gagging think about it.

To relax I put on a recording of Bruckner Symphony No. 7 conducted by Takashi Asahina and the Osaka Phil. Do you know Asahina? It's so good! Forgetting about cats. So relaxing.

Bill

 

Edited October 30, 2020 by Spy Car

[Matryoshka]

We have cats and a dog. The cats are in charge, and sometimes give him a playful swat on the nose to remind him of his place.

[Spy Car]

1 minute ago, Matryoshka said:

We have cats and a dog. The cats are in charge, and sometimes give him a playful swat on the nose to remind him of his place.

The little teeny tiny Lovebird we had would sometimes peck the dogs nose. How it wasn't eaten is beyond me.

Bill

 

 

[Spy Car]

Ahhh...Bruckner is the cure to all life's problems.

I'm melting. Worry about cats tomorrow.

Bill

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

7 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

To relax I put on a recording of Bruckner Symphony No. 7 conducted by Takashi Asahina and the Osaka Phil. Do you know Asahina? It's so good! Forgetting about cats. So relaxing.

Bill

 

No, but I saw Seiji Ozawa conduct in person. 

[Spy Car]

6 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

No, but I saw Seiji Ozawa conduct in person. 

Asahina was a national (and international) treasure. If you have the opportunity to hear his recordings, do so. 

I especially like him in Bruckner. The adagio of Bruckner 7 (2nd movement) is such a work of beauty.

All my cares have floated away...

Raw diet. Vaccines. Hairballs. Neutering. All being erased from my mind. I'm being swept clean.

Bill

Edited October 30, 2020 by Spy Car

[catz]

I know many people who have both.

if you are looking at kittens, 2 is better than one.  Especially if you think puppers won’t be keen to learn to play nice.  Some rescues actually insist.   I will actually not get another single kitten. They really are better in pairs. 
 

https://www.treetopsrescue.org/info/display?PageID=5891

[Pawz4me]

5 hours ago, Spy Car said:

 

And we have a dog. A bird dog. Vizsla. Strong prey drive. Sweet as can be, but a hunter.

Our dearly departed Brittany LOVED cats. 

Just so  you know. 😉 

[RootAnn]

Seen lots of dogs & cats living together happily. They seem to introduce better as kittens, but I've seen it go well with older cats, too.

We made a litter box out of a storage tote sort of like this. You can also buy something similar. Search for top entry litter box.

If Mrs Spy Car wants a kitten, I definitely suggest getting two together. Many rescues will let you know if they are "good with dogs." (Dd's TNR non-profit has a young adult cat who prefers large dogs to other cats. She's being fostered at a groomer's office & only has to be kenneled when another cat comes in. Most of the dogs do very well with her.)

[Carrie12345]

Our cats and dogs have lived together fine, but I can’t really speak to breed specifics. Ours have been Rottie/Lab, GSD/Rottie, and a Chihuahua mix. Our cats have been pretty chill.

The Chi and 14yo cat currently play some psychological games with each other, but mostly avoid one another. The cat is about 3xs the dog’s size, lol.