Question re introducing pups in a catty household :-)

[Miss Meow]

"A friend ;)" may be getting two pups in the future and was wondering about the most suitable way to introduce them into a household of cats.

This "friend" was thinking of setting up a spare room for the barking babies and taking time off work to help them settle into their new lives.

The "friend" was going to keep them away from the cats until they are bigger and more confident, and introduce the cats one at a time in a supervised setting (oh, and trim the cats' claws of course :)). Do you have any other advice???

[wolf_Q]

OoOoo....what kind of dog is your "friend" thinking about getting? ;) :D

Does this "friend" also happen to have a household of meezers? :p

[Kfamr]

I think introducing the puppies to the cats would be best to do after a few days. Then, they will just think of it as another *them* -- If not they may think of it as food.:p Atleast that's how I see it.

[Miss Meow]

Originally posted by wolf_Q
OoOoo....what kind of dog is your "friend" thinking about getting? ;) :D

Does this "friend" also happen to have a household of meezers? :p

Yesssssss, but doesn't everyone??? ;)

Kay Ann, the pups are likely to be half the size of the cats and the cats may regard *them* as entree-sized meals! :)

[aly]

I think its best to introduce the puppies to the cats while the puppies are still small. The cats will be more likely to see them as threats if introduced when they are bigger. It will be less stressful on the cats to meet them smaller. The meetings should all be supervised initially.

I strongly discourage getting 2 puppies at once, especially littermates. If your "friend" wants 2 dogs, I would get one puppy, then wait a few months and get another. Siblings can have rivalry problems since they are the same age and size. Its even worse when they are also the same sex. They also can have overbonding issues and that can cause problems for the humans. When the dogs overbond, the humans are not interesting at all and the dogs just won't listen to them. If you start with one puppy and add another later, you could be sure that you'll have dogs of different ages, sizes, and sexes. This will GREATLY reduce your risk of behavioral problems. Also, especially if you're a first time dog owner, trying to train and housebreak and care for two puppies at once is a LOT of work. I'm really experienced with dogs and my two foster puppies are driving me wacky. When my friend was babysitting one and I had the other, life was much easier. Of course everything boils down to the individual personalities of the dogs, but getting 2 littermates at the same time is usually asking for trouble.

[Rachel]

Originally posted by aly
I think its best to introduce the puppies to the cats while the puppies are still small. The cats will be more likely to see them as threats if introduced when they are bigger. It will be less stressful on the cats to meet them smaller. The meetings should all be supervised initially.

I strongly discourage getting 2 puppies at once, especially littermates. If your "friend" wants 2 dogs, I would get one puppy, then wait a few months and get another. Siblings can have rivalry problems since they are the same age and size. Its even worse when they are also the same sex. They also can have overbonding issues and that can cause problems for the humans. When the dogs overbond, the humans are not interesting at all and the dogs just won't listen to them. If you start with one puppy and add another later, you could be sure that you'll have dogs of different ages, sizes, and sexes. This will GREATLY reduce your risk of behavioral problems. Also, especially if you're a first time dog owner, trying to train and housebreak and care for two puppies at once is a LOT of work. I'm really experienced with dogs and my two foster puppies are driving me wacky. When my friend was babysitting one and I had the other, life was much easier. Of course everything boils down to the individual personalities of the dogs, but getting 2 littermates at the same time is usually asking for trouble.

I'm reprinting Aly's advice because it bears repeating. A long, long time ago, before I had met my husband, he adopted two female littermate puppies and experienced all the problems Aly was describing. Any of us who have raised even one puppy at a time know what an exhausting job it is to socialize, house train, and just generally get a puppy to develop the skills needed to be a good companion animal. Throw two puppies in with a house full of cats and I can foresee the possibility of the towel being thrown in with one or both.

[Cataholic]

I am with the two above, and with my father having kept many of littermates, I have seen it. It is the same with kitties, too. They bond to each other more than the hoomans.

As to the introductions, I strongly encourage that ALL visits be supervised, for weeks. Now, alot depends on the breed, take for example, Binx. The only threat he poses is drowning by drooling. Binx was 5 months when he came to live with me and the furry states. He was naturally curious, but, absolutely exhibited no aggression. However, even his natural curiousity earns him a very loud, very fierce, "No Cats!". I don't put up with him doing anything but walking past them, or nearly sniffing them. To me, the cats need the security way more than he needs the sniff. When we walk, and he wants to 'greet a cat' he again gets the very loud No Cats!, followed by a bad boy or two.

The cats have a protective device around their food/water, which is still on the floor in the kitchen, about 4 feet from Binx's. Binx does not get up in the bed, that is the cat's domain.

After 5 months, I trust Binx around the cats, but, I have heard him corner them, and bark at them, and he gets in trouble for that. They walk past one another, and sit on the floor within 5 feet of one another, and I expect things to still get better. At first, my cats spent lots and lots of time in the basement, where Binx couldn't get to, but, that has completely changed.

For whatever reason, my cats do not disicpline Binx. Someone asked me once if I had told them they could, and I haven't. I need to, but, don't know if the cats will do it. I think they sense that Binx is 'different'.

My sister has a rottie, a shepard mix, and a catahoula/spottie mix(?), and three cats. The rottie and the shephard both groom one of the cats, and will sleep with two of them. The little 'houla, as we call her, is just still to puppy-ish for ANYONE to stand, he he he.

Miss Meow, you tell your 'friend' I said, "good luck, and keep us posted, through you, of course"....

p.s.- make sure the puppy doesn't clash with the pink kitchen :p

[jenluckenbach]

I have never introduced dogs to cats so I have no personal experience, but I do know 1) the younger the better for introductions and 2) I also have seen the problems with littermates and rivalry. even to the point that the dogs needed to be separated within the house.
And even if a person thinks it would be easier to potty train 2 at the same time, it is better to focus on 1 at a time and do a good job with that and basic obedience before starting to train a 2nd.

[Miss Meow]

Thank you :) There is a lot of sage advice, especially re getting two at the same time and plenty to think about. Will keep you updated :)

[captain]

I agree 100% with aly - on both counts. Introduce the "meezers" to the pups whilst they are still small .......... AND how hard it is to have 2 pups at the same time ...........

......... happy to give you advice, but I would like to request that you DO NOT EVER do this to your little "possible dachie???" pup (oh, oh, ......... I mean, please don't let your "friend" do this .

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p89cd4dc9d7ffb95542e76124769367ca/faf7fc5b.jpg

Taken from anna_66 Bark in the Park album ..............

[aly]

Eeeep, especially since they're Doxies, I wouldn't get two at once. Doxies are a lot harder to housebreak and train in general. And they can grow up to be little terrors if not trained just right.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the breed and would have one in a heartbeat. But anyone who has two Doxie puppies at the same time is a braver woman than I !!!

[Miss Meow]

I am brave, intrepid, optimistic all at the same time, but I have to do what's best for the pups AND the cats, which is why I appreciate the honest opinions I've received.

I will also show this thread to Shane, who has a big stake in this. But both of us would never, ever dress a dog in an oversized pumpkin outfit :) ;)

[shais_mom]

Whatever you do Goodluck and take lots of pics!!!!
I must confess, I went to the National Weiner Dog races today and saw a lot more than a doxie dressed as a pumpkin!!! But I didn't get good pics tho. Too many people!! I would have stayed longer but it started to rain and was C~O~L~D!!!
Here are some of the pics I do have

http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b32d16dd8443

[Miss Meow]

Thanks, Staci :) I have seen Clydesdale horse and Shetland pony races, but never weiner races! :eek: