What do you think? (opinions please)

[thelmalu99]

Kay,
I can't blame you for wanting a kitty! They're terrific!

I remember you from a long while back, when I used to post here regularly, and I can say that I truly believe that you are committed 100% to giving your pets the quality of life that they deserve. I think you would be a wonderful kitty momma.

I don't know if you remember, but when I got Elvis and JD, I used to post here often about how difficult Elvis was. Unfortunately, he had been an abused cat, and he had some serious trust issues. He would scratch and bite any time he became even mildly irritated, and you couldn't touch him anywhere but the top of his head and around his ears. Even then, he would sometimes bite.

With all of my heart, I can tell you that today, three years later, he is a completely different cat. This is because I was patient and gave him all the love he would allow me to, and gradually he calmed down and realized that nobody was going to hurt him here. There is no doubt in my mind that you are this kind of pet owner, patient and loving.

I have another true story for you. (My stories DO have a point, so please bear with me.)

My friend Michele has a wonderful dog, Tasha, who hated cats. Tasha was the kind of dog who would see a cat outside and chase the cat all the way down the road until she was ordered back by Michele, puffing and panting from chasing Tasha (and trying to save the cat's life).

About 7 months ago, a tiny little scared and cold kitten appeared on Michele's doorstep. She took the kitten inside and put him in the bathroom with food and water and began to care for him. Tasha would always be scratching on the other side of the door, not barking, but just curious, understandably.

Michele thought she wouldn't be able to keep the cat, because Tasha hated cats so, but one fine day, when she brought the kitten out, Tasha was ok with him. They gradually got used to each other, and soon the cat didn't need to be kept in the bathroom anymore because he and Tasha were getting along fine.

Now, Tasha and the cat, Neo, live beautifully together, and even sleep together. Nobody knows what happened in Tasha's mind, but she's great with the cat and has even stopped chasing cats outside. Neo loves his big sister, and Michele can't even believe that she even considered not giving it a try.


Ok, now for my point. (I told you I had one!)

There's no reason Simba can't learn to live with a cat. From what I understand, it is only really aggressive dogs that can't learn to live with another animal. It doesn't seem to me that Simba is an aggressive dog at all, and you're obviously a very conscious pet momma. If you weren't, you wouldn't be thinking this through so thoroughly and asking for opinions before coming to a decision.


I like what some others here said. I think it would be an excellent idea to have your brother bring his cats over, and for you to take Simba to your brother's house to visit the cats on their turf, on a regular basis. See how it goes. You already said that Simba has been ok with your brother's cats at times. Maybe a little more exposure to them will help to warm him up, along with a lot of love, patience and reassurance from you.

Who knows? With proper handling of the situation and a lot of patience on your side, Simba may learn to accept cats and you will be able to get one to bring into your home on a full-time basis.

Whatever your decision, I wish you luck and commend you for being so responsible about it.