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My neighbor wanted to part with the kittens as soon as they turned 6 weeks old but maybe I can get him to keep one for me till it is 10-12 weeks old and at 6-7 weeks I could bring kitty over to my house for daily visits to get aquanted with my guys.They were born 9/24,I marked it on my calendar in case I took one I would know.
Both my dogs like to share my bed,Looks like it may get a little more crowded in the near future,lol
Once I figure out how to attach pictures I will gladly do so
Here is an article about when kittens should be separated from their mothers:
12 weeks is optimal. Honestly, your neighbor really shouldn't be separating the kittens from the mother any sooner than 8 weeks; I know that he/she wants to rehome them as quickly as possible but, for the interest of the kittens, perhaps you can pass the advice along (gently, of course) to your neighbor?
I think the idea to bring kit over for visits is a great one! It will really help the kitten to transition well. I would just make sure that the visits aren't too long, as kit will still need to be interacting with its mom and siblings.
I also think that the idea to get more than one is a great one. Not only would you be providing homes for two cats, versus just one, but you will also find that the two will keep each other occupied. And, honestly, when they get to the "play" stage, you will be happy that they have each other; otherwise, the lone kitten will be looking to you and the dogs to play, sometimes at 2 o'clock in the morning I actually think that the play stage is the most taxing for kitten owners b/c it is often non-stop until they grow out of it. Of course, the two kitten household is also commonly referred to as "double trouble" as well, so keep that in mind But then, if you were to adopt two instead of one, each dog would have his/her own kitten!
Thanks for replying. I'm sure my male dog will be fine,............
Please rethink this since you have 2 dogs that weren't raised with cats. The first time you leave them alone you may come back to a bloody nightmare as one of my neighbors did some years ago. The young cat was used for a chew toy and tug-of-war games by the dogs. Use your imagination as to that was left of the cat.
Did he become diabetic on a canned meaty cat food diet or a dry kibble diet?
To answer your question:
Don't know.
Jensen wondered in as a stray. He'd been front de-clawed and been out on his own for Lord only knows how long. He was on a friends acreage and had taken up with me so well I brought him home. The vet thinks since he's over ten- best guess, and at the time couldn't tell because Jensen's teeth were in horrible shape he went on canned as soon as he got to my house. The vet thinks it's from the rough outdoor life he led and being front de-calwed by his previous owner didn't help matters and Jensen probably scrounged for food out of trash cans, gutters, you name it. He knows all too well what a cheeseburger wrapper is.
Last edited by chaseystarz; 10-07-2010 at 08:03 PM..
A year ago I got a tiny rescue kitten, est 6 wks old and all of 1 lb, and I had a 10 yr old 60 lb golden at the time.
I kept them separated with a baby gate and only let them interact when I was right there to supervise, up until the kitty was about 14 weeks old. The kitten was never afraid of the dog. They got along great. My golden was a little afraid of the kitten as she already knew what kitty claws could do from prior experience with cats. But she was accustomed to being around cats at her babysitter's house and I knew she liked them.
The kitten totally bonded to 'her' dog and probably thought my golden was her mommy or at least a cuddly big aunt. My golden is gone now (RIP) and it's been a tough transition for the both of us. Very happy I had the two of them at the same time for those 10 months, at least. Good times and lots of laughs and some great pics too.
Please rethink this since you have 2 dogs that weren't raised with cats. The first time you leave them alone you may come back to a bloody nightmare as one of my neighbors did some years ago. The young cat was used for a chew toy and tug-of-war games by the dogs. Use your imagination as to that was left of the cat.
I should have added this to my post. If you don't know how your dogs will react, keep the cat or cats separate when you're not present until you're sure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chaseystarz
To answer your question:
Don't know.
Jensen wondered in as a stray. He'd been front de-clawed and been out on his own for Lord only knows how long. He was on a friends acreage and had taken up with me so well I brought him home. The vet thinks since he's over ten- best guess, and at the time couldn't tell because Jensen's teeth were in horrible shape he went on canned as soon as he got to my house. The vet thinks it's from the rough outdoor life he led and being front de-calwed by his previous owner didn't help matters and Jensen probably scrounged for food out of trash cans, gutters, you name. He knows all too well what a cheeseburger wrapper is.
Who knows what he had to eat when he was on his own? My former feral cat has absolutely no hunting instinct. I assume he found some sort of garbage; but the neighborhood wasn't one where there's garbage lying around.
Please don't think I'm attacking you. You've obviously done a great job, giving him the life he deserves.
Please don't think I'm attacking you. You've obviously done a great job, giving him the life he deserves.
Nope, I don't see any malice in your post. Jensen probably had been diabetic well before he came into my home and we didn't know it. When he went for his first vet trip he we were told give the guy a month and come back for a weighing. And we did and he gained weight fine and then lost it rather quickly after six months. So for what that poor guy's been through he's doing rather well.
I wouldn't call Jensen feral because when he came in the first night he went for a tour of the house and then went and plopped down on my bed and fell asleep. He was rather acquainted with the all the offerings of a home.
But we're getting OT......
As for cats and dogs getting along. There's just as many good stories out there of bigger dogs getting along famously with a cat. But at first it's best to keep everybody separated, supervise together time and make sure the cat has somewhere to escape to. But as a kitten I'd keep him or her away from the dogs until old enough. And the older the kitten the better socialized they will be. Just read the threads about kittens that were taken away very young. I have two that were that way and it leaves an impact on them that is irreversible which carries over in their day to day lives. I didn't have a choice on Hackney- my previous neighbors had gotten a kitten and left him outside and around 8 weeks old by himself UNDER a truck with food, but no water, and just pulled from the litter as he was still blue eyed. He came wondering over to my yard as I was doing yard work and told me he need a home on a Friday night. Sucker I am, I brought him in. But if he would have had those few extra weeks with mom and litter he wouldn't have been as neurotic.
My Amelie came from a place where she bonded with me just after birth and then her mother took off at 5 weeks of age and really didn't care for her at all. Which I know is a VERY extreme case- but if she would have had the extra weeks with her litter in a good environment she would have been a totally different cat. It sounds like we're being very Freudian. But the longer a kitten has the better chance of surviving and being socialized is our point.
Please rethink this since you have 2 dogs that weren't raised with cats. The first time you leave them alone you may come back to a bloody nightmare as one of my neighbors did some years ago. The young cat was used for a chew toy and tug-of-war games by the dogs. Use your imagination as to that was left of the cat.
Please rethink this since you have 2 dogs that weren't raised with cats. The first time you leave them alone you may come back to a bloody nightmare as one of my neighbors did some years ago. The young cat was used for a chew toy and tug-of-war games by the dogs. Use your imagination as to that was left of the cat.
I agree, monitor them very closely, use a baby gate and don't let them interact until the kitten is bigger...trust me, something can happen quicker than you can react. It's literally 1 second. I turned my back for literally a second to grab my kitten's food off the table and in that second my dog killed my kitten who was around 9 weeks old. I'm assuming the dog shook him because he got too close to his food and this was a dog that had lived with my other cat his whole life! I have tremendous guilt about it and that guilt doesn't go away. Not trying to scare you, just please please be careful. Don't think "oh [dog's name] wouldn't do that," don't give your dogs the chance to fail...set them up for success. Sorry to be preachy, I just don't want anyone else going through that.
Awwww....that is so very sad. So sorry for your loss, J-CityRelo. Let your wise words be a guide that hopefully spares more lives and prevents such loss.
Yes, many dogs and cats can get along just fine, but it's all about very careful and short introductions, keeping the animals well-separated, always closely supervised, and not let them be together until the kitten is older, larger, fiercer, and has adequate hiding places that no other animal can reach. This includes places for kitty's food, water, and litter.
Not all dogs and all cats can get along and live together harmoniously, so if it's not meant to be, don't force it. No animal deserves to live in a stressful environment.
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I actually think that the play stage is the most taxing for kitten owners b/c it is often non-stop until they grow out of it. Of course, the two kitten household is also commonly referred to as "double trouble" as well, so keep that in mind 
But then, if you were to adopt two instead of one, each dog would have his/her own kitten!
Canned or kibble?
