Cats & dogs (kitten, breeder, litter, excessive)

[nancy thereader]

Now that I am able to stay home all day (ahem ...), I have been thinking about getting a little dog. Like a Yorkie.
The only thing is, one came to visit yesterday , the most adorable bundle of fur that you have ever seen and the spoiled Maine Coon Princess Gracie did not like it at all . First of all, she outweighed the dear little guy by about fourteen pounds. Then, when he ventured on to the floor, she growled and chased him under the sofa. He was terrified.

I would not want to get a dog and have him live a life of terror and misery. That would not just be fair. I just would not do it. I also do not want Gracie who has been an only child for eleven years to be unhappy.

Is there any solution?

[20yrsinBranson]

Nancy before you commit to a "forever home" to a little bundle of barking fur remember that dogs are needy little creatures who will constantly be demanding attention from you. They will be whining, in your lap, chewing on things (shoes?) if you don't pay sufficient attention to them every waking minute of the day. They will also exhibit fits of jealousy by chewing and peeing on things if they think that you have given *anyone* in the household the slightest bit of attention. They will also try to control your life by toying with you, making you think they need a potty break when in fact, they just sniff around on the ground for 1/2 hour. That's not so bad, in and of itself except when it is 20 degrees outside or raining, etc. Or it's 3 am.

Cats are so far superior to dogs with one singular exception, and that is alerting you to people who do not belong in/around your house. Of course, the cat has the good sense to hide in the event of potential danger whereas a dog insists on making a fuss. It's all their good for. Trust me. Your cat is trying to save you from 14 years of bother. Listen to her.

20yrsinBranson

[Katielovesyou444]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

Now that I am able to stay home all day (ahem ...), I have been thinking about getting a little dog. Like a Yorkie.
The only thing is, one came to visit yesterday , the most adorable bundle of fur that you have ever seen and the spoiled Maine Coon Princess Gracie did not like it at all . First of all, she outweighed the dear little guy by about fourteen pounds. Then, when he ventured on to the floor, she growled and chased him under the sofa. He was terrified.

I would not want to get a dog and have him live a life of terror and misery. That would not just be fair. I just would not do it. I also do not want Gracie who has been an only child for eleven years to be unhappy.

Is there any solution?

I'd get a Jack Russel Terrior dog. I have a miniture Jack Russel, and so he's pretty small. (plus he was the runt of his litter..so he'll be puppy size forever) They can be hyper sometimes, but boy are they loving. My Jack Russel gets along real well with my calico cat. He's an overall very loving dog. Good luck

*Katie*

[Tesaje]

With your elderly lady, you may have a problem introducing a competitor to her territory. Her territory includes you. It sounds like she is no pushover. If she reacts like that to every other animal, it could be a problem. A Yorkie is a rather small dog.

I've had cats and dogs most of my life and they do very well together but then they entered the home more or less together. I do not agree at all with the poster denigrating dogs. They are different than cats and interact differently, but they are wonderful in their own right. Most dog problems are brought about by poor handling by their owners. Many dogs are wonderful companions to both you and your cat - some can't be housebroken and that is a problem. They are best raised together.

Perhaps you could test out her tolerance and ability to adapt by fostering a dog more or less her size with a nice disposition. If she stays extremely hostile for 2-3 months, you had better not get another animal while she is still with you.

You know the drill - gentle introduction - let them sniff thru a door for a week. Continue to give her lots of attention and even favor her over the dog, while reassuring the dog. When they meet up in the same room, crate the dog for a while before you let them mingle. Keep close watch and separate them again if they tangle. Don't worry too much about Gracie hissing and walking away, but if she swipes the dog with claws - that's serious agression.

The excessive aggressivness could also be on the dog's end - you would want a dog with a gentle disposition or one raised with cats so it knows a cat is just part of the pack. Differentn animals have differnt personalities, so you need to see if the cat can accept another famiuly memver and the dog be amenable to the cat.

With cats, tho, it always takes time before they will settle down. I think you need to be prepared to give up the dog if it doesn't work out after 4+ months. It is nearly impossible to tell whether Gracie will accept a dog without the trial over a period of months. Fostering would be temporary by design to see how she does. Good luck.

Another trick I've heard about is for the animal who is exhibting excessive aggression - you redirect their attention when the inappropriate behavior starts - Have a wonderful treat (real chicken, e.g.) and when she hissed or growls, Say Gracie until she looks at you, then pop the treat into her mouth. It has to be so good, that she can't believe you are giving her a treat just for looking at you and she forgets the dog.

[nancy thereader]

Thanks for all the advice. I most certainly will think about this very carefully. (looks around to see if Gracie is reading over shoulder)

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

I have to say that while Yorkies are cute, I have seldom heard of one that doesn't have problems with pottying in the right place. The smaller a breed gets, the more problems in that area they seem to have.

Part of what makes a relationship between cats and dogs work, is the reaction or non reaction of the dog. I have had Cavalier King Charles Spaniels who were born in the home of a breeder who had cats around them as puppies so when they came to my home, they didn't even raise an eyebrow at the cats. If a cat gets a rise out of the dog they are chasing, its eggs them on to MORE chasing.

Whatever kind of dog you get, make sure it was born in a home with cats so it knows how to bob and weave. THEN of course I assume your cat has claws, you have to be concerned about the eyes of the dogs. Cavaliers have sort of bug eyes and if you have a cat that likes to take a swipe at the dog, you could have problems. That never become an issue in my house because even though the cats WERE large, they were castrated males and definetly felt the dogs were in charge. They even used to curl up and sleep together.

I have however decided that once my current Cavalier goes to the happy hunting ground in the sky, I won't be getting another dog. I find them more work then cats. My Cinders is 14 now which is an advanced age for a Cavalier. She is still getting along very well. You should see her playing with the new kitten. He likes to take a swipe at her behind and her shaggy ears, to which she raises a paw and knocks him down, sometimes she manages to get both front paws in the air to play with him. Given her age, its amazing to watch and Henry the cat seems to get a kick out of it.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

You can adopt an adult dog that ignores or actually likes cats from a shelter or petfinder.com. My 2 very large dogs mostly ignore the cats and the cats ignore them, except for the orange tabby who LOVES his dogs! He rubs on the dogs legs and lies on their beds. Since the dogs weigh 75 and 95 lbs, they better like the cats! All were adopted at different times and all get along just fine. The newest one follows the lead of the older ones in what is acceptable behavior. Adult dogs vs. puppies are already house-broken, over the chewing stage, and over the puppy energy stage.