Getting A Cat

[mackiemad]

i have a schnauzer, domestic and a burmese-and they all fall in line behind the burmese. he is the eldest and won't take no for an answer. when he wants a patch of sunlight the other two move over for him. but the domestic is better friends with the dog-perhaps it is because the DSH is a female and the schnauzer is a male?

however the dog's adoration for all things cat stops at our fence. the neighbourhood tom, who likes to try anf fight with our quite mild and elderly burmese male, is always chased away loudly ad agressively (we have told the woeers to lock him up but they won't and he keeps coming onto our property at night!). max will also chase any cats he sees on the street (well tries to but he's on lead and, well, he gives up pretty quickly so i don't think he's too serious).

our old collie adored our cats. we went through a bad run with a few burmese and car accidents when we had the collie and he would fret. we always knew when something had happened to the cat, even if we had thought the cat was inside and fine, because he would whine and fret. he was always right. and he was always very depressed after the death of the cats. so we decided no more cats. then i inherited the burmese and the DSH (as a 6yo who had never met a dog and a 9week old kitten) and the elderly collie broke them in very gently to dogs. so they had to then break ni max to cats as a puppy!

i would agree with getting a cat who is self-assured and will keep the dogs in their place. i do however reinforce this by feeding the cats before the dog and making him wait to eat until they have finished. they sleep and eat in the laundry and he isn't really supposed to go in there...

[Trishm]

Burmese :D

[julesluvscavs]

Our Ragdoll and Joey are totally smitten with each other.. but gets along with our other Cav (Renae) too.

Our Maine Coon x has never really been into the Cavs. She doesn't hate them, but tends to keep out of their way. She's never been that affectionate with them like the Raggie is

Edited June 21, 2010 by Jules♥Cavs

[ellz]

I've never had an issue with my dogs and Devon Rex cats. Devons are very doglike in nature and love to play.

If you like an affectionate (ie velcro) cat that is a cross between a dog, a cat and a spider monkey, wrapped in a curly cat suit then the Devon might suit.

and they are not easily intimidated, AND they are bossy :D ours rule the roost, I've had devons since the 70s and highly recommend them.

No idea what to do about intros etc, or prey drive, sorry. It's never been an issue here.

I've got Staffords and a Greyhound and the Devons stand their ground. If something doesn't run, it can't be chased. My dogs also know the difference between the cats and say a possum or rabbit in the paddocks. Even if the cats are outside with us, they aren't considered to be game by my dogs yet if the dogs see a bunny in the distance....they're gone!

[Sunnyflower]

I've never had an issue with my dogs and Devon Rex cats. Devons are very doglike in nature and love to play.

If you like an affectionate (ie velcro) cat that is a cross between a dog, a cat and a spider monkey, wrapped in a curly cat suit then the Devon might suit.

I'm getting a Devon at the end of the year and SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited..!!

My reasoning for choosing a Devon is for a number of reasons. Main reason being I am allergic to cats and these guys almost don't shed, they are a hybrid breed therefore I wont have Cavalier tumble weeds or kitty hair everywhere.

My Partners parents have two Burmese and a Ragdoll.. AJ the Ragdoll is a big fatty but a sweetheart where as Missy and Coco the Burmese are so interesting and fun, they play fetch and as Ellz says are like spider monkeys but love a good cuddle.

My understanding is that the Devon Rex come from the Burmese but they are 10 times better in personality..

Edited June 21, 2010 by Sunnyflower

[kirst_goldens]

i have a Maine Coon baby and he is like a dog hahaha he loves my dog and doesnt understand that not dogs will lick him to death other may want to eat him!!

but i would say an adopted oldie might be the way to go or if u really like a certain breed u can contact some breeders they usually have older queens or toms who are to be desexed and rehomed due to retirement - my kittens breeder has a stunning girl who has been desexed and is waiting for a furrrrever home hehe i wanted to take her but one oversized cat is enough for now hehehe

[Mooper]

Mum and Dad's ragdoll initiates play with their small fluffy mutt. They get along perfectly.

But when Jack met Heidi the ragdoll through the security door, he drooled from both sides of this mouth ... so no cats for us! That experience didn't stop Heidi from taunting him, of course. While we visited, she loved to sleep on top of or *in* his crate, which Jack could see from just outside the back door. Such a tease!

[Greytmate]

As a general rule for dogs living with cats...

The more prey driven your dog is, the less playful you ideally want the cat to be. In some dogs there is a very fine line between play and prey.

Dogs and cats living together probably communicate with each other a lot better than they do with their owners. You wouldn't want a naturally playful cat to become withdrawn because it learns to avoid doing things that raise the dog's arousal level.

You want a good match of cat for the dog's size, drive and temperament. Playing together can be a really good thing for some dogs and cats. But I would totally discourage any sort of play between a large adult dog and a newly introduced cat.

[lanabanana]

Aww I love dog and cat friendships.

I have had 2 x staffy x's, one lab x and a pitty x who were all raised with cats.

We got Chevy and Lennox (staffy xs) and then we got the cats. Unfortunately, the first kitten we ever got, Lennox killed. I was at work and my OH had accidentally left the back door open (only had the kitten for about 3 weeks and he wasn't allowed out yet). At the time the dogs were outdoors dogs and they had only seen each other through the sliding door and not been intro'd. OH reckons the dog was not being vicious, but had played too rough. We will never know as we never actually saw the killing, my partner ran out kind of as it ended - I think Lennox was about 6 or 7 months old.

Anyway, we kept the dog and for a couple of years I pined for another cat but was too scared because of what happened. Well, when Lennox was 3 I finally bit the bullet and got a kitten. I spent 4 months introducing them slowly (not to Chevy, Chevy was allowed instant access because she was one of those dogs who just knows, if mum brings it home that means its family). They became best mates. To the point where Jaffa (the cat) had kittens and would actually go and lie down with the dogs to feed them. Then we kept one of her kittens who was a bit skitty always and she was even better friends with Lennox than Jaffa was. She also had kittens and took them out to feed by the dogs - as soon as they could follow her!!! She owuld even leave them with the dogs - I always kept an eye though (yes I know about speying etc, but was young and a bit silly, but know exactly where all the kittens - old now are). We kept one of those too and while he grew up with the dogs, he never liked them as much as the girls liked the dogs though for the short time we had the putty x with us, he loved him and they would play fight for hours at a time - the cat always winning.

Jaffa used to sleep with them at night in their kennel - usually taking up half the kennel while the dogs cowered at the other end LMAO. Barney (lab x) used to chase Jaffa and sometimes, if she was in the mood she would run for him, other times she would just look at him and he would always freeze lol.

I just think cats and dogs have fantastic little relationships. I don't have any cats now and am not likely to be getting any more but I do miss having cats.

[3Woofs]

I have a ragdoll who has no fear of my dogs (stafford Missy & amstaff Buster). She will jump on Missy from the top of the lounge and chase her through the house. Missy is actually quite scared of the cat so they don't really play much.

I would never leave Buster with the cat though. He is fine is she sits still but the cat likes to jump around and play chasey's and Buster can't contain himself when she's acts like that.... we would have a dead kitty very quickly if he got hold of her.