Puppy Or Kitten, What Should You Get First?

[kmaci]

I would like to get a Burmese kitten, but also want a Golden Retriever puppy. I just dont know which one I should get first. Do I get the kitten first and let them grow abit then get the pup. Or do I get the pup first and wait till they settle and adjust to cats (we already have a 5yr old Burmese), then get the kitten? Or is it just a matter of what I want first?

What experience have others had with puppies and kittens?

[CaseyKay]

We always have both cats and dogs. Eighteen months ago we had 3 older pets and life was quiet and sedate: 17 year old female cat and two older border collie girls. March 2009 we got a kitten Essie. November 2009 we got a border collie puppy Gael. By then the kitten was a bit bigger and dog savvy. Our two older BC are scared of cats due to previous grumpy older cat and gave this kitten a wide berth although she tried to be friendly. Older cat ignored her like she ignores everyone including us. Border collie puppy knew the breeders cat and our kitten and puppy hit it off straight away, and a year on Essie and Gael are still the best of buddies, play everyday, chase each other around like crazy things at night and then curl up together to sleep. It is very very cute, we have always had both species but these two are the first that do more than ignore each other. The older 3 just look on at the crazy younger two. Essie sometimes forgets the older dogs don't appreciate kitty paws around the neck and friendly headbutts. Everyone co-exists, no fights, just "leave me alone" hissing from older cat if anyone gets too close. We won't be adding any more pets until a couple of the older ones are no longer with us. I always had a self-imposed limit of 4 animals in total, not sure what happened there!

In your case since you already have a cat (has he met dogs before? lived with other cats?) I would maybe get the puppy first? Just be careful Puppy doesn't get whacked. You could probably look at it from the point of view: what do you think will upset your current cat the least.

[Kirty]

I would definitely get the kitten first, wait until it is settled and a bit bigger, then get the puppy (maybe when the kitten is 6mths old).

[anna]

I think your existing cat throws a bit of a spanner in the works - if you didn't already have him, I'd suggest getting both at the same time, but that is likely to really overwhelm him.

Burmese are very adaptable cats, so my suggestion is to get the puppy first, then to get the kitten sometime in the following 12 months. The older cat should have adjusted by then, and the new one will take it in her stride.

Exceptional choice of cat too

[kmaci]

Thanks for that. So far its Puppy first 2, Kitten first 1

Not too sure what Lilly would adjust to first. We call her our "second hand cat" as she was free to goo home in the trading post. The family she was with had to move and couldnt keep all their 6 Burmese so she (and 2 others) were given away to good homes. The family also had a boxer or two so she has lived with both cats and dogs.

Yes mylappie they are a beautiful breed, I'm hooked now

[Kirty]

My worry would be a bouncy older puppy with a tiny new kitten. I also think your cat might feel more comfortable if it has a friend (ie another cat) to back it up with the puppy.

[KumaAkita]

not that it adds much to the conversation, but when I was younger our neighbours got a kitten and a puppy on the same day. The puppy was the obvious favourite, and one night we had a little ginger kitten at our back door... we put it back over the fence. It kept coming over and hanging out at our house, the owners blamed our fence so dad fixed it and said if the cat comes back it stays. He was back in our yard in 40 mins, coz he had to go the long way around

That's the story of Nigel No Friends... he stayed with us until he died at about 15 years old, he never went back to his original owners.

I think whatever you do, be prepared to put effort into both animals to ensure they adapt...

[anna]

I guess when you put three of anything together, there's always two with a better dynamic and the potential to gang up on the third (she says as one of three children). Two cats together may gang up on the puppy and frighten it (and in my experience a frightened puppy does less well than a frightened kitten), but on the other hand the two younger animals may gang up on the older cat, who will then feel really put out (because she's established in the home). Or the puppy and the older cat could see the new kitten as an intruder and drive it out.

Of course, they could just all be friends, which is obviously what you'd hope for. You'll just need to be diligent with watching the relationships and attitudes between the different animals and responding accordingly. Burmese think they're dogs anyway

[Max#1]

Growing up we had a cat... then a dog... then another dog. The cat was always 'top dog', then the first dog, then the second dog. They would eat in that order, and go screaming down the hallway in that order too!

[aussielover]

I've never had any problems introducing kittens to any of my dogs. Although all my dogs have had lovely temperaments and been really laid back- not the type to chase.

The problem is introducing a nervy/aggressive cat to a young, bouncy puppy (in my experience),

A puppy and a kitten at the same time would be lots of work but fun!

The kittens I have fostered have been way naughtier than the puppy!

why don't cats understand "no"

BTW I also love Burmese... the smoochiest of all cats imo!

[Simply Grand]

A puppy and a kitten at the same time would be lots of work but fun!

The kittens I have fostered have been way naughtier than the puppy!

why don't cats understand "no"

Cats do understand no, they're just smart enough to realise there isn't much you can do if they choose to ignore it :D

I'm thinking maybe kitten first, then puppy when kitten is a bit older too, mainly for the benefit of the older cat. I guess it depends on how adaptable the older cat is though.

I acquired my old cat when she was 7, knowing nothing about her past, she was a cranky thing then but settled in well. When she was about 10 I got a kitten. At first the old cat tried to ignore the very lively kitten, but within weeks she accepted him and within months they were good friends, sleeping cuddled up and licking each other etc.

I got the puppy just over a year ago, when the old cat was 15 and the young cat nearly 5. The cats totally avoided the puppy for as long as possible. They all get along ok now, but I wouldn't say they're friends - the dog thinks the cats are very boring but still persists in trying to get them to play with him, the cats whinge when the dog comes near and try to run away, but don't hurt him (and only hiss occasionally!)

Anyway, my point is, the old cat quickly befriended the young cat, but still only begrudgingly accepts the dog, I don't think they'll ever really be friends (I do suspect that once the older cat is gone, the younger cat will start to snuggle up to the dog more ;) ) so maybe your older cat would appreciate the support of another cat that s/he can teach to be calm and cat-like, before a crazy puppy joins the household...

Also, a puppy is much more work than a kitten, with training and everything, so if you get the kitten first, by the time you get the puppy the kitten won't need too much attention teaching-wise (just food and cuddles) but a young dog will still need lots of training and attention, leaving you less time for a new kitten...

Having said that, I think whichever way you do it will work out, it will just take the right management, and ensuring cat/s and dog have their own space and time from you.

[CrazyCresties]

why don't cats understand "no"

My Siamese certainly does - when she is being naughty and we say a firm 'no', she will swear at us - she replies with a special meow that she reserves just for those occasions

I had 3 adult cats when I introduced my dogs....they tolerated the dogs after a while, but were certainly never friends. The cats were the 'top dogs'

I was always lead to believe that it's better to introduce a young cat to dogs, than an older cat to dogs, they grown up being accustomed to them that way.

I agree with Saxonpup - it's important the cat/s have somewhere to escape to, a high climbing tower or similar where they can retreat to out of the dogs way

[kmaci]

Thanks for all your replies.

My head tells me I should get the kitten first but my heart says if I dont get a puppy soon I will burst. Not too sure if my head or heart will win but now atleast I have some more things to think about.

[SpotTheDog]

I would say acquire both at the same time, but go for different ages.

That might be difficult logistically, but to me the best option is an older kitten that is used to dogs and has been raised in a household with dogs. I believe a puppy is far more likely to befriend young animals when young, but when older will be too full-on for a small kitten of 10 weeks. However, a five to six month old, well-socialised kitten, raised with dogs, introduced to a retriever pup of around 10 weeks - that should be an excellent combination, plus they will be more of a size for a few weeks during their introductions than a 10 week retriever pup and a 10 week kitten.

Of course it all depends on the individual personalities of the animals involved, but an older cat will often never come to befriend a dog in their household and may simply tolerate him, warning him away with a hiss and a smack when he gets too close.

Of my cats, only one has any chance of befriending the dog - and in her case, his origins meant she never got the chance to really befriend him until he was too big and boisterous to conduct himself with the decorum that any cat requires in order to make physical contact with a dog. (He was in the house a month but had to be kept at a distance due to ringworm.) Three months in, she will sit on the couch and let him stick his nose in her fur, but at six months of age he's too rowdy for her. He gets his nose in there, then he nudges her and she gets peed off and takes off away from him. Plus he's a brat and tries to bounce the cats into playing with him. Most of them will let him get right up to them now, mere inches away, but will still slap him if he tries to make contact.

Then again they were here first, and haven't lived with cat-friendly dogs in years - ever, in some cases.

[Simply Grand]

Thanks for all your replies.

My head tells me I should get the kitten first but my heart says if I dont get a puppy soon I will burst. Not too sure if my head or heart will win but now atleast I have some more things to think about.

Hehe, in that case I'd say go with your heart It's easy to give "sensible" advice to others but I reckon if I was in your position and I got the kitten first when I really wanted the puppy, I'd end up with both pretty quickly :D Get the puppy, then when the puppy has settled in and you feel ready, get the kitten.

Just don't force the puppy on the older cat, and make sure the cat has its own space and can escape the puppy. I just use a baby gate to separate the house when I'm out or in bed. The cats can get over the gate and access the pet door to the back yard but have access to the living room, where the dog can't get to them. When I'm home they all interact but I keep an eye on them and separate if the pup is annoying the old cat.

I think most animals are pretty adaptable...

[Lab_Rat]

Sorry got no advice - just wanted to join the Burmese Fan club.. :D

If I ever get another cat it will definitely be another Burmese. They are the best cat ever!

Our Burmese and first ridgy got on really well, to the point of playing chasey games with each other! They would take turns in being "it"!!

[anna]

Sorry got no advice - just wanted to join the Burmese Fan club.. :D

If I ever get another cat it will definitely be another Burmese. They are the best cat ever!

Our Burmese and first ridgy got on really well, to the point of playing chasey games with each other! They would take turns in being "it"!!

They really are the best cat ever :p My dad had three when I was born, and he definitely instilled the importance of having a great Burmese in me! We have two at the moment - a chocolate called Dexter, and a brown tortie called Sally

[moofius]

I would definitely get the kitten first, wait until it is settled and a bit bigger, then get the puppy (maybe when the kitten is 6mths old).

This is what I did, I got a kitten back in April at 6 weeks of age and was almost 6 months old when I got my 8 week old Cocker Spaniel at the start of September, who is now just on 4 months.

I think that would be the better way to go for a few reasons:

- Having a kitten while it's young and no puppy means you can give it more time growing up, I believe that a puppy will need that time for longer than a kitten and might get jealous of a kitten, getting the puppy second the kitten will be happy to do it's own thing as they are more independent.

- A kitten at 6 months old will be more equal with a new puppy I would think than an older puppy which could bully the cat, mine playfight a lot as it is, couldn't see them doing that if the ages were reversed. My puppy playfights/wrestling enough as it is - the cat can stick up for itself.

- I also think a young puppy will adapt to a cat better than the other way, when the puppy has had much more time pre-kitten.

Edited November 3, 2010 by moofius

[moofius]

double post..

Edited November 3, 2010 by moofius

[Paul Bright]

I say definitely get the cat first... give the cat enough attention and love first -- a few months maybe. And then get a dog. At least by that time the cat could already fend for himself