Cats and Dogs!

[JBalways2000]

Hi all!

I have been away from here ever since our move last year, which by the way went great and apart from the first night in which AJ and Hernie scared us to death as they were so stressed out(Rhino was straight out the carrier and onto exploring!) the cats settled well and absolutely love their new home.

Have had some other changes in those months as my fiancé will soon be working full time. This is great news as he loves his job, but me suffering from agoraphobia means this isn't fantastic news for me as I shall be stuck indoors without him to leave the house with! The cats have been a godsend these last few years as they have helped me so much with various problems. Unfortunately this is one they can't help with.

Which brings me to the point of this thread! I have wanted a dog since I was 9 years old (27 now!) so desperately but it just hasn't felt right to give into my dream, until now. I'm thinking that having a dog means I won't be locking myself away 5 days a week as I will have to walk said dog. I have put a lot of thought into this and I know a decent amount about dogs. My fiancé's family have a labrador, his brother has a rescue staffie and so do two of our friends so we are around dogs a fair bit. My biggest worry lies with my darling boys.

I wold love to get a rescue dog, but I have had my heart set on a king Charles spaniel puppy since I was 9 so I think i will follow my dream. King Charles' have great temperaments and are good with other animals and children. They really are the perfect dog for me. I'm of course concerned with how the cats will react etc if a puppy entered their home and took a little attention away from them. Can you lovely people please share your experiences of your own cats and dogs? Should I be worried or rethinking my plans? Or am I making more of it than it needs to be?:oops: I usually do! :lol:

[angieh]

I can only relate my experience JB .... we bought Monty as an 8 week old puppy into our house with two resident cats Kizzy and Pip. Monty is a Miniature Schnauzer who will actually have his 1st birthday tomorrow. We did do forward planning, to make sure that the cats had a separate room with a baby gate where they can go in complete safety and peace. Their food and water is in that room. We also have a baby gate blocking the utility room which is where we would put a litter tray if needed because of bad weather - not really needed this winter as the cats have been going out throughout. We also had to have a larger baby gate across the hallway because Monty managed to get out the cat flap a few times when he was smaller, although he could probably not do it now he's fully grown. This also allows the cats to come in and out unhindered. There is also a largish cat climbing frame in the hallway, so they can get up and out of Monty's way.

Pip has proven to be the most tolerant of cats, he and Monty will be friends once Monty calms down and stops pouncing on him. Pip doesn't appear to be stressed in any way and is certainly not afraid of Monty. I do rescue him from Monty's mouth several times a day.

Kizzy started off as she meant to go on and hissed at Monty. Monty does not go near her but barks at her.

A KCS would undoubtedly be less "terrier like" in behaviour - you just have to be mindful of both cat and dog and I would ask yourself a question as I remember AJ had urinary problems a while ago?

I don't intend to pry, but are you confident that you will be able to take your dog for daily walks, given your agoraphobia?

[JBalways2000]

I can only relate my experience JB .... we bought Monty as an 8 week old puppy into our house with two resident cats Kizzy and Pip. Monty is a Miniature Schnauzer who will actually have his 1st birthday tomorrow. We did do forward planning, to make sure that the cats had a separate room with a baby gate where they can go in complete safety and peace. Their food and water is in that room. We also have a baby gate blocking the utility room which is where we would put a litter tray if needed because of bad weather - not really needed this winter as the cats have been going out throughout. We also had to have a larger baby gate across the hallway because Monty managed to get out the cat flap a few times when he was smaller, although he could probably not do it now he's fully grown. This also allows the cats to come in and out unhindered. There is also a largish cat climbing frame in the hallway, so they can get up and out of Monty's way.

Pip has proven to be the most tolerant of cats, he and Monty will be friends once Monty calms down and stops pouncing on him. Pip doesn't appear to be stressed in any way and is certainly not afraid of Monty. I do rescue him from Monty's mouth several times a day.

Kizzy started off as she meant to go on and hissed at Monty. Monty does not go near her but barks at her.

A KCS would undoubtedly be less "terrier like" in behaviour - you just have to be mindful of both cat and dog and I would ask yourself a question as I remember AJ had urinary problems a while ago?

I don't intend to pry, but are you confident that you will be able to take your dog for daily walks, given your agoraphobia?


Thank you for the reply, I remember seeing a photo of Monty a while ago, he is gorgeous! I was going to get two baby gates for the stairs anyway as I know while they are puppies they shouldn't be using things like stairs too much because of their joints. I could then move those gates to our bedroom and the rabbits room which is where the litter trays are. We also have lots of tall furniture and scratching posts that a dog couldn't reach if he was being too boisterous for them.

As for my agoraphobia, of course that thought crossed my mind many times. I have been walking my partners family dog with them for a few months now, without my partner with me which is usually my "safety net" and I have felt good. Our move has also done me a lot of good as we are in a much nicer area with a huge park (sutton park) about ten minutes walk from us so we are in a perfect location for the first time ever:lol: I'm confident for the first time that even though it will be hard at first, eventually il start to enjoy it and although I don't expect a cure that would be pretty close!:lol: I will also say that if the worse happens(which I'm positive it won't) my partner is more then happy to do walkies lol

I have given it all a lot of thought, something I've gone over time and time again the last 8 years, but it does feel right this time. I've looked into dog care and known a lot over the years so I'm quite confident that I can take a puppy on and be a good dog owner. My main concern really is as always, my boys. It did cross my mind that if I found a puppy with a willing breeder I could perhaps bring the puppy to visit at home a few times to get the cats a little used to him before he moves in?

[Velvet]

With regards bringing the puppy to visit, your puppy will need to have all his vaccinations & it may be a bit much to ask a breeder to let you take a tiny pup into a potential risky household with adult cats who just might take umbrage at the new arrival. Once you found a breeder you could explain your concerns and take it from threre

Could I just mention that CKCS can suffer from some hereditary health issues so you will need to choose your breeder very carefully & make sure the puppy's parents have been health tested. Pet insurance is also a must with pedigree dogs these days.

Angie has given you some good advice. We do have dogs and cats but our dogs were here first and adults and welcomed the kittens as if they were their own;)