New pet and old pet??

[IUgrad02]

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[kristen nov02]

I wish that I had some advice but we are in a similar situation as well. We want to get two dogs when we buy a house in May but don't know how our cats are going to react. Leila is really shy to strange animals and people and she usually runs and hides. Sweeney is a lot more outgoing but can also be agressive at times too. He has been known to bite on occasion if provoked or if he is annoyed. I think that you should maybe talk to your vet about the best way to introduce them and also about possible behavioral problems that might surface if your cat gets jealous. You might be able to find a book that deals with this issue in some way too. Whatever you do I would definately research the type of dog that you get and talk to the people at the pound to find out more about his behavior and if he has any history with cats. I don't want to scare anyone but I have a friend that got two mixed herding dogs as puppies and they ganged up on the cat and ended up killing it. On the other hand they might adjust right away and end up being best friends. Good luck and let me know how it goes.

[Lisa]

I don't have any cats, but I do have two dogs. Harley is 12 years old. We have had him since he was a puppy. Two years ago, I wanted to get another dog. We brought Jesse home when he was a couple months old. Harley hated him in the beginning. He would lay down in whatever room Jesse WASN'T in.
But Harley did grow fond of Jesse, and they get along great now.
I don't know if would be any different with a cat, but you should try it. :)

[missyk]

We have 3 cats and one dog, and I really think it depends on the age of the cat when you introduce them and also the cat's overall temperament. I already had two of the cats when I adopted a kitten and a puppy at the same time. The kitten, Harley (love the name Lisa ;)) and the puppy, General, get along great and always play together, but the two older cats HATE General and hiss and swat at him if he gets near them. But the two older cats also don't like strangers (people or animals) and Harley loves everybody, so it could just be their temperaments. I wouldn't let it deter you from getting a dog, because even though my two old fart cats hate General they've all learned to ignore each other pretty well. Just be sure that when you go to the animal shelter you ask them how the dog acts around cats. You want to make sure that the dog is not aggressive and won't hurt you're Phoebe when you get him home. :D