Cats AND Dogs

[Patiod]

So I've combined my cat household with my elderly Dad's dachshund household.

I grew up with dogs, and also thought the cartoons about cats and dogs (scheming, nasty cat and simple, friendly doggie) were stereotypes.

Yikes! Out pets are stereotypes!

What are your experienced in mixed-species households?

[Arugula Latte]

1. We have a 3 cat/1 bunny/2 hamster household.

The bunny wants to play with the kitties, but they're not so sure about the long-eared guy. The kitties were intrigued w/ the hamsters at first, now they hardly give them the time of day.

[Patiod]

8. Arent't the hamsters traumatized?

Having a prey animal around all the time must be bad for the nerves.

[Arugula Latte]

9. They don't seem to be bothered at all!

I think they're just used to it. They don't cower at all when they're around the kitties.

[carlyhippy]

2. 2 cats and a small dog, they are a family

they all get along well. one cat and the dog grew up together, the other cat came home later. They actually look out for each other. When I put the dog out in the yard, the cats stand by the door to "remind" me that he is still outside ha. If one is not feeling well, the others lie by the ill one. It's actually heart-warming to watch. They are almost human, they get mad at each other, get over it and are sleeping by each other. They are a family.

[Patiod]

3. i wish these two had grown up together

as it is, they are suspicious of each other, and actually sort of obsessive.

[rurallib]

4. We and the dog served the cats. Isn't that what is expected?

[Arugula Latte]

That is the proper relationship, yes.

All creatures are subservient to the kitties. :)

[Walk away]

5. Try using gates that are short enough for the cats to hop over....

but too tall for the dog. It broke my Cairn Terrier Henry from chasing Kitty. Kitty felt more secure because she knew her food and box were in a safe place and Henry got bored losing the game. Before the gates he would chase her under the bed and bark like a crazy man. Now, when Kitty visits he can share the couch, albeit with one eye open.

[Patiod]

6. The problem is that the kitty is the terrorist, not the doggie

the dachshund is the hapless, usually sleepy victim. So the gates won't help - although they DID help the week we moved her into the house - gave her a feeling of safety until she had established total dominance. Thanks much to whichever DUer suggested an extended separation until they both adjusted.

Frankie is an old guy - 11, and not interested in chasing cats. He mostly just wants to steal snacks from her litter box and whatever cat food she doesn't finish, and sleep. He's not at all interested in HER (a few smacks upside the head with her little fist early on saw to that).

She, on the other hand, also 11, loves to stalk him and pounce, scaring the little fellow. We head this behavior off if we see it coming, but can't always be there. We were watching them in the garden last, night, and it was pretty funny. She was stalking him, and he was happily sitting in the grass, enjoying the last of the sun.

It doesn't seem like a fair trade-off - he loses his easy, simple, quiet life with my elderly parents and acquires a stalker, and she gains one permanent petting-monkey (my mostly-immobile Dad), an unwilling plaything (Frankie), and even her own bedroom retreat (the top floor, where Frankie can't handle the stairs.

[Walk away]

11. As long as she isn't actually hurting Frankie it's not the end of the world.

Frankie should have a place he can sleep without being pounced on (maybe a nice big airy wicker crate with all his toys, a bed and some fresh water) and then let them work it out the rest of the time. See if he figures out a way to either play or become so boring they don't want to play with him.

Dogs are pack animals and sometimes it actually keeps them young to have an active family dynamic.

[NoGOPZone]

7. Two cats and one dog

The pecking order varies and usually can be determined by who is chasing whom at the time. Once one of the cats was chasing the dog, who was running after the other cat. Still haven't figured that one out.

[Orsino]

10. Since we lost a dog just before Christmas...

...we're down to three dogs and four cats.