VANITY: New cat, old dogs-please advise! HALP!!!

my living room hell/nightmare | 05/30/2010 | Kaylar

[kaylar]

My DBF's nephew is living with us as he's accepted a job in this area. He may be living with us for some weeks/months/who knows.

Last night he found an abandoned or lost cat/half grown kitten and brought it home (after asking us if that's OK.)

It's a sweet lady cat and I'm delighted she's here, BUT we have two elderly dogs, both teenagers : A miniature spayed female long haired dachshund and an unneutered male smooth chihuahua. (Combined tonnage=about 15-16 lbs.)

We tried to introduce them this AM with DBF holding cat and letting the dogs sniff her. The chihuahua didn't seem to care , but the dachshund (an elderly, lethargic dog) went berserk! She is a rescue dog who lived on a farm for almost 6 years before I got her, and I am certain she had 'cat friends' there. I really do think she just wanted to play with the cat.

However, this NOT declawed cat hissed, raised her hackels and arched her back, lashed out-no one got scratched-I am afraid she might try to claw their eyes. (The cat is in no real danger from either tiny dog-both are pretty much toothles. It's the dogs I am worried about , though I certainly don't want to traumatize the cat and I hope they'll become friends.

I am googling stuff on introducing adult dogs to new cats, but I am sure FReepers have run into this before, so please post or PM whatever advice you have . FReepers, trolls, lurkers from DU, ANYONE-!@!!! Tell me what you would do to make the next attempt at introducing the animals go smoothly.

Right now, the cat is in lockdown in her human's room and the dogs are comatose on the sofa in the living room.

[TheZMan]

So basically you’re afraid of the dogs getting hurt when they approach the cat to play? That’s not necessarily a situation you can hope to fix. The dogs will get clawed a couple times (on the nose no doubt) before the cat runs away to get up high, and eventually the dogs will learn to leave her alone. Just be glad the aggression isn’t the other way around.

[TheZMan]

That said, make sure the shots etc are up to date on the cat.

[Ditter]

Put a litter box in the room with the cat and keep the door closed. The cat is a temporary resident right? The old dog may never accept the cat.

[JRandomFreeper]

It takes 3 days for a cat to sort out the command chain. Let them all into a common area and let them alone unless someone is getting killed. 3 days from now, it will be sorted out. Creative inaction on your part is indicated. I've been through introducing animals plenty of times before.

/johnny

[cripplecreek]

Thunderdome.

[TheConservativeParty]

Agree with previous poster, keep the kitty separated from the dogs since it’s only temporary that she will be there.

My dogs would never accept a cat. Cats are tough to introduce to other cats for goodness sake.

I’d just keep them apart to avoid further trouble.

[donhunt]

Your two dogs deserve peace and quiet in their senior years and are more important than causing chaos with a strange cat.
Take the cat to the shelter and give the dogs a break.

[panthermom]

My brother has an old grumpy Lab, his fiance is a cat lover so I gave her 2 kittens for her birthday, she was so freaked out over the dog. He is a cat chaser. I told her don’t make a big deal over it, let them be and they will figure out there space. Dog will bark, growl and probably try to chase, cat will swat and hiss....after about 2 days they were fine, now cats sleep with the dog!

[McGavin999]

Just relax, they will figure it out. Just make sure the cat has a safe place to go to in case she is afraid. Just go about your business and unless you see serious aggression on the part of the dogs, ignore the whole thing.

[mrsloungitude]

We successfully introduced our cat and dog (our dog was about 6 months old, though I don't think it should make too much of a difference)
Keep the cat in a room separated from the dogs where she has her food, water and litter box.

Do not let the dogs into the room or the cat out. Visit the cat regularly. Do this for as long as a week. This allows the animals to be introduced by smell first.

Slowly introduce the cat to the dogs (like you described) but hold the cat or give it a spot high enough that the dogs cannot reach it (this protects them all).

Do this for longer and longer periods of time each day.

Good luck, I hope it works out for you.

BTW our cat is not declawed and she has never hurt the dog. They are good friends.

[LibertyThug]

I would not try to introduce them anymore. When I introduced my cat to my new husband's great dane, I just had them in the same area, nothing in your face about it.

My cat hissed a lot and hated the dog (a great dane is a lot for a cat to get used to), but eventually they tolerated each other and the great dane learned that the cat was not a plaything.

By the way, a little scratch will not hurt your dog and it'll set up a pecking order (cats usually are at the top). If you try to prevent that, they'll never come to an agreement and they'll never get used to each other.

[silverleaf]

Get a nice-sized kennel for kitty and make it her plush safe place with a bed and lots of toys. Leave her in it in the middle of the room so she can watch and see everything that is going on.

The doggies can come up and sniff her as she reaches through to scratch their noses. Kitty is safe and doggies learn she can defend herself. It may take a few days. This is how we introduce new critters to the existing bunch.

Eventually I suggest building or buying kitty a perch she can jump up on for safety and to get away from doggies. Cats love to hang over their perch like vultures and tease the doggies.

[Wilderness Conservative]

I adopted a year old lab mix from the shelter who was born to chase small animals. For the first month all he wanted to do was eat the cat. After getting swatted on the nose a couple of times he learned respect and now the 2 are the best of friends.

[BreitbartSentMe]

Any thread about dogs & cats must have this posted:

EXCERPTS FROM A DOG’S DIARY

Day number 180
8:00 am - Oh boy! Dog Food! My Favorite!
9:30 am - Oh boy! A car ride! My Favorite!
9:40 am - Oh boy! A walk! My Favorite!
10:30 am - Oh boy! A car ride! My Favorite!
11:30 am - Oh boy! Dog Food! My Favorite!
12:00 noon - Oh boy! The kids! My Favorite!
1:00 pm - Oh boy! The yard! My Favorite!
4:00 pm - Oh boy! The kids! My Favorite!
5:00 PM - Oh boy! Dog Food! My Favorite!
5:30 PM - Oh boy! Mom! My Favorite!

Day number 181
8:00 am - Oh boy! Dog Food! My Favorite!
9:30 am - Oh boy! A car ride! My Favorite!
9:40 am - Oh boy! A walk! My Favorite!
10:30 am - Oh boy! A car ride! My Favorite!
11:30 am - Oh boy! Dog Food! My Favorite!
12:00 noon - Oh boy! The kids! My Favorite!
1:00 pm - Oh boy! The yard! My Favorite!
4:00 pm - Oh boy! The kids! My Favorite!
5:00 PM - Oh boy! Dog Food! My Favorite!
5:30 PM - Oh boy! Mom! My Favorite!

Day number 182
8:00 am - Oh boy! Dog Food! My Favorite!
9:30 am - Oh boy! A car ride! My Favorite!
9:40 am - Oh boy! A walk! My Favorite!
10:30 am - Oh boy! A car ride! My Favorite!
11:30 am - Oh boy! Dog Food! My Favorite!
12:00 noon - Oh boy! The kids! My Favorite!
1:00 pm - Oh boy! The yard! My Favorite!
1:30 pm - Ooooooo. Bath. Bummer.
4:00 pm - Oh boy! The kids! My Favorite!
5:00 PM - Oh boy! Dog Food! My Favorite!
5:30 PM - Oh boy! Dad! My Favorite!

EXCERPTS FROM A CAT’S DIARY

DAY 752 - My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.

DAY 761 - Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair...must try this on their bed.

DAY 765 - Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was...Hmmm. Not working according to plan.

DAY 768 - I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason I was chosen for the water torture. This time, however, it included a burning foamy chemical called “shampoo.” What sick minds could invent such a liquid? My only consolation is the piece of thumb still stuck between my teeth. Well, that and the fact that the dog was the next victim after me.

DAY 771 - There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call “beer”. More importantly, I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of “allergies.” Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.

DAY 774 - I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird on the other hand has got to be an informant, and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time...

[Slings and Arrows]

[4everontheRight]

We have been through this twice over the past 15 years. We solved it by letting the cat stay in his own room especially when we were not home. We would let the cat come out of the room a little bit more each day until finally everyone got along fine...ignored each other for the most part. We now have 5 dogs, 2 cats and a fish all living together! Two of the dogs don't get along with 2 of the other dogs and one dog hates the other dog so basically the cats are the LEAST of our worries! :)
Seriously, we recently cat sat my nieces Blue Russiona kitten while she deployed in the Marines.....the first day, Jake (Blue Russian) stayed in my son's room with his litter box and was fine...we did this for about 3 days until the dogs were tearing at the carpet to get to the kitty so we would sit with Jake and let each dog in the room one at a time and eventually all were getting along fine! It helped that even though Jake had never been around dogs, our dogs had been around cats and LOVE them, love to play and chase and for the most part the cats could care less.
But we did go through an adjustment period and it took awhile for everyone to get settled but they did and when my niece came home from deployment, the dogs were depressed for a week! They loved that cat by the time it was all said and done!

[Pinkbell]

There are usually general “rules” that the experts say are best to introduce dogs and cats. We have three dogs and two cats living together, and we didn’t follow the rules very well when we introduced them. Of course, it’s been years, and they get along.

Maybe this will help:

Begin as described above for introducing to a resident cat. Once the cat is comfortable in the house and has been introduced to the smells of the dog, you can attempt a face to face introduction in a controlled manner. Put your dog’s leash on, and command him to either “sit” or “down” and “stay,”. Have another family member enter the room and quietly sit down with the cat on his or her lap. At first, the cat and dog should be on opposite sides of the room. Praise both and give treats. Repeat this step several times until both the cat and dog are tolerating each other
without fear, aggression, or other uncontrollable behavior.

Next, move the animals a little closer together, with the dog still on a leash and the cat gently held in a lap. If the cat does not like to be held, you can use a wire crate or carrier instead. If the dog gets up from its “stay” position, it should be firmly repositioned, and praised and rewarded for obeying the “stay” command. If the cat becomes frightened, increase the distance between the animals and progress more slowly. Providing the cat with a cat tree or high place to be above the dog will help her feel more confident.

Try to direct each session so the dog is likely to do the right thing and get praise. Although your dog must be taught that chasing or being rough with the cat is unacceptable behavior, if your dog is always punished whenever the cat is around, and never has “good things” happen in the cat’s presence, your dog may associate the cat with unpleasant reprimands.

You may want to keep your dog on a leash and with you when the cat is free in the house during the introduction process. Be sure that your cat has an escape route, and a place to hide.

Keep the dog and cat separated when you aren’t home until you are certain they will both be safe.

http://catnet.stanford.edu/articles/introducing_cats.html

[Yardstick]

Suggest tossing all three into a sack of some sort.

That will let them “get it out of their system”.

[kaylar]

I am checking back here while looking at what google's pulled up-I may not respond to many posts here, but believe me I am reading them, will print off this page, and we appreciate any and all advice.

I think the dachshund is overjoyed to see a cat-that's the problem. She has her confused with her old cat buddies. A dog's happiness may look like aggression to a cat/kitten that isn't used to canines.

DN is going to post a lost/found notice on the cat tomorrow-if the cat is just lost her people may see the post and come get her, in which case I was in a tizzy for nothing. (And DN does want his own place.) But sadly the economic downturn has caused a MAJOR increase in the abandonment of pets : We had an article on that on the paper's front page just a few weeks back. And that is a nationwide problem; we've seen the articles posted here. So I am going to act as if the worst best I don't know which case scenario will come to play, and take for granted the cat will be staying here for a few months at least (ASSuming no one claims her and DN doesn't find a current cat owner to adopt her-he is looking there, too.)

Again, all advice appreciated even if I don't reply to individual posts.