Hi All!

I've previously had a pair of bengals from the same litter, and it was an amazing experience. Life happened, and my then-girlfriend ended up taking them with her when we broke up. It was heartbreaking, but the right decision to not split the kitties up, and I'm happy with it.

Onto a new chapter in our lives... Me and my current girlfriend are adopting a pair of bengals from Sno-pride in Roseberg Oregon. A beautiful silver marble boy, and a spotted snow girl. They're only about 3 weeks now, and we'll get them around the week before christmas, I'm so excited!

Now, the only thing I have a little anxiety over, is that we have (my roomate has) an inside dog. She's a very calm dog (unless she's hungry) and very VERY intelligent and obedient. She'll be here when the kitties get here. I want to know of how some of your introductions worked out, and what worked and what didn't with your bengals and puppies!

I think it'll probably be fine, due to the nature of the dog, and that the kittens will be used to her pretty quick because they're young. I am just looking for a little encouragement and tips!

Thanks all, love all of your posts!

Cody

What breed of dog is it?

She's a mix, part ridgeback, part pit... part other stuff.

She's a sweetheart to people, and introduced really well to my outside dog.

The biggest thing for me is to make sure the cats have plenty of places they can get to that are "safe" from the dog. We use baby gates across all of the rooms that we leave open (bedrooms, bathrooms) so the cats can get in but the dogs can't. Once that's established, we use similar methods that you would use to introduce another cat, scent swapping, feeding/treats in view of each other, etc. Always let the cats go at their own pace though, they'll tell you when they're ready to interact with the dog, don't force it too soon.

We have a siamese mix that was terrorized by a dog from behind a door when she was very small (before we adopted her) and to this day (6+ years later) she still hates dogs.

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Dallas, TX USA
Diesel - snow Bengal born 09/01/2013 adopted Feb 2014
Tuck, Chloe, Buddy, Lewis & Tia - rescue kitties
Clyde, Bleu & Coal - Great Danes

I have two six month old kitties that were from a rescue organization. They must have been around dogs before because they are not afraid of my neighbor's dog at all. He is a chihuahua, but he barks loud and runs fast. My cats stalk him like prey and stare at him. He is always looking over his shoulder and staying close to his owner. He is good entertainment for my kitties.

Sometimes these things go well, and sometimes they don't! Your kitties will be little and your dog may think they are dinner. Bring your kitties into a safe room just for them, put their litter box in there, feed them, play with them, and let them acclimate to the smell of the house and you. This is a big change of environment for them. After a couple of weeks, you can let them out for a while, making sure you keep an eye on them and your doggie. Your kitties will grow and grow and won't be so intimidated by the size of a dog. You've got to be careful, too, that the kitties don't play rough with your dog. Supposedly bengals get along great with dogs -- but there are posts on this forum where that was not the case. I hope all goes well for you. Congratulations.

You guys are helping to allay my fears here, and I appreciate it! =)

I'm so excited to get the little buggers.

I might actually take the dog bed and put it in the room for a few days to get them acquainted with the scent of the dog

I'll be taking my kiddos to my brothers home for thanksgiving and he has two dogs. He stated they met a cat at the vet the other day and were fine.

Maybe you could see how your dog does around another cat and gauge the introduction of your little ones based off that?

Time and patience is the key they won't necessarily be friends or even get on over night. I introduced a whippet (high prey drive, hunting breed, not necessarily suited to small furry animals etc) to my two litter mate cats. The three of them adore each other cuddle up together and play. It took along time and lots of supervision to begin with. The cats are boss as they were here first but your kittens being young will adapt to the dog fairly quickly all being well & If she's calm around them all should be fine she may even try to mother them. However when you do introduce them I would use a baby/dog gate to begin with and never force interactions. Good luck!

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Lily