Hello all, I am very frustrated at the moment. I actually wanted to know if there were any advice or suggestions when it comes to having cats AND dogs.
Basil and Lapka are now both three years old, I don't know how much age will have to do with anything but would love as much advise I can get.
All my life, I have never had a dog. I have ALWAYS had cats and been around cats.I have volunteered at wolf sanctuaries, and animal shelters and recently had an internship at an animal shelter. So it's not that I don't have experience with dogs, I have just never owned one. I had always just been more of a cat person.
During my internship (sometime last year) I sort of fell in love with one dog in particular, he was 7 years old and had been at the shelter for almost a year. He was part Saint Bernard, and had such a loud bark that all the customers who walked through the shelter seemed a bit ski-dish about him. But I found something interesting about him, and began spending a lot of time with him. I started taking him on event trips and car rides, and always brought him ice cream treats and took him out in the play yards to hang out together. The only thing that stopped me from taking him home was well, first that I lived in a condo and he was a 70 lb dog, but also because of my cats.
Four months later, When he got adopted, I cried. I was soooo happy for him to finally have a home to call his own, but also cried because I would miss seeing him, because a part of me felt like he was one of my best friends. In every dog in a shelter, I see him. I see a lost dog who needs that same second chance he finally had. And I realized that I am both, a cat person, and also a dog person.
Or maybe just an animal person in general.

Moral of the story, I have decided over the past year, that I want adopt a dog. The boyfriend says "what about the cats? couldn't this ruin their life? What if they don't like a dog? Who's going to sleep on the bed at night if we get a dog?" He basically tells me everything he can to make me ever scared to adopt a dog. And of course it starts to freak me out.

Now, I of course would adopt a dog that was familiar and use to cats, and a dog that 100 percent gets along with cats. And I would also really like to adopt an older dog, one that really needs that second chance. But he tries to convince me it could never work.

So I thought maybe the advice from you all on this forum may be able to make me see clear possibilities of outcomes. How do your cats and dogs get along? How did you train/teach them to get along? Did you have your cats first or your dogs first? Do they seem happy around one another or stressed among each other? What kind of personalities and traits should I look for when adopting, since there are 2 cats in my home? Do you have advice or suggestions for this sort of situation? Are there clear cases where dogs and cats truly NOT get along? Do your cats get jealous often? I would love some advice on this, I favor and really admire opinions from those on this board. I think that I have always been given good advise from all of you, and would really appreciate it on this matter!

Thanks so much!

You'll hear stories from both sides. It just depends on the animals involved. Some animals accept other cats and dogs, some simply do not! I believe in the majority of cases, cats and dogs can learn to get along with each other. I think it boils down to a couple of things. Your cats are older, fully grown, and used to each other. You probably would want to take in an older dog. I don't know if the size of the dog matters or not. I've seen pictures of a newly adopted kitty sleeping next to her new doggy sibling. They bond immediately. Since you worked at an animal shelter, why could you not borrow the dog that you'd like to formally adopt and try him out! You took the Saint Bernard out on trips. I don't see why they would not allow you to take a dog on a trial basis. If things did not work out, the doggie can go back -- but I'm betting with some patience and introducing the dog and cats the proper way, the dog you bring home will be a super addition to your family. I understand your boyfriend -- but nobody can say for sure what will happen until the cats and dog are brought together and introduced. He's thinking the worst -- you're hoping for the best!

You are obviously an animal lover. And there are so many in need of homes. You're willing to open up your heart to a dog who needs a second chance ... hopefully your boyfriend will see that this could truly enrich not only your lives, but the life of the dog as well. It's obvious there's enough love to go around! Keep us posted.

We've got cats and dogs and we have more cat/cat issues than dog/cat issues. We're also a blended family, my husband and I each had 3 cats and I had a dog. Now we're a 6 cat, 2 dog family.

Since your cats are grown I would definitely look at an adult dog that has been tested around cats. A puppy would likely be overly curious and stress the cats out a lot which makes integrating them that much more difficult.

The best piece of advice I can give is to make sure the cats have a room (or two) that they can get into but the dog can't. We use removable baby gates across bedroom doors so the cats can come and go as they please without being pestered. And be patient, it will take time for the cats to accept this new family member but as long as the dog isn't chasing them they will come around.

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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 agree with Donna re: child gate to dog-proof a room.

While my cat and dog get along famously, when we first got our kitty, we had the safe room blocked with a child gate. Our cat could jump over it and the dog could not. This gave him a safe, quiet space where he could eat and poop in peace.

When we moved to our current house, we were able to provide a dog-proof eating spot for our kitty and now they are no longer separated by a gate.

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~ Kyenta

We have two adult cats and a dog and we are going to add a puppy soon. The things is, it can absolutely work BUT its going to be up to you to find the right dog. You aregoing to have to put looks/breed/age aside and go 100% on personality and trainability. Of course some breeds are notorious for their prey drive and that will need your attention but I wouldnt go by that alone. Most places have foster homes so you can go by how the dog acted in that inviroment. Im not sure how your local shelter is but ours evaluates a dog with cats and children or any stressful situation before adopting them out they will know what the dogs limits are. Its all about the tools you have available to you but I promise you with the right dog it can work!

are you looking for a large breed dog?or a certain breed?

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Cute puppies! It's likely going to take a while for your cats to adjust to their rambunctiousness! The white rice things are tapeworm eggs. Usually go away a day or two after deworming. You may need to deworming again. You should also deworming the cats if there are eggs around the house.