I have a two year old male Irish Wolfhound. I just added a 3 year old male IW mix to my household. The dogs are sorting things out. I also have a 4 year female maine coon cat. She is extremely afraid of dogs and refuses to have anything to do with them. My IW has a very high prey drive which I was not aware of when I got the cat who was 2 years old at the time as a possible companion for my dog. Yes, I was extremely ignorant at the time. As a side note I was told by my the cat's previous owner that the cat loved dogs. When I got her home I discovered that she was extremely frightened of them. The new dog fortunately could care less about the cat. Now the dilemma. My sister is urging me to give her the cat because per my sister the cat is miserable. She (the cat) seems okay to me. Is there anyway to work with all the animals and get them to play together? Or is this a situation of trying to overpower instinct? Would my cat be better off living in a purely cat environment? I hate to have any of my animals unhappy. Any advice would be appreciated.

We got our cat four years ago and brought it into a house with two dogs. She was fine and would sit happily in the same room. When we got our first mal 18 months ago she stopped coming into the living room or kitchen, although she would happily rub herself up against the Mal if they met outside the house. When we got the second mal at the end of last year, she carried on exactly the same way. She only gets chased if she runs and she seems to have figured this out and just walks towards the dogs to say hello. It did take time, but she seems to have adapted and is appears happy and healthy. I think it's down to whether your cat settles down over a couple of months. If she's in danger of being hurt, make a decision now, otherwise I would suggest giving the situation a bit more time to settle.
Joan :)

Susan

Why did you get another dog when you knew your cat was afraid of them? Doesn't really seem fair to me and doesn't give her the chance to try to overcome her fear with one before she has another to deal with. In one sentence you say the cat seems OK to you but you also say she is extremely terrified. If she is truly "extremely frightened" as you say then she isn;t OK and it doesn't seem fair to keep exposing her to the trigger of her fears. Perhaps letting her go to another home where there are no dogs would be better for her and if it's your sister then at least you'll get to see her. The problem with rehoming any animal is you rarely know the true history behind them. The previous owner may believe she was not worried about dogs - but was she actually exposed to them - and if she was, were they such big dogs?

Sorry if this seems harsh.
jmho

Pam n the boys

Let the cat go to your sister

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post. In reference to the cat being terrified - this is my sister's interpretation. Lacey plays, eats, hangs out, etc. She has had almost two years to overcome her fears and in many ways has shown some progress. She does interact some with the dogs in a limited fashion. She has a separate, peaceful area where the dogs are not allowed. She has never been harmed in any way. Does she sleep with them, no. Lacey had received her championship but for some reason was unable to produce healthy litters of kittens. She was spayed and sold. Her socialization revolved around being handled by a show judge. Ultimately, she will probably go to my sister's house. For now I'll see what happens.

It is very rare for grown cats to become comfortable enough to ever play with dogs unless they are introduced while a kittens.
And although the previous owner said she was comfortable with dogs she may have just been comfortable with one dog in particular.
My parents cat has grown up with their dog since she was a kitten and sleeps with him at night.
But she absolutely hates other dogs and wont go neaar them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you know the cat is going to have a loving home with your sister and you'll still be able to see her then maybe that is the best option.
But if you're reluctant to move her then just give her some time to settle.
Make sure she has somewhere she can relax where the dogs cant go.
I dont let my dog upstairs so my cats can relax in peace.
They are gradually getting used to her and yours might too.

You must teach the dogs to ignore the cat. You have not had the second dog very long, so it is too soon to see if the cat will settle down. As long as the dogs do not chase her, she should be find until you can get her to accept the fact that she must live with the dogs. Make sure that she has a safe area, where the dogs can't see or reach her. in time she might learn to ignore the dogs. If not, than take your sister up on her offer. But give it a couple of months first.