I'm trying to get my cat and puppy used to one another before the pup matures.The problem is the cat is doing a great job of avoiding the pup.Should I leave them to it or limit their living quarters so they have to accept eachothers presence and assert the pecking order?

hi all
i have cat and dogs and i left them to it they get on fine now

lorraine

No - don't force a confrontation. If the cat is making a good job of avoiding the pup then fine just leave it. The last thing you want is to provoke an aggressive response.
Give them time to accept each other gradually - they will be acutely aware of each others presence from smells etc..which in time will become familiar.
You need have no pecking order between dogs and cats :)

Try and be there when they do come into contact though, and teach the puppy not to chase or harass the cat. I have 3 dogs and 4 cats, the two older dogs get on great with all 4 cats but the pup is still partly thinking of them as playthings although we are getting there slowly I think. What type of dog is it? How quickly they get on will depend on both their tempraments too.

We've got 3 cats, 2 dogs and 5 pups of 7 weeks. They all get along fine. The cats keep out of the pups way for now but from experience they'll be fine. Our she cat is the boss and the dogs just ignore her. They know not to mess but they play with the 2 tom cats.

I have 3 Bengal cats and would like to get a puppy shortly. My cats have their own bedroom (don't ask) and wondered if you thought it would be safe to leave a puppy to sleep with them at night?? Or should the puppy be left in a puppy pen in their room?? or not at all?

HI,

I have a bengal, and would say that it would not be a great idea to leave the pup alone with the cats at any time... Firstly, they should not be left until you know how each will react to the other, and know that they will not hurt them, secondly, i know that my pup sees the cat as a play thing, and the cat winds him up purposely! I would also say that it would be good to give the pup a place of his own, so that he can have a break from people/cats without having to go into the "cats room".
Also wanted to say that i love bengals, best cats in the world (except when they start miouwing!) and Kuga cat gets on great with my 2 staffords - very gentle with the pup too, though we wish that she would tell him off as now and again we hear this muffled mew coming from solo, and he has the cat head in his mouth!!!!

I agree 100% - Bengals are the best cat to have, and definitely the next best thing to a dog if you can't have one. My boy collects sticks and walks on a lead.....I also have an F2 (her grandmother is an Asian Leopard cat) and she talks incesantly...but understood, will give space to dog. Makes sense....

Now the cats head in the dogs mouth would worry me ;-) but my boy cat does it to my smallest cat, and she beats the hell out of him. I think females are a little bit more feisty than the boys aren't they? or seem to stick up for themselves more.

Hi,

Kuga is a big softy though - she used to be a cow, but then started to treat her more like a dog and she softened up a bit. She used to bully my older stafford something terrible, but now that solo is here she leaves cleo alone - though they can be seen snuggled up together on the bed - the safe place away from the puppy. She has never hisses, or had claws out with the pup, though god knows she should have done!
Am F2 must be an amazing animal to have, quite jealous really! Does that mean you breed? We want to get another bengal inthe not so sitant future, 6 months or so, when we move out to the country. Mark (they are his love really) wants to build them a pond and water feature, with some deadwood climbing frames and evreything - is getting into it! We want to get a tom this time, and would like to go down the glitter route - though still only as a pet... Any tips on where we could go to get a nice kitten? Kugas breeder only has brown spotted, and one marble...
Thanks in advance!

Alex

I have two cats that live with my dog in harmony. Ive always had cats with my dogs as my type of dogs are notorious cat chasers. Ive always kept a cat or two so that my dogs dont chase cats. They are handy for the vermin also.
Dont force the issue leave them to sort it out. My two cats share a basket wth the dog. The dog even lets them eat out of his bowl at the same time as him.
My daughter also has two white rats and the cats and dog dont bother with them either.

All the best Mick

My Malamute Hudson LOVES cats ...preferably with a touch of salt and pepper

:D

Melody - who does own 3 cats all of which HATE Hudson with a great hating :)

Thank you for those photos Mick the dogs are smashing
I really think that the photos of those dangerous dogs lol getting pushed out of the chair by !!CATS !! should be put in one of the dog papers to show what sensible and responsible ownership can achieve , well done you . Mari

Hi Alex

Sorry for late response, trying to move back to UK is turning out to be a nightmare (unreliable moving companies).

No, I'm not a Bengal breeder even though I have looked into it, but when I approached other cat people for advice I just got an earful about all the stray cats/dogs and what was wrong with RSPCA......anyway, we bought our F2 and F4 from a wonderful breeder in California, Brigitte McMinn. Unless you want them to sit in UK quarantine for 6 months, I guess this option is out but I know if you contact Brigitte she will advise a good breeder in the UK. ALL her cats are glittered just like our little boy Hector, and she does breed swapping with the UK so i know her beautiful line will have come out.
www.exoticbengals.com

The third Bengal we bought in the Netherlands but she is an atrocious breeder so i won't tell you who she is. I am aware of a site that is a rescue home for bengals that might interest you. Apart from that I don't know any good breeders in the UK, other than I know Llandau (?) Bengals was one of the first in the UK but I can't comment on their cats. I have so many Bengal sites which I am more than happy to send you but there may be nothing there you haven't already seen. I can also send you a picture of my cats so you can see how pretty they are, also how large the boy gets (he's now about 18lbs).

Our F2 is a fiesty little girl, but unlike domestic cats she won't fight. She growls like a little leopard which is quite unnerving for the first time! Brigitte sells her F2 queens at about 2 years so that could be a possibility instead of waiting the 6 months in quarantine.

Have you thought about a Chausie/Jungle cat??

This is the official Bengla cat club of GB with links to rescue Bengals.
http://www.bramblewood.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/bccgb/catclub/newsite8/1.html

And for a bit of fun I've attached a link that shows you how to literally train kitty to use your loo!
http://www.karawynn.net/mishacat/toilet.shtml

Good luck and let me know if you get a Bengal - I nearly had one of the rescue ones myself but I want a dog first, then more Bengals later!!

Ali

HI Hectorbear,

No worries about the wait for the reply. I would love to see pics of your cats, and any links that you could give me - i have lost all mine after changing computer... 18lbs - now thats a big kitty! Mark would love that!, kuga is only about 7lbs... very small and very pretty but the neighbourhood terror cos she is so fast. Are your cats clumsy by the way? - kug regularly slips off tables, knocks things over and tries to come down trees front ways - silly animal that she is!
Only trouble with a rescue is our 2 dogs - cleo is a big funny with adult cats, though adapted to a kitten easily enough... and now loves kuga to peices.
What is a Chausie/Jungle cat?? never heard of them... tell me more!

My email is: alexl@onetel.net.uk

Cheers,
Alex

I also have three wonderful cats, and your puppy/dog must learn from YOU that cat chasing or being a nuisance is UNACCEPTABLE behaviour. Make that clear!

From the cats point of view, they should have a place that is a 'dog free zone', and thereby feel safe and stress free. Perhaps the upstairs part of the house should be out of bounds to the dog, but the cats know they can go there when they want to be away from the dog. That way the cat can check the dog out on his/her terms, and gradually become accustomed to the presence of a dog. Then if you are controlling the attitude of the dog, peace and harmony will eventually prevail.

Make sure if you have indoor litter trays that they are in areas where the cat will be undisturbed by the dog. Eating areas too!

All the best,
Denise.