Will my cat be upset?

Question

I am thinking of getting a puppy but have an adorable one year old cat, who is happy and the centre of attention! How will she react to a puppy? Will the fact that she is young help her to accept it more easily? I couldn't bear to change her life around and make her feel rejected or insecure. I will of course still give her as much love as ever!

Answer 1

Having recently carried out a similar introduction in my house I can tell you what happened with my 1.5 year old cat and puppy!

First I made sure that the cat discovered the pup while he was asleep otherwise I think that there would have been chaos. He is a very curious character so I knew that his curiousity would eventually get the better of him and I played on that. He investigated the puppy while he was asleep and was definitely not impressed. He disappeared over the fence and I didn't see him for several hours. He turned up from time to time over the next few days and watched from a safe distance. Some nights he stayed out altogether which isn't normal and I was so anxious.
The difficulty was not only teaching the pup to leave the cat alone but also the cat had to learn not to run in front of dogs!! they can't resist the chase.
6 months on, the cat has got the message and has the upper hand, giving the pup a good smack in the face if he gets too close!
Keep a close eye on them as the cat will injure the pup. Mine has been scratched in the eye and has a scar on his lip. The cat taunts him by dangling his tail over the side of things and despite so many scratches and lots of spitting the pup takes the bait every time.
My cat has recovered from the initial shock and snuggles up with me in bed every night as usual. He even sits on my lap for a stroke and sleep now, with the dog on the other end of the sofa. Peace and harmony at last!
Make sure your cat has plenty of places to retreat to and it will all be fine in the end.
(ps, another tip - puppies love cat food and will raid it at every opportunity which will then give them the runs - feed the cat in a safe place!)

Answer 2

Keep the puppy in a room and let the two of them meet by sniffing at each other under the door. The bring a blanket that has the dogs smell to the cat and as she sniffs it give her treats and a lot of loving, do the same to the dog, gradually let them see each other but do not let them come in contact with each other. As they get more and more use to the other being there you can see how they interact, you will need to let the cat prove her dominance because if you interact and grab the puppy away the cat will feel like you are taking it's side. Just go slow and everything should be fine.

Answer 3

When you get the new puppy, make sure to give your cat even more attention then ever, give them a bit more food, buy new treats and toys, things that will make your cat think you love them more than the puppy (even if you don't) cats have a silly feeling of superiority, so make sure to use this to make him feel better. introducing him to a very young puppy, preferably the same size at the time, will make him more comfortable with the new addition. introducing the cat to the puppy through a thick screen will insure the puppy's protection, and the cat will feel safer to. make sure that for a happy household you make sure to ask the previous owners if the new puppy has a previous behavior agents cats, or, if possible, ask if his parents have had anything towards cats, it could have gotten passed down to him.

Answer 4

Try letting her help pick out the puppy. You will get a better idea of how she will react. My cat actually loves dogs. I got a dog after I got her and we had an introduction. They are now great playmates. When my fiance's dog moved in, it was just the more the merrier. But not all cats will feel that way. Some are more solitary or attention hogs. Try testing the waters with a friend's puppy at your home and an introduction with the puppy you are wanting to get.

Answer 5

that is hard!!! i have a 7 month old kitten and a 8 month old puppy. they dont get along. my kitten is scared of her i think because all the puppy wants to do is chase the cat (in a playful way). the kitten doesn't understand she is trying to be playful. puppies just play rough. take it slow. when you get your puppy, put your cat in a room while you let the puppy get adjusted to his new home away from the cat. then, you can gradually hold the cat and take her to see the puppy from a distance. note her behavior and eyes. take her a little closer if she looks like she is doing okay. if you manage to get her all the way to the puppy (holding her the entire time) then kneel down to your puppies level and let your puppy smell your cat lol. while doing that pet her calmly and talk to them both in a happy but relaxed voice. i think this might be easier since you are introducing your cat to the puppy. in my case, after I got my puppy i brought the cat home and things dont work out very well.

hope it works well! if you have anymore questions about it, feel free to email me!!!

oh yeah, and dont get upset if they dont get along right away. they will surely accept eachother. they just need some time.

good luck!
<3

Answer 6

She will be upset for a while , but she will warm up soon .She wont be mad at you . They will get used to each other . It will take a month or two . Maybe a year. But she will get over it. I have a old female cat , since I was 8 years old and my boyfriend got me a new male kitten .My older cat was mad at haveing a new pet around . It took three months , but she warmed up to him. Just give them the same love and attention and maybe she'll be best friends with the puppy.

Answer 7

the cat may love it ,if the cat is old the puppy will play with it to much and the cat will hit it with a clawed paw
if the cat is also young they may play together.
lot of cats sleep on top of the dogs if they grow up together,
so dont worry.
maybe some hissing and scratching and barking at first ,but when things settle down they may become the best of friends .
But it also depends on the dog ,if it is a Jack Russel ,it will eat the cat as soon as it can.

ha ha ,not always

Answer 8

I know from experience that cat's get upset when their home is invaded. That does not mean that they will not get over it. My daughter has a cat that got so upset that didn't meow for a year. Now we can not shut her up. She had to adapt to three more cats (my daughter volunteered at the shelter for a while) then another cat when I moved in. She also had to adapt to my two chihuahuas. She loves them now. She still hisses at the other cats ever once in a while but she is fine now. She even lays side by side with the dogs now. It should be okay. One thing we did do for a while was to keep them apart in separate rooms and slowly introduce the other animals. This was her home first, afterall.

Answer 9

I catsat another cat a few months ago and my kitty HATED the other cat. Hissed and fought and scratched. And she was pissed off at me. For a while. Until the other cat left in fact. I would think long and hard about it. Maybe ask a friend to "borrow" their dog for awhile? Eventually your cat WILL get used to the dog and will be fine...but she may never be the same...I am a little worried myself cause I am over 8 months pregnant and she is a VERY jealous cat! I know it is my fault cause I baby her and spoil her so much. *sigh*...I love cat people...

Answer 10

I don't actually have a cat or dog, but once when I went to the pet store, I saw a person take her cat when she was checking out the puppies. I think that's a good idea. Bring your kitty along with you and see how she reacts.