Should I get a Cat if the Dog next door hates Cats?

Question

I have moved into my own house from my parents, I had a cat there and absolutely adore them and really miss not having one around. Unfortunately the day the i moved in the man next door asked "you don't have a cat do you, my dog killed my cat" to which i was devastated. Do you think i should risk getting a kitten? Would it know to keep away to avoid being hurt? I couldn't stand if anything did happen to it?

I would appreciate all advice.

The dog next door is an alsation if that helps anyones decision. I do think that keeping cats indoors is cruel but i understand what everyone is saying!

Answer 1

I dont think its that kind to keep cats indoors, my advice would be not to get a kitten, if you must get a cat get an adult cat as kittens can be killed very easily if the dog gets it, an adult cat is able to defend itself,run away and jump higher etc it will probably have more sense than a kitten and will stay away from the dog. as your neighbour sounds a decent person maybe you could ask him to control the dog and let your new cat in the garden, the dog will likley go mad barking etc and it the cat will probably not venture in there alone. good luck

Answer 2

First, are you sure this person is being honest? Maybe he doesn't like cats and wants to scare you about getting one - not that uncommon. I'd check that out.

Most of the advice you've gotten here is great - you can have an indoor kitty - they are fine inside and my vet really recommends keeping them indoors - they are obviously safer and healthier inside. I have 4 cats, inside/outside, and one of them is in the house 95% of the time because she loves it more than outside. If you get a kitten, I'd definitely keep it in the house until it's at least a year old (full grown). And, if you do decide to let it go out, the very best thing is to install a kitty door so it always - and I mean ALWAYS - has a safe place to run to if it's scared or being chased. My cats all come in at night and the door is closed for the night. You also want to make sure it is spayed/neutered - that will help with males to keep them from roaming and the females being spayed will keep stray toms from finding her during the heat season.

By the way, is that dog contained in a fenced in yard? Probably are laws about that where you are. He has a responsibility to keep his dog contained. Some dogs just can't resist chasing cats because of the movement, but most of them don't know what to do with them IF they ever catch them. And more often than not, a swift swat with a paw and a scratched nose resolves a lot of those issues. You just need more info about that dog.

Answer 3

You can get a cat, but I would strongly suggest that you always keep it indoors.
If your cat wants to go outside, believe me, it will annoy the heck out of you by begging to be let out. All I can tell you on this is just be persistent and do not let the cat out at all. After a while, it will probably give up and resign to a life within the house.

We have a cat who is an outdoors cat (he was already like that when we got him) and our neighbors own two labs who don't like cats, either. In addition, there are a lot of big dogs in the area. But we've had this cat a year and nothing's happened to him. However, he could still get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and never come back home.... so try to make sure that the cat you get is raised to be an indoors cat.

Answer 4

That's a great shame. I can understand you being devasted. What breed of dog is next door? Hope it's not too ferocious. Maybe his cat annoyed the dog, I wonder how long they had been together and what the circumstances were.
I think you would need to have a cat that would stay indoors, though that would seem a little unfair. Cats are very territorial and a law unto themselves, as I'm sure you already know. My cat gets on great with my two dogs, however he never goes into my neighbours garden where there are two dogs.
Maybe if you got a kitten it would learn not to go next door if the dog made it's presence and displeasure known.
Good luck if you decide to go ahead a get a kitten.

Answer 5

It is not cruel to keep a cat indoors. They l ive long healthy lives and are happy. Mine are and they l ive to be very old ages. They love me and the homes they live in. They have window seats and get sunshine, In the spring and the windows are open they sit by the screens and smell the outdoors safely. Noone has ever had to go to the vet with a broken leg or dog bit or hit by car. They purr and play. It is cruel to get a cat and expose it outdoors to dogs who will kill them and to stray cats who carry diseases that there are no vaccines for. ie: leukemia and feline aids. Have you ever seen a cat suffer from those diseases? It is so sad you wouldn't believe how sad. So don't pass judgement on house cats until you see the devastation of outdoor kitties lives.

Answer 6

Keeping your cat inside will insure that the dog next door will not have the chance to hurt it. So get one only if you're going to have a 100% indoor cat. Otherwise, if something happened to it, it would be your fault being your neighbor gave you warning. Why risk it?

Answer 7

For that situation, if you really want one, keep it indoors. But if you still want to let the cat experience the great outdoors, if you have a porch with plenty of room, you can always put chicken wire around from the top to the bottom, cats can climb so make sure there is no way out.

Answer 8

The canine became into nonetheless respiratory and additionally you buried it? You buried that canine alive, i'm no longer able to have self assurance which you may do something like that. All you will have had to do is say you caught a great feral cat attacking the canine and additionally you ran it off, they could have taken the canine to the vet to the two be helped or euthanized. you may desire to in no way have allowed your cat to attack that canine in the 1st place. you may desire to have in simple terms called animal administration and made a criticism against the canine barking each and all of the time and that they could have dealt with the vendors. you're a terrible individual.

Answer 9

Quite honestly I think people who have cats and don't keep them entertained by having a cat hating dog living next door are making their cats' lives very boring and sedentary - think of the exercise it will get trying to have a toilet session next door

Answer 10

If you do adopt a cat I would suggest it be an indoor cat only. Seems your neighbor has been kind enough to warn you what may happen if your cat gets in the neighbors yard.