i want a dog, boyfriend wants a cat?

Question

i love my boyfriend very much and we've talked of getting married (not for a few years yet though)... the only problem is i would like a dog at some point, but he wants a cat. ive been brought up with dogs...although id rather wait a few years after were married to get one cos i know of the responsibility involved in looking after one. i said i dont mind compromising and starting off with a cat, and then getting a dog when the cat dies... but he said he doesnt like dogs... particularly their barking. his dad is allergic to most animals so my bfs never really had any pet experience except for owning fish... so i see thats the reason behind him not being sure about dogs. i still would like one though one day but i dont want to lose my bf over something stupid. i dont mind helping and waiting for him to get over his fear... but i dont want it to come down to choosing him or a dog. has anyone had any similar experiences?

i wouldnt mind getting both... but he says he doesnt want a dog. i have a dog at home that my bf is ok with, so its not like he's never been around dogs... but everytime he barks my bf jumps.

Answer 1

My old roommate had 2 cats. When she met her now husband, he had a border collie. He didn't really like cats. They wound up getting married and they combined their family of animals and then added another dog. They were all indoors. Her husband likes to run and will take the dogs running with him and she likes to go on walks for exercise and it works out. The cats had to adjust more than the dogs, of course. They put a kiddie gate up with a hole in it so that the cats could go in one spare room as they pleased. They all get along now. There is no reason that you cannot have both really.

There are dogs that don't bark as much. You can look into what dogs you both like. Will the dog be indoors or outdoors? What climate do you live in? If it is too hot, most places require you to have your dog indoor part time if you decide to adopt from a humane society. There are some kinder breeds of dogs.

Cats are more independent and can be very comical. All animals can be expensive when it comes to bringing them to the vet for shots, etc....

I went to get a dog and wound up with a cat because I didn't have a fence to keep my dog in when I let him or her out. Plus, I wanted to be home more for the dog. The cat is more independent and I wanted an animal. Although, with this kitten, I wound up with more than I bargained for....... He is more needy than my last cat was and he is sick. Come to find out, besides the virus he had and the heartworms, I was giving him the wet Iams that they recalled and he has kidney failure. He is doing better now that I have had him off of it. The food was recalled for both dogs and cats and was only the wet cuts with the gravy. I was giving his medicine with it. The only way he would take his medication. Anyway, If you do go for animals, make sure your animals have had their shots, etc. if you get them from a humane society. Look into the breed before you decide which you would like., how much time you are going to be able to be at home with him/her, etc... If you go away, who would care for your animals, etc...

It can work out as it did with my old roommate and her husband. They just accepted that each other liked the other animal better and they live with it. My old roommate loves cats and he loves dogs. She would rather live in a house full of cats, but now wouldn't trade the dogs for anything either. Plus they are protection for her when he is gone. They are more work than the cats too.

Don't let the animal thing get in the way. There are ways to comprimise. Most of the times, the cats are no problems. I have trained my kitten to stay off the counters, kitchen table, etc... You can make it work. Things will fall into place.

Best wishes to the both of you.

Answer 2

You know it is o.k. to have both animals at the same time. I grew up with cats and dogs togethers all my life and they were always fine with each other. They just need to be raised together as puppy and kitten and then that is what they will know. My dogs even used to jump over the cat when another cat would come in the yard or when we would say "get the cat". They didn't even realize she was a cat. Of course the cat would give us dirty looks but they never botherd her or chased her

Answer 3

Get both. They will have eachother when you're both away from home, and he will learn to love the dog too. You might want to go with a small to medium breed though, something not too much bigger than the cat - it might make him feel a bit more comfortable. You don't want a huge dog jumping up and knocking him over, even if it is out of love and being playful, it might spook him if he didn't grow up that way like me!

Answer 4

When looking for a cat "introduce" him to some dogs. I know people who feared dogs all their lives and then got one b/c the spouse wanted one. Now they love dogs. It sounds more like misunderstanding then a fear. He just needs to meet some. Because cats can live a long time that's a really long time to wait for a dog. Why not both? I have 5 cats and 2 dogs.

Answer 5

well my boyfriend wanted a cat (im mildly allergic) and i don't particularly like cats as much as i like dogs....i want a dog but he didn't cause he hasn't had good experiances with them....when we did try getting a dog nothing worked out and we had to give the dog back to his owner....no to mention he wants the "PERFECT" dog....with no problems and no issues....(not going to happen/ by his definition)....so we talked and we got a cat....i take care of the cat and have gotten so attached to him that i would not give him up for the world....i still want my dog (a little later) and he has agree that i can have my dog that i will take care of and it will be with me all day....so we compermised and everything worked out....i love my cat and i will have my dog too....try talking with him and tell him that this is something that you really want...my boyfriend still doesn't want a dog but realizes that it is something that i really want and he says that i can have my dog because he wants me to be happy.....not that your doesn't but try talking to him more about it...if he loves you he may not agree but he should at least listen

Answer 6

My stepbrother's fiance almost chose the cats over him .. she should have in retrospect cause she has not respected his allergies. :)

So don't belittle this.

Perhaps you can visit "other people's dogs." and I find the bigger dogs kinder

dogs stereotypically have temperaments .. but the individual dog can vary.

.. golden retrievers, border collies, Belgian sheepdogs, English sheepdog, Samoyed's (they like to bark), perhaPS labs .. but labs are almost too doggy of a dog.

ps.
We grew up with two Samoyed dogs (they are great with kids and cats) but they are a cold weather dog.

of course.... one could consider an Irish Wolfhound :)

And you can have both dogs and cats in the same household .. we did.

Answer 7

get, both, but both animals need to like being around other animals, hey, i have 4 dogs, 3 cats, 5 birds, 1 snake, 18 fish, 1 horse, 2 tutles, and 4 hamsters they all get along quite well.

Answer 8

Get both. I recommend a cat that is used to bigger animals, and a gentle dog.

Answer 9

Get a small dog and a cat. They will get used to eachother and become best friends.

Answer 10

Obvious solution. Get a Catdog.