Dogs and cats...?

Question

I have two wonderful cats (my kids) who I have had for 3 and 2.5 years. They are strictly indoor cats. I would like to adopt a puppy-- specifically a German Shepherd. It would be an indoor/outdoor dog. I am concerned that the dog would harm my cats (whether in play or deliberately). To add to my worry, the cats are both declawed. Has anyone had large dogs and cats at the same time with success?

Answer 1

I have two german shepherds and three cats, one of them declawed. We had two of the cats before we got the first dog and we adopted her as an adult (estimated age 2-3 years but who really knows how old she was?). One of my cats isn't really a cat so much as a small furry creature who happens to look like a cat (seriously, he acts more like a dog most of the time) and he wasn't phased by the dog in the least. The other cat was very upset that we had brought "that thing!" into the house and it took him a while to get used to the idea. The dog never did bother either of the cats, except the occasional half-hearted chase if one of them would run past her (but even then a quick word from us was all it took to stop her). When we got our third cat as a tiny kitten (she was an orphen...4 weeks old) the dog was actually very protective and nurturing towards her. We got our second dog as a puppy (14 weeks old) and he did take a little more effort to learn that the cats were not chew toys. He really didn't understand why the kitties didn't want to play. Harvey (the non-cat) didn't seem too phased by this even when it involved the puppy chewing on his ears but the other two had to set the puppy straight with the occasional swat to the head. The fact that one of the cats doesn't have claws has never made his strikes any less effective against the puppy.

A puppy may accidentally harm your cats while trying to play with them. This is why if you have your heart set on adopting a puppy you will have to closely supervise any interactions between the dog and the cat. One solution to this situation that could set your mind at ease is to adopt through a breed-specific rescue organization. Breed rescues foster their dogs for some period of time and most of them test to see if the dogs are good with other dogs, other animals, children, etc. Both of my dogs came from german shepherd rescues where they had been tested with cats to determine their reaction/tolerance level. In fact, our first dog was actually our second choice...we had been interested in a different dog but he showed far too much interest in small furry mammals for us (my family or the rescue) to feel comfortable with him around our cats. While this often means an older dog, that can be a good thing. Older dogs have established temperaments and prey drives so you'll know for sure if they'll be good with your cats (as opposed to being surprised by a dog who thinks cats were born to chase and/or kill once s/he hits adolescence). Also, older dogs are less likely to be interested in your cats as playmates which not only significantly decreases the chances of the dog accidentally injuring a cat during play but will also make the addition of a dog much less stressful for your cats. And if you have your heart set on a puppy, most rescues do get puppies and even litters from time to time (our second dog came into rescue with most of his littermates at the tender age of 4 weeks, they were put up for adoption at about 13 weeks once they had been brought back to health and up to date on shots and spayed/neutered and their court case was heard).

If you would really rather go with a breeder, look for a reputable breeder who does all of the health tests and temperament tests as well. Tell them that you have cats and you are concerned about the puppy being too rough for them. They should be able to help you pick a puppy that doesn't have a super-high prey drive who would work well for your family. They will also be able to give you training tips on introducing the cats to the new puppy.

Answer 2

In most cases if you bring in a puppy as long as you trainthe pup and introduce them correnctly you shouldn't have a problem.
I would suggest at first crate taining the pup as far as house training. When you first bring the pup home put the cats in teh bathroom and let the pup run around the house this will get his sentin teh house. I would do this for about a week. Also the cats can approach teh pup when he is in the crate where he can't get to them. then you slowly birng them together.
I saw a cat that actually have all 4 feet declawed ( it was a stray that would go through house windows to gt out) fight off a fox and the cat won
I'm sure there will be a few tuffs now and then but then again all "kids" have squabbles
good luck I have 3 cats and 2 dogs and they all get along fine.

Answer 3

I have a GSD and we also have a 4 year old cat who is strictly an indoor cat. Our shepherd has never harmed out cat but we've taught her since she was a puppy that she is not allowed to chase the cat or rough house the cat. So as long as you bring the GSD up around the cat and teach it not to chase them or be rough with them it'll be fine. Our GSD is 1 1/2 old and never had a problem between her and the cat.

Answer 4

it depends on whether your cats can defend themselves or not.
I have 4 cats and 4 dogs, one is also a german shepard. but since we've had her with the cats since she was a puppy she doesn't really try to hurt them. she likes playing with them, but when my cats get tired of playing they bat her on the face
i think it can work, as long as you don't teach it to attack small animals

Answer 5

at my parents when we grew up,we had cats and dogs(actually german shepherds).They were fine together,especially the dogs towards the cats.Your cats might be funny towards the dog as it's new.Should be fine after initial readjustment.

Answer 6

no longer real, my 2 cats used to stay with my roommates 2 canines. One canines disregarded the cats. the different canines performed with them and the cats performed decrease back. considered one of my cats could curl up appropriate subsequent to the canines whilst they took a snooze.

Answer 7

It might work if you got them when both were babies but older cats will not readily accept a dog