Dog Community

Have I totally lost my mind?

Posted : 7/16/2006 11:12:54 AM

So as some of you know I just moved to a new place. Rory is adjusting a heck of a lot better then I anticiapted. She is ecstatic about her new yard and I have to drag her inside at bedtime which I've never had to do before. I'm still a lil nervous to leave her there alone for long but things are going odd. I've taken her to my mom's the past couple fo days when I go to work but when I bring her back to the new place she gets so excited!
Also as some of you know she has a slight tendency to want to go after cats BUT.....the otehr day I brought her into my work and a co-worker had a kitten, I thought uh oh, here we go Rory is gonna wanna play and scare the hell outta this thing. Nope, not at all she LOVED the kitty. No barking, jumping, or trying to engage it in play. She licked it and was SO gentle, they hung out for a good 30 minutes and I didnt have to tell her "gentle" one time. SO would I be absolutyl CRAZy to get a kitten for her? I actually have a crap load of experience with kttens, my mom has fostered and bottle fed strays since as far back as I can remember. Plus my mom's oldest house cat just passed a month or so ago and my mom said that if it didnt work out she'd take the kitty. What do ya'll think, have I lost my marbles or do you think it would give Rory some company while I'm at work?

zsrg;lb ksr'pfjsoprej dfsg;va bjpskopa]

Posted : 7/16/2006 12:08:42 PM

But on the other hand I keep having visions of coming home to a mauled kitten. Most posts I read that have cats and dogs in one house started out with the cat being there first which I think may help the pup recognize that the cat is alpha....which it is, I guess I just thought that having a kitty around might help ebb her curiosity while providing some company. The more I think on it the more I dont think its such a good idea, maybe I'll just have to buy her some new toys, haha!

dawn

Posted : 7/16/2006 12:47:37 PM

i wouldn't write it off completely. i have two cats. one of them Whinny (my dog) really likes and they hang out in the same room together and occasionally have mellow, adorable interaction. the other cat, on the other hand, Whinny severely dislikes. she would never maul him or anything, but she doesnt' like it when he comes into her space and they tend to avoid eachother (fine with me!) i did have the cats before i got whinny, and i definitely think that has had impact on the way they relate.
my thought is that if rory was pretty good with the kitten at work, he could probably really make friends with a kitten of his own, and benifit from the company - but i wouldn't leave them together for awhile until you are sure they get along.

zsrg;lb ksr'pfjsoprej dfsg;va bjpskopa]

Posted : 7/16/2006 12:58:00 PM

Wow thanks. Yeah I keep thinking that my mom would love anther kitten and will end up getting one regardless of wether I get one or not. I would be able to tell right off the bat if ti was going to work or not to minimize the kittens confusion.
Plus I cant help but think that Rory is such a lover, she loves puppies, even a rabbit and she loves her stuffed animals. They are like her babies, she brings one to bed and cleans them. I fixed her so she'll never have a bay of her own. I'm just really torn on the subject.

alieliza

Posted : 7/16/2006 1:35:21 PM

I would maybe test her out around some other cats. If she has liked one out of however many, then maybe you should wait it out, and observe her a little more around them.... maybe more actively now that you are thinking of getting one.

I know that people suggest never leaving a pit alone with another animal, even if the pit isn't aggressive cause you never know (I have a pit myself). But you know your animal.... however, I see that you have your doubts.

LovinMyLife

Posted : 7/16/2006 4:36:33 PM

Maybe you and your mom could take Rory to pick out a kitten together! That way she would meet the kitty for the first time on neutral territory. If you could take it home on a Friday night you would have the whole weekend to watch them together and see how things go. Then maybe drop kitty or Rory off with mom while you are at work so they can get to know each other really well in the evenings while you are there to supervise. If they seem to get along well, start by leaving them alone for SHORT periods of time (like, while you go out to get the mail or whatever) then gradually increase the time you leave them alone (while you are doing laundry in another room, then while you run to the store for milk, gradually leaving them alone longer as long as you are comfortable).
Good luck!

zsrg;lb ksr'pfjsoprej dfsg;va bjpskopa]

Posted : 7/16/2006 4:40:15 PM

ORIGINAL: LovinMyLife

Maybe you and your mom could take Rory to pick out a kitten together! That way she would meet the kitty for the first time on neutral territory. If you could take it home on a Friday night you would have the whole weekend to watch them together and see how things go. Then maybe drop kitty or Rory off with mom while you are at work so they can get to know each other really well in the evenings while you are there to supervise. If they seem to get along well, start by leaving them alone for SHORT periods of time (like, while you go out to get the mail or whatever) then gradually increase the time you leave them alone (while you are doing laundry in another room, then while you run to the store for milk, gradually leaving them alone longer as long as you are comfortable).
Good luck!

That is great idea! I was just talking to my mom and she suggested soemthing similiar. She said she could keep the kitten at her house in the begining and letting Rory meet her there. Rory goes to my mom's a lot while I'm at work anyways. I think we'll give that a try. That way if it dosnt work out then I wouldnt have totally stressed a kitty out, I'll know Rory's limits with kitties, and we'll all be happy!

sillysally

Posted : 7/16/2006 7:00:29 PM

I have two cats that were there before Sally. They were displeased when she came to live with us, and toerate her now. She does pretty well with them, and now will only pester them occasionally (her pestering amounts to trying to engage them in play, which they find annoying).

In your situation, however, my only reservation is that you don't crate Rory, and I personally would leave a pit alone with a small furry critter, because they're animals and things can get out of hand without them meaning to, but then again you know what you are comfortable with.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 7/16/2006 11:58:10 PM

I think that having a kitten is a great idea, especially if Rory really likes cats. My girls just love cats, but I haven't gotten one, yet, b/c I'm allergic. I'm working on control on a day to day basis without living with a cat. When I have good control for a year, I'll think about a cat.

Anyhow, if I'm remembering correctly, Rory is a Pit or an AmStaff, isn't she? Is it safe to leave a terrier alone with a small animal? Or any dog? I wouldn't leave mine loose with a cat, just in case. I'd be afraid the prey drive would kick in, while I wasn't home, the cat would bolt, and the dog would be quicker.

dasher

Posted : 7/17/2006 8:09:54 AM

I think it really depends on your dog's breed and temperment. I say go with your gut. Before I had Dasher, we had a dal, plus our lab and they were/are great with the cats (cats came after the dogs). We could leave them alone with cats uncrated. They pretty much ignored the cats and the cats had an escape route to the basement. Now, AD (after Dasher), is a different story. He fits through the kitty door in the basement plus he is a fast little sucker, I have no doubt he could catch the cats if he ever wanted to. Now, he is the sweetest dog and is great with the cats, will sleep with them, never snaps or growls, even if they accidently get in his face when he is sleeping, and will "leave it" when the cats race around the room. BUT, he is JRT, so...he is never left unsupervised with the cats. We will always confine him when we are not home as long as the cats are here.