Adopting my sister's dog...but i have two cats....?

Question

My husband and I have two male tabbies. They just turned three and they are our only pets, nor have we had any others. My sister is going to Australia for a few months and has asked if we can possibly take care of her good-natured shitzu until she gets back.

My husband thinks that the nature of cats would be that one or both of them will run away and not come back (they are in/outdoor cats) because they have not had a lot of time to establish territory at our new home in Florida. We've been here two months and it would be another month before we would bring the dog home if we decide to do this.

I just want to know thoughts and possible opintions and other possibilities where we could help my sister but not risk our cats running off.

Thanks!

Answer 1

are they neutered? if they are they will be less likely to stray. i have an un-neutered male and i thought for sure he would take off because ive had several different roommates with different dogs and ive brought home several new cats and kittens, plus i have 5 dogs. he adjusted very well to everyone and he has never ran away. cats are smart, they know where their food comes from. its a small dog and im sure if it bothers them they will run and hide for awhile. if its a well behaved dog who has been around cats, he probably wont even pay attention to them. cats adjust to dogs a lot better than most people think.

Answer 2

Well, first off - cats really should be INDOOR all the time. Yes, I know that a lot of people react negatively to that out of a "kneejerk" response, because I was one of them.

But after having dated a veterinarian for a while, and learning that ALMOST ALL diseases and infections and injuries which cats suffer come from STRAYS and from OUTDOOR ANIMALS interacting with the cats, and that indoor cats are overwhelmingly HEALTHIER and live 5-7  years longer (on average) than outside cats, I began to sway in my opinion.

And then when I enrolled in a local Animal Rehabilitation course -- where we learned to care for injured animals  like birds or squirrels or rabbits if they had been attacked by cats or dogs or run over -- and I discovered another unpleasant statistic... that almost ALL rabbits and birds and squirrels and baby raccoons and baby possums and chipmunks and voles and God-knows-what-all... ARE ATTACKED BY CATS...  

When I learned that, I decided that domesticated cats really belong indoors.

I do let them outside on the weekends when I'm working in the yard, or doing chores in the garden. You know, where they are really just hanging around me.

Cats should stay inside.

As for the dog.. when I brought a puppy home, it took weeks and weeks of consistent, firm, steady attention and discipline. That puppy always knew who the "alpha animals" in the house were. My three cats. He was not allowed ONE single behavior which could have been interpreted as aggression or escalated behavior.

That was four years ago, and we are all one big happy family.

Have you ever seen "The Dog Whisperer" on television? It's a television program where this man, Cesar Millan, shows case-by-case how to train and rehabilitate "problem owners and dogs."

I have learned a great deal from this show.

The bottom line is this: I would NEVER take the chance of losing one of my cats, and I would do WHATEVER it took to ensure that this did not happen.

It's too late, once it's happened and one of them is gone forever, to lament and moan and say, "Oh golly gosh. I wish I had done such-and-such."

Answer 3

Put the cats in a large cage.

Answer 4

I would try and keep your cats inside for a bit, while they get used to the new dog.  Always make sure your cats come first, it is their home.

Dogs and cats do get along.  I have a cat and two dogs, all came into our home at different times.  They are actually very cute together.

Remember, tehy will play, and rough house.  Learn to know the difference.  My little dog and cat romp together, and the cat bear hugs both dogs.

My larger dog and cat used to play alot until the smaller dog came in.  The cat would raise its paws high and look like an imitation of Hidden Dragon/Crouching Tiger. lol  Now the two smaller ones play more.

Your cats might stay under beds for a while though!  Try and feed them close together.  But watch where you feed the cats - the dog will take their food.  My cat eats up high!

Good luck!  Let them play and be themselves.

Answer 5

That happened to me, I went off to college and my little brother adopted a dog ... next thing I knew, my mom called and said my cat had run away and not come back (I was the only one the cat liked, anyway, I wish I could have taken her to the dorm with me, but, ya know...) Anyway, I would say to keep the cats inside until they've totally adjusted not only to your new home, but to the new dog. They will probably really hate it, and it'll probably be a huge hassle for you to keep an eye on the cats all the time, but cat's don't really adjust well to change. And there's a good chance they might spook and run if they're given the chance.  Just make it as pleasant as possible for them inside (get them a good kitty tower and lots of toys and treats) and try to make it a smooth transition. Good luck!

Answer 6

just show the dog affection while the cats are there and show  the cats affection while the dog is there . everything will be alright.

Answer 7

That's not so bad. Shitzu's are small-ish. You should have seen my 4 cats when we brung in Koda, out bernese mountain dog puppy. They were TERRIFIED. They scratched him in the nose, hissed and everything. After a month, they got completely used to him and now they're like, best buds. ^_^

Answer 8

Smaller dogs seem to do worse with cats than larger dogs, because they are very jealous and seem to be more territorial. I have a shihtzu and she hates my cats, but my akita loves them. Yours might be different though, the only way you'll find out is if you try.

I have an orange tabby btw weighs about 25 pounds.

:D