Pregnant cat and a new dog?

Question

i have a male cat(soon to be neutered) and a pregnant cat. i want a dog. i went to the spca and found a real nice one, cody. he is trained, listens well. noe the mama cat well be in her own room to raise her kittens when they are born(sometimes in the next week). i just wanted to know what others thought. they said that cody likes cats, he will need a coulpe days to get used to them though. any comments welcome...don't be rude. thank you.

Answer 1

Hi Jennifer,

What's the rush? I would wait until the kittens are grown a bit. I think adding a dog to the mix is going to stress mama out. If you really want THAT particular dog, can you board it somewhere or have a friend or family member take it for a couple of months?

Answer 2

Make sure the mom has her litter box at the far end of her room and food and water near the door.  Don't even begin to try to introduce her to the dog until the kittens are grown and gone.  Initially too much stress for her.  After the kittens are born she will protect them no matter how innocently your dog gets near them.  It will be ugly.

To introduce the boy cat to the dog, stand near the bathroom or some other room with a door.  Hold the cat snuggly in your arms.  Be prepared for an attack or escape attempt.  When/if the cat overreacts to the presence of a dog in his "territory", put him in the room for three minutes or so until he chills out.  Feed him treats, give him love and try again like that a few times.  In two weeks or so they will be good enough to be free to roam without supervision.  

Until then, the boy cat may need to be kept in his own room so that they can smell and hear eachother without being able to get at eachother.  That way no grudges become established -- and no vet bills.

Answer 3

As long as mama has  a safe place to keep the kittens I don't see any issues.  The new dog will certainly need constant supervision around the cats and kittens for the safety of both parties involved.  How things progress after the initiation period will depend on how amicably the sitation progresses.

However, are you keeping the kittens?  If you are, that will make for a very full house.  How big is the dog?  Is your home large enough to accommodate everyone comfortably?  How will you keep the dog separated while you're not at home?  Just a few things to consider in addition to the added expense of a new dog.

Answer 4

well i think you should wait. it might make th mama kitten stressed. also think of the finances, a mama will need a lot of care and so will a new dog. i would at the very least wait till i found all the kittins a new home.

good luck