Anyone got dogs AND cats?

[Jen & Her Men]

the reason i ask is we are thinking about getting a cat cos we live in the country where there appears to be an abundance of mice...

we dont really want to use poison etc with a baby on the way so figured it may be best to get a cat.

BUT we already have 2 doggies who seem to like to bark at cats although they are very friendly. I was wondering if anyone else has introduced a cat into their doggy home and how they all got on....

 

[Kimbo]

we have a dog and a cat.

we had a dog at first, been with us for 9 or 10 years, then the cat found us, so we took it in.
the dog was a bit confused at first and didnt like the attention the cat was getting, but she never went for him or anything.

then our dog died and we got another dog 4 years ago, and they're fine with each other.

they get jealous of each other though and sometimes growl or the cat gets his paws out, but they've never hurt each other.

just dont leave your dogs out when you get the cat!
our cat is an indoor cat too, so it's always walking around the house.

but now they even sleep together, and both try and squash up next to each other in the same bed lol

 

[kimmumof2]

yeh i have. i have always had a dog and now have 2 and i have 2 kittens. my dogs also dnt like cats but you just have to train them from when the cat is young/first introduced that its not acceptable. my dogs hated my kittens at first but now they share the spot infront of the fire wth them and everything. 1 of my dogs has been with us for 5 yrs tho and we had cats when she came but unfortunately we have lost the cats since and then we hada puppy and a yr later decided we were ready for more cats so i suppose its just the one dog that has had to get used ot them.

xxxxx

 

[Krystal]

I had a cat and a lurcher type dog, the dog was 7 by time the cat came along. He went to sniff the cat one day and the cat soon showed him who was boss

They should be fine, just tell the dogs to be careful lol

 

[Chrissy1]

We have a dog and a cat....... when I met my now DH he already had the cat and I already had the dog so they had to get on or we wouldn't have been able to live together!

when we first took the dog in the house the cat just gave him evils and made funny noises at him. Luckily the dog is easy going and so just ignored him and eventyally he shut up. They are fine together now and even cuddle up together on the sofa and we can leave them together if we go out with no problems.

 

[Sherlock]

I'd be more inclined to use humane traps rather than a cat tbh for mouse problems. So long as you then release the mice a fair distance away and not just the end of the garden they won't come back.

You can never tell if a cat is going to be a mouse hunter or not. Most simply like to play with them and its not a nice way for the mouse to go. Also many hunt birds and tend to leave rodents alone, which of course won't help your mouse problem.

Then there are vets bills. Nuetering, vaccinations, feed etc. It all adds up. Plus another animal to consider around your baby.

I'd try humane traps first for your mouse problem, ones that are not humane also (the non poison ones) if you are so inclined and cat as a last resort.

I live rural, farming and we have mice in the house and use traps. We catch more in a week than the cat would do if inside probably. Outside we have mice and rats. We don't worry about the mice then, the cat lives outdoors and boosts her feed with them. The dogs do the ratting. And the cat has been known to catch young rats also. She is also a bird killer much to my dismay. Its the one thing I cannot really reconcile myself to with keeping cats is the birdlife lost to them.

 

[Chrissy1]

I'd be more inclined to use humane traps rather than a cat tbh for mouse problems. So long as you then release the mice a fair distance away and not just the end of the garden they won't come back.

You can never tell if a cat is going to be a mouse hunter or not. Most simply like to play with them and its not a nice way for the mouse to go. Also many hunt birds and tend to leave rodents alone, which of course won't help your mouse problem.

Then there are vets bills. Nuetering, vaccinations, feed etc. It all adds up. Plus another animal to consider around your baby.

I'd try humane traps first for your mouse problem, ones that are not humane also (the non poison ones) if you are so inclined and cat as a last resort.

On that note we live not too far from fields and our cat pays no attention to mice whatsoever!!! He's much more interested in birds. fortunatly for the birds he was hit by a car a few years back and had a compound stress fracture of the spine so he can't run very fast or jump up things so they are quite safe

 

[Jen & Her Men]

Thanks everyone!

We will look into getting traps etc but I would quite like a cat anyway - we are a very animal friendly house and the house is big enough for more animals plus we have quite a bit of land etc

My only reservation about a cat is the fact they kill birds etc and Im not sure how I would feel about having to deal with a mauled mouse etc but we thought it might be a good idea cos its a fairly "natural" solution to the problem but we will have a think about it.

Thanks again for you help everyone!

 

[Sherlock]

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

If you want a mouse catcher cat your best bet is to try to find an adult one that needs rehoming and comes with a good reputation as a mouser and will stay indoors at night to actually catch them for you. Catching one or two a week won't solve your mouse problem (they breed at an astonishing rate) and you really need something that actually kills them quick and moves on. Most cats don't. Its a bit of a myth alas. They like to play with them and the poor buggers end up dying of shock and injuries. I prefer killing them in traps. Its quick, easy to clear up and you catch a fair few of them.

Mind you, saying that chances are you'll never clear the problem up. Anything rural/old is mouse heaven and hard to get rid of them totally. Even poison only clears them out for a few months at a time. My old cottage I used to live in harmony with them. I'd often find one on the kitchen worktop or in the bath and catch them and put them out in the field. When I lived in Amsterdam mice were a problem in most houses and you would see them scuttle about while watching TV in the evening or something

 

[Jen & Her Men]

TBH I dont really mind mice all that much.

Its rats I cant stand. <shudder>

Its just with me about to be a first time mum, Im a little anally retentive about the germs etc they bring in around my LO.

 

[Sherlock]

TBH I dont really mind mice all that much.

Its rats I cant stand. <shudder>

Hehe

Here is hoping you never have your cat catch one and bring it over to you, where it proceeds to play dead for a few seconds, then leaps up, squeaks and runs round your feet and then decides running up your trouser leg is a good escape plan

When it happened to me I yelled, kicked my leg so hard but it clung on and kept climbing higher till finally it flew off, up in the air and finally met its death in the jaws of my little lurcher who could not believe her luck that I was yelling for her and actually throwing it in her direction

And germs I'd not worry too much about. Before you know it your little one is going to be picking things up off the kitchen floor and popping them in his/her mouth for a taste and goodness knows what else. One kiddie I looked after used to see the dogs drinking water from their bowl and thought she should be doing the same She really didn't think drinking from a bottle was a good idea once she found the dog bowl In the end the parents had to move the bowl and place it elsewhere out of her sight but it was a pain as the dogs then had to be let out for access to it.

No matter how clean you think your home is, there are always germs lurking. So long as you give your worktops a good wipe down before you prepare food etc you should be fine I can understand the worry though, but I'm sure it'll be ok.

 

[Babylicious]

yeah we have a cat and a dog, we got the cat first about 5/6 years ago and she's my baby then got the dog last may and she's a pain in the arse

 

[Misslarue]

I had my dog for about 6 years and then took in a stray (who turned out to be pregnant) It took a little while for them too get along, but only from the cats point of view. My dog is very timid and was scared of the cat who did have a 'go' at my dog a few times..............obviously didn't help as she was being protective over her litter of kittens. We now have 2 cats and my dog and they all get along great. My youngest cat was one of her kittens and gets on great with my dog, they even cuddle up and rub noses and they have never had any incidents, I guess as she has always known my dog.