Greetings from SC!

[retzel17]

Hello everyone, 

I am Roberta! I have been a cat lady my entire life but am considering getting a dog. Is there any truth to the myth that the two don't get along or will I be safe? I am from SC and number is 5713649079 if anyone ever wants to chat! 

xoxo

[Tobi]

Welcome Roberta

It's usually recommended that members don't put their private telephone numbers out onto an open public forum. That could attract all sorts of trouble, you might not have even thought of. But of course, sharing your telephone number in a private message with someone is fine and at your discretion.
Now you may wish to reconsider having your phone number on display? If you do wish to remove it from your post, please contact me or Catherine, and one of us can edit your post.

Right ....back to your idea of getting a dog!
Dogs and cats can get along very well, but that does depend on a lot of things.
It depends on how afraid the cats might be of dogs, or if they have ever spent time with dogs before. If they haven't, they are probably going to freak out. Whether they will adapt to the dog in time or not is anyone's guess.

It depends on the dog's history, temperament, and if he/she has been used to living with cats.
It also depends on the dog's prey-drive.

Puppies and kittens raised together are fine. When I was a little girl, we had cats and a dog together and one cat or another often slept in the same bed as the dog.
But even so, if the dog is rambunctious and grows much bigger and stronger than the cat, accidents can happen, even in play fighting. So that has to be thought about.

Or, if you decide to introduce a tiny puppy, it could end up having its eyes scratched by your disgruntled cats, if they decide the puppy is an unwelcome intruder into their cat world.

I am sorry....my thoughts are not 100% positive are they? I don't mean to sound so negative! Just being practical.

End result is....it does depend on a lot of factors. But yes, cats and dogs CAN live very happily together.

[Catherine]

Welcome to the forum, Roberta. It is always good to hear from a new member. Living with cats is interesting. I am sure you have had lots of good experiences with your cats.
I have known lots of people who have had cats and dogs together. Some have cats with one dog. Some have dogs with one cat. Some have a mixture. They can get along. If you bring in a puppy your cats might surprize you and adopt it as a funny looking kitten and you dog will end up acting  like a cat. An older dog would have to be comfortable with cats before you bring it home. 
What type of dog are you thinking of getting? I am sure some are better suited to a cat household than others.

I am worried about you posting your phone number. The forum is public and non members can read anything that is posted.
I am going to think about it. I can easily edit your first post to remove your phone number.

[Libby]

Welcome to the forum!!

My best friend used to have a French Bull dog and a gray cat that would play all the time.  Both were under a year when they met and they would chase each other and pounce on each other.
I had another friend when I was growing up had a shi tzu with 3 cats and they all got along.  My aunt has 2 dogs and a cat as well but at one time there were 3 cats in the house.  So it's possible for sure.  It depends on your cat/s.  

I have a house full of all kinds of animals.  No cats but my 4 rescued dogs get along with all the new animals brought in.  It's the other animals that don't always want the dogs attention.  My newest addition, a sun conure named Killer Kiwi, doesn't like the dogs at all and will bite and has even attacked the dogs if they get too close.  The dogs are so pitiful the couple times it has happened.  They give me this sad look like, "I was just trying to make friends..."   One of my dogs, Regina is obsessed with the bearded dragon and 2 leopard geckos.  She whines and cries wanting to sniff and lick them.  When I don't let her close she will just lay next to their tanks and pout.  Then I have Silver Bullet who loves to sit close and watch when I get the snakes out.

[Libby]

I found this while poking around on reddit


https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/bi...um=ios_app

[Catherine]

Libby, your signature was not showing  so I clicked on edit for your post. I didn't do anything. I just saved the post and there was your signature as good as new. Problem solved, but I don't know why.

I have known dogs that lived with cats who acted like cats. Inter species connections are funny.
I think your bird is going to make sure the dogs respect  boundaries before any level of relationship is possible. I don't know if they can ever be friends.  
Some cats and dogs find reptiles interesting. I could picture your dogs wanting to play with them or just plain being interested in watching them. Dogs don't have a fear of snakes because they are not predator prey to each other. Snakes don't fear dogs. 
I think your bird would react to snakes, but maybe not. Has she even seen your snakes.

I keep my canaries and budgie as far from my corn snakes as possible because corn snakes eat birds in the wild and I don't want them even knowing there are birds around.

Dogs and cats don't have a natural relationship because they are both hunters in their own niches. They have different hunting styles so they wouldn't connect, but I suspect they would eat each others leftovers if there were any. 

That was a funny link by the way. 
Anything to do with cats is funny, that's why they rule the internet.

[Libby]

(04-29-2019, 02:04 PM)Catherine Wrote: Libby, your signature was not showing  so I clicked on edit for your post. I didn't do anything. I just saved the post and there was your signature as good as new. Problem solved, but I don't know why.

Weird I’ve never even seen it do that. It was fine when I got offline last night.

KK is a goofball.  She still has a way to have fun.  The dogs are learning to leave her alone so there are less out bursts.  I bring her, Popeye the bearded dragon, Leia the rat, and all 4 dogs out on the screened in porch and every gets along. The rat pokes around a bit, bearded dragon has a pin that I built him, KK sits on my shoulder or on the back of the wicker love seat. The dogs plop down and look out over the yards because we are on the second story they love getting to look out. I’ll sit on the love seat and my husband usually takes the rocking chair.  It’s nice having all the different species in one room all getting along.

[Catherine]

Your screened in porch sounds perfect. Being on the second floor does make it better because the dogs and even KK have something to look at. I wish I had something like that. I can picture you all sitting comfortably, enjoying a relaxing time together. I am glad KK is starting to accept the presence of the dogs or is it that the dogs have learned to give her some space.

There is something special about  living with a group of animals. When I sit at the computer there are two big tanks of skinks behind me, Barrie is bedside me and the birds are beside him. If I look in the other direction I can see a tank with Earl and Raven's son Sedona, Pete and Sam's daughter Zim, Mike and Firebird. They are all snakes that grew up with me.

If I look through the kitchen door which I can from the computer. I can see the guinea pigs and the rest of the corn snakes.

I would love a screened in porch though. I am glad with your dogs, you have a place like that to sit and be together.