[ccunnin2]

We've had our two tabbys for 7/8 years now, and neither have any experience with dogs.

Within the next month, we'll be bringing home an adopted greyhound.

The dog will have been prey-drive tested with cats by the adoption organization and will be "cat-safe".

However we want the introduction period to go as smoothly as possible for everybody involved.

Does anyone have any experience or advice on this topic?

 

[Padunk]

This should help!

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?a ... roductions

 

[bjohnson]

i have a dog who before i got my cats... any time we (my wife and I) would say "get that kitty" he would FLIP OUT!!!!

when i brought my little tony home (4 weeks, 1 1\2 lbs) i took him out and my dogg flipped out... he started foaming at the mouth and then he puked but then about 30 minutes later of some 'butt-sniffing' between the two... they are best of friends now!!!

 

[erika_4404]

It's always hard to bring an adult dog in to a family with adult cat's

we got out cat's when they where kitten and our dog when she was a puppy and the three of the had a relationship i have never seen between cat's and dog. eg. they would sleep togther eat out of the same bowl play togther, evne in to there adult years. when out dog passed the cat's missed her so and have never been the same. when even had a bird that would walk arounf on the floorand eat dog food with the three od they at the same time it's strange. The best of luck to you. my owm personal opinon i would get a puppy instead of an adult dog because you can train the puppy to respect the cat better the an adult dog.

 

[Ianthe]

It can work, even with an adult dog,especially if they have been cat-tested. I brought Howie home (13 yr old cocker spaniel mix) about 2 years ago to 2 cats who had never lived with a dog 8O It went so much better than I ever could have expected, and now they are all the best of friends

 

[kim meadows]

Have you researched greyhound adoption? The adoption place should explain all that you need to know.

From http://www.greyhoundog.org/FAQ.html

I have cats, small dogs, chinchillas, rabbits, birds.
Our program tries very hard to choose a dog that will fit into your family. We test each ex-racer with cats and we also test with other dogs (non-greyhound) for safety and compatibility. Although certain small animals, such as chinchillas and rabbits, look a lot like a racing lure, there are greyhounds who live in homes where these animals are also family pets.

If you put in the time and patience they'll all get along.

Ex racing greyhounds are big couch potatos but will chase things that run away. I read a story of someone's greyhound getting skunked.

 

[LucyB]

Wonderful! Congratulations on your greyhound. I have a 3 year old grey named Piper, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (toy breed) called Winston and, ruling the roost, an Oriental Shorthair cat named Yoda.

The adoption group you are working with should be able to give you tips on the introduction, but this is what I remember...

Piper had been tested cat safe but I had one failed adoption with a "cat safe" grey that found Yoda's high level of activity too attractive, so I took no chances. Your grey should have a basket muzzel when he/she comes to you. Use that and a good strong grip on the leash for your introductions. Crate/leash the grey or confine the cat so they are not together unsupervised until you get real confidence that the cat is safe. Remember that even a grey that is great with cats indoors may be a threat to the same cats outdoors. Any interest, focused staring or play attempts by the grey should be met with a firm "NO KITTY". Clip the cats claws to protect fragile greyhound skin. During the first few days of adjustment the crate can be a real benefit to the grey and a way for the cats to have some safe freedom and an opportunity for you to gauge your dog's interest in the cats. Even after everyone is settled in nicely, make sure the cat has access to safe retreats where the dog cannot follow.

Piper is fine with the cat and the smaller dog and chances are that your new grey will be great too. However, if you find that you are concerned about the dog's reaction to your particular cats do not hesitate nor feel any guilt about returning one greyhound and trying the adoption process with another. Cats, greys, other dogs, and people ALL need to be happy and well-matched for the adoption to be a success and it is worth the effort to find the right dog for your home and family. If you have not done so, visit www.greytalk.com. This is a BB for greyhound owners. It has excellent search capability and it you search you will find loads of info and opinion on greys and cats that should help. You will also find comforting pictures of greyhounds and their feline friends. It is also easy and safe to join and post with questions specific to your situation.

Best wishes and enjoy your wonderful new greyhound!

 

[ccunnin2]

Thanks for the great replies

We've done a lot of research on greyhounds, and have lots of info (some conflicting) on intros to cats - however everything we've read or been told has only been focused on the physical safety of the cats.

While safety is of course our #1 priority, we're also looking for information on ways to reduce the stress level for the kitties.

I was considering Feliway which is supposed to have a comforting effect for cats. But don't know if it would be better to have the cats relaxed, or up-in-arms, speaking in longer term effects. Showing the dog who's boss etc. Though I think while one might stand his ground, the other would probaby run (which would be bad).

Anyway any experiences or advice would be very helpful.

 

[Ianthe]

Well, just speaking from my own experiences, I think it's better to have the cats just be their normal selves. Even though it may be a little stressful (for all parties) it will help establish a hierarchy. Our cats were pretty mad when we brought Howie home, but they wasted no time at all showing him EXACTLY who was in charge in our house :lol: Howie now knows he is totally whipped, and that the cats are in charge here!! Now, even my shyest cat, Ashley, can chase Howie away from his own food dish with just a dirty look :lol: And since Howie has so much respect for cats, we can take him almost anywhere and he just ignores other animals. Recently, when we brought our rabbit home, we did the same thing, and just decided to see what would happen...she charged right up to the cats and dog, who quickly ran away :lol: Now they play together nicely, but by letting her assert herself at the very beginning, she let everyone know that she was NOT going to be bossed around just because she is a rabbit. (Which was good, because she is the most vulnerable of everyone, but none of the other animals seem to realize that!!) Hope this helps

 

[kristi]

Welcome from another grey owner! I'm also on Greytalk.com, member name kristijewell there.

I agree with Kim--muzzle and leash your grey at first, and reward her/him for paying no attention to the cats. The key is preventing your grey from discovering how fun it is to chase cats, lol.

We lucked out; Willow came in, laid on the floor, and barely pricked her ears at the cats as they walked by. We removed the muzzle but kept her leashed for several days, and never left them unsupervised. Remember to praise the dog for good behavior (not paying much attention to the cats) and correct (No! or Uh-huh and a tug on the leash) for much interest.

Your older cats may take a while to adjust, depending on how shy they are. My spooky cat Lemur only now after over a year with the dog will approach her...whereas Frodo walked up to her within the first hour and batted her nose with his paw... :roll:

Don't expect your adult cats and dog to become great friends. However, they'll likely at least tolerate each other, providing the grey is truly cat-safe. And then you can be like me and later adopt a kitten, who your grey will adopt as if he is her son.