5 year old cat and 6 1/2 month old boxer!!

[Taren]

i am going to go get my cat that lives at my moms prob this weekend bc she had an accident yesterday outside (heat stroke and head trauma)and my mom wants us to bring her here to live inside. the vet said she is under alot of stress bc she has blood in her urine. now what is maverick going to do? i want them to get use to each other. i dont think he will mess with her but once bc she will pop that nose one time and i think he will learn. is there anything i can do to make it better? or make the transition for her less stressful? thanks.

 

[GeebMan]

I have a 10 year old cat (Jaeger) and Brutus is 5 months old. From day one my cat has hissed at Brutus when he comes close to him or when Brutus wants to play. I've had Brutus for almost 2 months now and they still go through the same routine over and over. Jaeger will bat Brutus in the face repeatedly (he's declawed) and Brutus stands there wiggling his stub wanting more. Slowly it is getting a little better but I think Brutus will need to calm down some before they will really get along.

Maverick will probably treat your cat like another playmate. At least that's the way Brutus sees my cat. Good luck...

 

[Dillon]

We have 3

My cat's pretty much want nothing to do with Dillon unless he is asleep and then it's only one of them. They pretty much just tolerate him.

I will suggest though that you put the litter box in a room for the cat. Put up a baby gate in that doorway. Put the gate up just a few inches so that the cat can quickly get under it but the dog can't. I used to put it flush with the floor and then felt bad when the cats would be running full speed to get away from Dillon and then had to stop and jump over the gate. This will give the cat a safe place that he can go and lay if he just wants away from the dog. I have seen a lot of people with pictures of their cats laying with the dog, but I think maybe those were kittens that got used to dogs. If you have a full grown cat, they probably won't want to be friends.

This will, also, keep him from getting "Treats" from the LB. It is sooooooo discusting when you think about them coming out of the litterbox with dust on their chin and then trying to give you a kiss. As if the toilet water wasn't bad enough.

 

[samsonite]

Good idea about the baby gate! If I had a laundry room (instead of my "laundry closet") or a utility room, I would put my cat's litterbox in there with a small pet door that only the kitty could fit through, this would allow a peaceful retreat from the dog. My cat pretty much refuses to use her litterbox now, and will wait until she can go outside, because her litterbox is in a cabinet in the same room that Samson's crate is in. Mean, maybe, but I live in an old house, and there really is no other place unless I put it right out in a room for everyone to see and smell :(

My cat also does not like Samson, she was 2.5 yrs when we got him, and really has just started warming up to him at all in the last month or so. She wouldn't even eat if he was in the same room, but now she is fine about that. She also has her claws, but Samson wants her so desperately, that I really do worry that he may hurt her, even by accident. You will just have to constantly supervise, and give the kitty lots of safe places to jump on - higher than Maverick can reach.

 

[Murp.mm]

I have a 12 year old cat and Ali is 15 months. Ali was just a baby when I brought her home and the cat was used to our poodle in the house but Ali was a holly terror at first. It was touch and go for awhile. Ali just wanted to play. I moved my cat's dish to top of the freezer and I also put a gate across the litter box area and tied it with a bungie rope to the leg of my laundry tub. Ali doesn't dare go near the cat's box and they pretty much stay away from each other except when it's time to feed the cat and Ali runs straight for the laundry room. I am a bit concerned about blood in your cat's urine - is it an infection? Is it spayed/neutered? The cat will feel stressed for awhile but I'm sure it will settle down especially if it's got it's claws intact. My cat does and does'nt hesitate to use them if need be. Good Luck. Keep us posted.

 

[Slobber Baby]

2 words Baby Gate! Just like Dillon said keep it up a few inches and keep the litter box in there mine is in the den of the house and that is his refuge no doggies...he tolerates them well enough but Bella is a spawn of and terrorizes my old boy(18years old) good luck..

Laura

 

[IkeToby'sMom]

Security for Kitty

I have one suggestion that may ease the introduction of the kitty to the boxer. Place the kitty in a small wire crate so the boxer can see the kitty, but can't get at her until you feel out how they react to each other. That way the kitty is safe from harm and they can see and touch each other through the crate. It has worked for me. I would just keep the kitty in a separate room and bring her out in the crate for short periods of time to introduce them. The kitty probably will hiss and spit at the interested pup, but at least they are safe. After several times of doing this mine settled down and got use to each other.

My older boxer will still chase if they run, but he will not harm a tuft of fur on any of my cats.

The separate room only lasted for about a week and they became friends. Eat together, drink together, sleep together

Good Luck - Patience is the key.

 

[Makena'sMom]

With time, it can be okay

My cat is 9 years old and when we first brought Makena home, the cat would hiss all the time and hide. Now, I have pictures of them sleeping together. In fact, the cat has taken over Makena's bed. Too many times, I'll hear whining only to see Makena standing over the cat who's in the bed. Checkers is just looking at her as if to say "I'm the Queen and this is MY bed - you get the floor"

What worked for us - like many others have posted - was the baby gate to block off the litter box and always keeping Makena on a lead at first to show her not to pounce or chase the cat.

 

[duke'smommy]

We had two cats 5 and 2 when we got Duke. At first neither cat would go near him, we had the normal hissing from both of them. Unfortunately neither cat is declawed so Duke got swiped on the nose a couple of times and he learned which cat to stay away from. It took Socks about 3 months to come around, and now they will lay on the couch together, (have pic in gallery of them) but it took Drew who is a little nasty girl longer. She started tolerating him six months later, she still will not take too much from him and will occasionally go "Matrix" on him. It took patience but they all live happily now, unless Duke decides he wants to pounce on one of them then its war!