Puppies

Just a quickie today - Mom came home last week and she smelled funny.  She smelled like puppies.  Don't get me wrong, I like puppies - I used to work for mom as a playground monitor at puppy socials.  I love puppies.  The problem?  Mom smelled like puppies and I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO PLAY WITH ANY.  And while I'm on the subject...she's always coming home smelling like other dogs.  What's up with that?  Well, I decided to do some snooping (or is it snoopying?  I'm never sure with humans...) and found the following pictures on mom's computer, not to mention a lot of excitement and extra trips to the pet store.  What do you think it means?  I sure hope it means what I think it means...that maybe mom will bring a puppy home to play with!!  Keep your paws crossed for me!

Cats & Dogs: Odd Couple or Best Buds?

Hey – Astro here again.  It’s been a while since I typed – mom’s been hogging the computer…

I want to talk about cats today.  I share a house with 5 kitties.  I’ve been raised with kitties as my housemates, so I’m pretty used to them.  Sure, the one Siamese they call “Seal” scares the pants off of me (well, would if I wore pants) but I know kitties are not things to eat and you have to play gentle so you don’t hurt them.  Recently, mom and dad have brought a couple of really cool dogs home for me to play with - Willow and Cooper.  My big sis Bella’s hips and knees are too sore to play the games I like (chase, chase, and more chase) so they are trying to find me a new playmate.  I was very sad because BOTH of my new friends had to leave because they weren’t very nice to my long-time kitty friends. 

SO, that got me to thinking…What is the deal with cats & dogs?  Can they live together peacefully or not?  I know I’m special (mom always tells me that, so I guess it’s true) but can other dogs learn to live with kitties too?  Mom has a friend who thinks dogs and kitties can NEVER be left alone together EVER…but mom and dad have had 11 dogs and 13 cats that have either lived here for at least a weekend.  Of the dogs, there were five who couldn’t stay because they wanted to eat kitty - a Bichon, three Goldens, and a Pit Bull.  So, what made me different?  Well, I got poking around the internet (which can be a little difficult with these big paws of mine) and found this article: “New research at Tel Aviv University…has found a new recipe for success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for kittens, a year for dogs), there is a high probability that your two pets will get along swimmingly.”  (Read the whole article here.)

Well that makes sense to me!  I was a young pup (about 3 months) when I was introduced to these kitties, and all the dogs who didn’t work out in our house were older dogs with no kitty experience.  So, I guess the bottom line is socialization.  Mom always says that if you are going to go through the hassle of getting a puppy and dealing with housetraining and naughty puppy behaviors, you also have to take advantage of the good stuff that comes with puppies – the ability to teach them to be comfortable with their environment!

So – what do I have to day about kitties and dogs?

1.     If you start with a puppy, take the time to socialize the puppy and teach him or her kitty-appropriate behaviors, like “leave-it” and “come”. 

2.     If you have a cat and want to bring a new adult dog into the home, get a very good history including cat experience.  It’s also a good idea to find out how the new dog responds to other critters.  Mom and I both knew that Cooper might be a problem with cats when we saw how VERY interested he was in squirrels & birds.

3.     Know the propensities of the breed (and know there can always be variances from the norm!):  retrievers are generally bred to have soft mouths, and can be great with cats; terriers are bred to hunt and kill small animals and may not be the best choice.

4.     Understand what triggers prey drive – usually movement and “prey-like” sounds (squeaks, squeals, etc.) and be especially mindful of how your new dog responds when the little critters in the house behave this way.

5.     ALWAYS make sure that new dog-cat introductions are done on-leash (so you have control over the dog if he/she wants to chase) and take things very slowly.  Better to be safe than sorry – if you’re not 100% sure you can leave the cats/dogs alone together then don’t. 

6.     If you have any doubts, call a cat-knowledgeable behavior consultant to help you decide if the arrangement is workable or if someone needs to find a new home to keep everyone safe.

Personally, I’m really happy that all the kitties in my house are comfortable with dogs.  In fact, one of my very best friends in the whole world is my black-cat friend, Charles Dickens von BlackCat the 2^nd (Charlie for short…).  Check out the cute pictures of me with Charlie and the tabbycat Moose below!

I guess that's it for now...

)~  Wags (and Meows)!  Astro T.W. Dog

 Charlie & I hanging out together

Moose likes to mark all his doggies.

Nappin' with the Moosecat.