Introducing a cat...??

:smt001 possible opportunity to get a cat - but dont know how i would go about introducing one to the dogs if i did...??

i know millie would be fine but the other 2 mite b a bit funny at first...

do i put the cat in the cage to start with?? or the most likely chasing dog? (sam!)

any ideas appreciated

thanks

p.s - not definate yet so if you all go noooooo then i will go against it - i value your opinions:smt001

How old is the cat & is it used to dogs ?

Cats need to be able to have a safe place to escape to(upwards is their favourite)My Kitlets have the dining room as a "Cat room dog free zone"the dogs can only get in if I open the door between the DR & the kitchen, but the kitlets can get in from the lounge.

Kittens are easier to integrate than adult cats(unless the dogs are used to living with cats & vica versa)

It all depends.

If the cat is mature and is not used to dogs, whilst it no doubt could be done, I'm not sure how fare it would be on the cat.

If you know that the cat is not phased by dogs, that's different.

Cats give as good as they get (if not better in most cases) and dogs usually stop chasing when the cat stops running.

IMO the key is making sure that the cat feels safe & that it has a place (or places) to go where it won't be bothered.

For example we had a cat (Halibut) before the dogs, but knew he was fine with dogs because he used to wonder next door to say hi to our neighbour (in the garden/garage) and would often sit on their bench with my neighbour and his dog.
Anyway, Halibut never used to be allowed on the furniture, but when the dog (Kip) arrived we
(1) let Halibut on the furniture, but not Kip - Halibut could always get out of the way if he need to
(2) let Halibut upstairs, but not kip (so the cat always had somewhere completely away from the dogs.

They never completely got on as in snuggling up together but they tollerated each other well enough that there were no problems.

ok thanks guys

it's a (possible) kitten - which i thought would be easier as well - not definate but a possibility within the next week or so - watch this space

I did crate my two kitlets at night for the first week after that they slept with the dogs.

Two of mine have lived with cats before so are fine with them, Rjj was terrified of them until he realised that the spitting & hissing didn't hurt & Jessie is not chasing them(well trying to chase them)as much as she first did, my kitlets are coming up 5 months, the tom had the snip when he hit 2 kgs in weight(he wasn't even 16 weeks old, but he's a big boy)& is much more "obedient"coming from wherever he is as soon as he is called. The Queen is due to be done next month as she is a lot smaller, much more independent, coming straightaway when she's hungry. They both pinch the dogs meat if they feel like it, drink out of the dogs water bowls & sleep with or on the dogs if they feel like.

I've just got a couple of kittens the other week. I started a thread about how best to introduce them. I cant seem to find it right now lol but im sure someone else could point you to where it is!