In the last year I have been treated for stage 4 cancer with an outcome that is positive at this time; added a Papillon puppy to our family; raised 2 litters of Siberian kittens; retired one breeder; added an additional breeder kitten; tried many high quality pet foods; and struggled to get all the pets to get along. WOW! This has been a year.
First, some of the cats took to the puppy just fine. One cat hates him and that does not seem to be going to change. Since we had already made the decision to retire her as a breeder we are simply keeping them separated while she is still living here.
For those of you who don't know, as breeders we do have a very hard task in that when retiring a breeder we also have to find her a new home. If we want to continue raising Siberian Cats that is our only option. Otherwise we would wind up with far too many cats to provide the attention that each pet deserves. We usually retire our girls after 3 to 5 litters while they are between two and three years. Who ever adopts one of our girls is getting a young healthy cat. I can still work up tears over each cat that has gone to its new home, even though the families have all been veteran pet owners with plenty of time to give the cat lots of attention.
We do have one resident retired breeder. She is our first Siberian. Her name is Baby Blue Rain and we love her. Baby did not take well to the puppy. We have spent a lot of time getting her used to it. We feed them together now. We started out never leaving the alone for even a minute. The puppy was not a danger to the cat, but we were concerned that the cat could be a danger to the puppy.
Next we fed them at the same time.
Next we gave them bites of each others food. You can actually purchase food that is for a dog or a cat. I don't recommend it as a total diet, but Wysong is a good food.
Both dogs and cats can have quite a bit of treats that are freeze dried meats. There is only one ingredient. You can purchase chicken, beef liver, shrimp, salmon, as well as a few others. I usually buy the chicken or the liver. Both the dog and cat love all the flavors. So we give them treats together.
After a few months they are completely comfortable with each other. The puppy has the added advantage of having a litter of kittens to play with. The kittens think he is just a big kitten.
If you are thinking of adding a new pet to your home you do need to consider in advance that it will definitely disrupt your life at least in the beginning. Look at it from a pet's point of view. They have your attention. Suddenly a new pet appears and your old pet has to make the adjustment. He or she has no say in the decision.
As yourself to what lengths you are willing to go to see that everything works out and all pets are happy together. We know of one instance where someone bought a kitten as a companion for their dog. The kitten had far more energy than the dog and was constantly nagging the dog to play. The poor dog was miserable. The family took the time to teach their kitten to walk on a lease. Weather permitting the cat gets a one hour walk every day. He takes the same path everyday, stopping to greet people who notice him, trying to get in trash cans that smell interesting when it is trash day in the neighborhood, and making stops where people may give him approved treats. Now he and the dog are constant companions except for the kitten/cat's time outside. So, the family made a huge effort to help the animals adjust, and they continue helping the animals get along by exercising the cat. That is pretty drastic, but that was what was required. Siberian cats can be taught to walk on a lease. Our male is in the process of learning. Due to my cancer this year he didn't get all the outdoor time we wanted to give him. He also goes with us to the pet store and is allowed to pick out his own treats. A word of caution is that cats are all Houdini's when it comes to escaping from a harness. Be sure you practice around your home until you find a harness that keeps your cat secure.
Thank you and have a good day!
First, some of the cats took to the puppy just fine. One cat hates him and that does not seem to be going to change. Since we had already made the decision to retire her as a breeder we are simply keeping them separated while she is still living here.
For those of you who don't know, as breeders we do have a very hard task in that when retiring a breeder we also have to find her a new home. If we want to continue raising Siberian Cats that is our only option. Otherwise we would wind up with far too many cats to provide the attention that each pet deserves. We usually retire our girls after 3 to 5 litters while they are between two and three years. Who ever adopts one of our girls is getting a young healthy cat. I can still work up tears over each cat that has gone to its new home, even though the families have all been veteran pet owners with plenty of time to give the cat lots of attention.
We do have one resident retired breeder. She is our first Siberian. Her name is Baby Blue Rain and we love her. Baby did not take well to the puppy. We have spent a lot of time getting her used to it. We feed them together now. We started out never leaving the alone for even a minute. The puppy was not a danger to the cat, but we were concerned that the cat could be a danger to the puppy.
Next we fed them at the same time.
Next we gave them bites of each others food. You can actually purchase food that is for a dog or a cat. I don't recommend it as a total diet, but Wysong is a good food.
Both dogs and cats can have quite a bit of treats that are freeze dried meats. There is only one ingredient. You can purchase chicken, beef liver, shrimp, salmon, as well as a few others. I usually buy the chicken or the liver. Both the dog and cat love all the flavors. So we give them treats together.
After a few months they are completely comfortable with each other. The puppy has the added advantage of having a litter of kittens to play with. The kittens think he is just a big kitten.
If you are thinking of adding a new pet to your home you do need to consider in advance that it will definitely disrupt your life at least in the beginning. Look at it from a pet's point of view. They have your attention. Suddenly a new pet appears and your old pet has to make the adjustment. He or she has no say in the decision.
As yourself to what lengths you are willing to go to see that everything works out and all pets are happy together. We know of one instance where someone bought a kitten as a companion for their dog. The kitten had far more energy than the dog and was constantly nagging the dog to play. The poor dog was miserable. The family took the time to teach their kitten to walk on a lease. Weather permitting the cat gets a one hour walk every day. He takes the same path everyday, stopping to greet people who notice him, trying to get in trash cans that smell interesting when it is trash day in the neighborhood, and making stops where people may give him approved treats. Now he and the dog are constant companions except for the kitten/cat's time outside. So, the family made a huge effort to help the animals adjust, and they continue helping the animals get along by exercising the cat. That is pretty drastic, but that was what was required. Siberian cats can be taught to walk on a lease. Our male is in the process of learning. Due to my cancer this year he didn't get all the outdoor time we wanted to give him. He also goes with us to the pet store and is allowed to pick out his own treats. A word of caution is that cats are all Houdini's when it comes to escaping from a harness. Be sure you practice around your home until you find a harness that keeps your cat secure.
Thank you and have a good day!
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