Cats and dogs!

[Katiewillo]

Hi All,

I am new to the forum and am looking for a bit advice please.  We are hopefully getting a cocker pup in April, we currently have a cat who is around 11 years old and I would like to know the best way to introduce them to each other.

We had two cats (Harry and Ron), Harry sadly passed away last year leaving Ron quite lonely - he is now like my husbands shadow!  He is very sociable and i think he misses having some company.

Any advice is greatly received!

Thanks,

Katie

[AndyB]

I don't have a cat, only a cocker.  My only thought is that the puppy would probably chase and annoy your cat at first, which may result in some spats.  I'm sure there must be owners on here who have a cat as well as a Cocker Spaniel.  They are very bitey as puppies so you may have to ensure your cat has an escape route and some personal space where he can ecape to. 

[Digger]

Hello and well done for finding this lovely friendly forum!
I have a cocker and two cats. Before this, I had a springer spaniel who was introduced to my old cat as a pup. He never chased it and they got on really well. The old cat died and we later got two kittens and he was great with them too- and their kittens. We lost the Springer last summer, and then got our cocker pup, and carefully introduced her to our two now adult cats who were initially quite happy to see another spaniel. Despite trying to do it right, and then a few spats, the cocker still chased the cats to the point that one of them now lives in a tree house in the garden. The other is brave enough to run the gauntlet through the house to get to upstairs where she now lives.
I think what I am trying to say is you really can't tell how it will be. If you get a mild dog with low prey drive and a confident cat-happy days. The other way round and one of them may have to go. I don't personally think you can really tell until it us too late! Perhaps visit more than one litter of puppies on a regular basis before deciding which pup to choose? Other than that, it is a bit pot luck I think. My cocker is from working stock and has massive prey drive. A show type may be a safer bet but I am no expert at all. I am finding the cocker much harder work than the Springer all round. Perhaps the breeder could send you some videos of the pups playing together- sometimes you can notice the more/less aggressive/submissive streaks in the puppies when they are playing. I may be clutching at straws here but trying to help!! Best of luck with your furry friends . And crossing my fingers for you that it works out.

[David Morgan]

Our pup came from a household with lots of cats - the breeder bred Maine Coon cats before she got into Cockers. Mason, before we picked him up, loved the cats and played with them daily. We don't have cats, only older cockers, so we've not really seen Mason with a cat since Gotcha. Try to find a breeder who also has cats.

[bmthmark]

I have a 10 year old cat and I introduced my cocker spaniel puppy at 9 weeks old.

To be honest it was crazy times. The puppy (Jett) instantly thought I have a big play mate and when the cat ran, Jett chased. He never actually did anything to the cat and most of the time the cat would stop and turn and swipe him. This went on for a few months.
In the meantime we made sure the cat had his safe area when he could chill and not worry about a bouncy pup running at him.
As the months went by we started giving food at the same time and now Jett is 16 months old he finally has stopped chasing him.
The cat seems completely fine now and will happily walk past the dog without any issues, the cat will also sleep very close to Jett now.

Its taken a long time but they are finally starting to be friends. I'm not sure that they will every cuddle up together, but i'm just happy they are not fighting.

Good luck as I know the pup will want to play lots

[Londongirl]

I agree it depends on both the cat and the dog and you can’t predict it. Our cat was 9 years old when we brought home Henry as a puppy. She has always been a bit nervy, so when Henry moved, she ran. Of course as a pup, he chased. Within a few days she had resolutely decamped to live upstairs when the dog is about, and 2 years later is still there! If she had been a different cat and had stood her ground when Henry was a pup rather than enticingly running away, it might have been very different. I’d also be more concerned if the cat was younger, as she has mostly become an indoor cat now. I THINK she goes out at night when Henry is safely in his crate, but I’m not sure. I do know she can tell the time: Henry is generally in bed in his crate by 8:30pm. At 8:35pm the cat will come downstairs and install herself in someone’s lap until bedtime..

When they do cross paths these days they are usually quite calm, but the cat is determined to make it a rare occurrence!