I hope this is the right forum to post this in. I'm mostly looking for support and ideas.
My husband and I have 2 very wonderful cats. They are spoiled rotten and we love them a lot.
We are buying are first home and, before I ever got these cats, I have always been a dog person. Since we will be owning the home, I really want to get a dog.
However, I'm feeling a lot of guilt about this. Both cats have lived with a dog in the past when we were staying with my mom and they did alright. Tigger wanted to play with the dog and she wanted nothing to do with him and Tora just stayed away.
I'm mostly feeling guilt about how the cat's lives will change. They are very adaptable cats but I feel very guilty about disrupting their lives so much. Like I said, they are very spoiled and I worry that with the other animal they may not be the "center of attention" anymore like they are used to.
We're considering an older rescue dog and will only consider dogs that are cat tested. We've also considered a puppy so we can teach it from the start that the cats are part of the family but I'm not sure what the best idea is just yet.
Those of you that have cats and dogs, how does it work out for everyone? Can cats and dogs be good friends? Is it too much to expect that the cats will get a fair share of attention like their used to or will they ultimately become "background" pets? Any ideas for coping with the guilt I'm feeling for even considering this? We wouldn't be getting a dog for at least a year and I can't stop agonizing over it.
I want a dog because I do a lot of animal training and want to get involved in competition events as a way to meet new people. I also would like to do some dog training as a side job but need to have an animal that I trained to make my self reputable. And like I said earlier, I've always been a dog person.
Tora and Tigger (the cats) have moved with me several times without any ill effect and have lived with other dogs and cats without problem. I think Tigger may actually like a puppy because he was always trying to play with the dog we lived with before. Both cats are confident, friendly and social so I'm sure they will adjust and be just fine, I'm just not so sure about me
Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated
Sara
My husband and I have 2 very wonderful cats. They are spoiled rotten and we love them a lot.
We are buying are first home and, before I ever got these cats, I have always been a dog person. Since we will be owning the home, I really want to get a dog.
However, I'm feeling a lot of guilt about this. Both cats have lived with a dog in the past when we were staying with my mom and they did alright. Tigger wanted to play with the dog and she wanted nothing to do with him and Tora just stayed away.
I'm mostly feeling guilt about how the cat's lives will change. They are very adaptable cats but I feel very guilty about disrupting their lives so much. Like I said, they are very spoiled and I worry that with the other animal they may not be the "center of attention" anymore like they are used to.
We're considering an older rescue dog and will only consider dogs that are cat tested. We've also considered a puppy so we can teach it from the start that the cats are part of the family but I'm not sure what the best idea is just yet.
Those of you that have cats and dogs, how does it work out for everyone? Can cats and dogs be good friends? Is it too much to expect that the cats will get a fair share of attention like their used to or will they ultimately become "background" pets? Any ideas for coping with the guilt I'm feeling for even considering this? We wouldn't be getting a dog for at least a year and I can't stop agonizing over it.
I want a dog because I do a lot of animal training and want to get involved in competition events as a way to meet new people. I also would like to do some dog training as a side job but need to have an animal that I trained to make my self reputable. And like I said earlier, I've always been a dog person.
Tora and Tigger (the cats) have moved with me several times without any ill effect and have lived with other dogs and cats without problem. I think Tigger may actually like a puppy because he was always trying to play with the dog we lived with before. Both cats are confident, friendly and social so I'm sure they will adjust and be just fine, I'm just not so sure about me
Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated
Sara