Advice needed on whether to get kitten

[Bazsmum]

Yes, I think he's lovely too.

I'll stay with this forum and when the new cat addition joins the family, I'll post back on here and let you know. I'd like to stay part of this community. Thanks again for all your help.

You can always post about your doggie in the General non catchat sect! 

Dont have to have a cat to comment on threads either... All good knowledge for you! 

[Bazsmum]

Yay! You managed to do it! 

Your dog is gorgeous! 

[Baggy]

He's lovely!
My friend is interested in a flat coat retriever, but has never owned a dog before (her husband has) so she's worried they might be too lively as a "starter dog".  Might point her in the direction of this thread!

[ZiggyCat]

Yes, I think he's lovely too.

I'll stay with this forum and when the new cat addition joins the family, I'll post back on here and let you know. I'd like to stay part of this community. Thanks again for all your help.

[Den]

Omg how simply stunningly gorgeous is he?!?!?!?! I finks I'm just slightly in love 

Thank you soooo much for sharing his gorgeousness.

[Millys Mum]

Hes very handsome 
When you decide to look for a kitten do consider a rescue and do post on here as often theres a match 

[Tiggy's Mum]

What a gorgeous boy 

[ZiggyCat]

Strewth ........... I did it !!

[ZiggyCat]

This is at the cute awwwww stage.



This is at the juvinile delinquent stage (current )

[Bazsmum]

Ive sent you a private message Ziggycat.... If you want to email me your pic/s then I will post em up for you.... Although dont know if this sect will be appropriate as it is supposed to be cat!  Im sure just this once wont hurt! 

[LilyandGary]

From a dog-training point of view, clicker training can be easily adapted to "target" a given behaviour in a given situation, so it`s great for training young puppies to ignore cats! If you want to, you could think about one or two private sessions with a good trainer to teach you the basics, if you are not familiar with them or would like a refresher.

Do you have any friends with bomb-proof cats who you could visit to start to teach your dog to "ignore" any cat? This may be a good grounding if and when you get another cat or kitten.

Why not consider a rescued kitten which has been fostered with dogs? I have dogs who are used to kittens, and the kittens are then bought up not to run at the sight of a dog. It may take them a day or two in a new home for a good balance to be achieved, but most of the groundwork has been done here. My dogs are used to multi-kittens playing around them, and have been taught to accept this. However, this is within their own home.

I always pen my little kittens when I`m not around just in case! How about doing something similar at first, better safe then sorry! With training, patience and a sensible, safe approach anything is possible!

This is my Lily when she was a little kittie, snuggled up with Forrest. I had him aged 17 months old, no training and so completely out of control. Look how far he came - this was taken when he was 12, and he had not met a cat until he was 3.

[Christine (Blip)]

At the bottom of the message box when posting, is an Attach browse box.

Click on browse and go to your pic you want uploaded and click it then select open (or double click the pic). That's it.
When you have finished your message and post your reply, the pic will be uploaded and shown at the bottom of your post.

The file sizes you can have in one post are up to 500kb per pic and you can have 4 in one post.

You will probably have to resize your pics before you upload them as above.

[Den]

I do it this way .. sign up to Photobucket which is free www.photobucket.com. Upload your picture to photobucket then under the picture there are 4 boxes. Click on the IMG Code one (which is the bottom box) it should automatically copy the link. Then come back to Purrs and in the reply box just press ctrl+v to paste it [or you can go edit > paste]. Your picture should then show up 

If that makes no sense then just say so and I'll try to explain it a bit more clearly.

[ZiggyCat]

Oh a Flat Coat  - we need pictures. Please. Thank You. They really are very happy dogs indeed aren't they. They also seem to be regaining popularity recently which is so wonderful.

Clicker training works wonders with manners. It isn't an instant thing but you'll get the manners well before he turns 4  Definitely work with few distractions then build them up slowly. He'll still be puppy like just a bit more likely to listen. I think if he responds well to a clicker then introducing a kitten shouldn't be difficult at all and a slightly less bouncy dog will probably be less scary to a kitten.

Silly question but ............ how do I post a picture on here ?   

[Den]

Oh a Flat Coat  - we need pictures. Please. Thank You. They really are very happy dogs indeed aren't they. They also seem to be regaining popularity recently which is so wonderful.

Clicker training works wonders with manners. It isn't an instant thing but you'll get the manners well before he turns 4  Definitely work with few distractions then build them up slowly. He'll still be puppy like just a bit more likely to listen. I think if he responds well to a clicker then introducing a kitten shouldn't be difficult at all and a slightly less bouncy dog will probably be less scary to a kitten.

[ZiggyCat]

Sounds like he just needs a little bit more focus and self control where he thinks before he acts and sloooows down. Shouldn't be too difficult. You should be able to get a trainer to come to you for 1 on 1 so he can learn without distractions then slowly increase the level of distractions. Which type of retriever is he? Sounds like a golden 

He's a flat coated retriever. He's full of love. He's also very trainable in the sense he desperately wants to please me and be a ''good boy'' so the come, walking to heel, stay, wait etc is very good. It's just that when he sees someone/something that he wants to 'share his love with' he goes brain-dead. I know it's just the natural exuberance of being a puppy, he will calm down (though someone told me it only starts at around four). It's really teaching him 'manners' around other people/things that's been difficult. As I said he becomes brain-dead when he becomes excited - and he's a very excitable young man 

[Den]

Sounds like he just needs a little bit more focus and self control where he thinks before he acts and sloooows down. Shouldn't be too difficult. You should be able to get a trainer to come to you for 1 on 1 so he can learn without distractions then slowly increase the level of distractions. Which type of retriever is he? Sounds like a golden 

[ZiggyCat]

Thank you all for your replies, I really appreciate the time you've given to post.

I'm fairly reassured now. Yes, I have to be careful early on, but it's not the no-no I was afraid it might be. Also to the poster who mentioned dog training, I'll give the clicker training a go. He went to puppy classes but was probably the most hyper and distracted in the class. I've trained him probably up to average standard so it's not that he's out of control. It's his breed - he loves too much, people, cats, other dogs, butterflies  anything really, and the trouble is training him to be less boisterous about expressing it.

Anyway, thank you all again for all the helpful replies.

[ZiggyCat]

My dog is quite an excitable one but I find after 2-3 good walks a day he is too knackered to bounce around the house! 

I laughed at that - mine is either rocket fuelled, or asleep knackered - no in between.

[Bazsmum]

My dog is quite an excitable one but I find after 2-3 good walks a day he is too knackered to bounce around the house! 

[Liz]

Having introduced 2 puppies to the Clan Cats in the last 2 years and several new comers in cats and kittens let me assure you the cat/kitten will be in charge!

We currently have 2 feral kittens aged approx 12 weeks and they have met the Border Collies and done the kitten fluffy thing - the dogs are curious but have been well trained by the other cats claws and eventually they will be friends

We gave a very multi house hold of cats - mainly ferals who have adapted to the dogs - our ferals range from age 15 to 12 weeks most weren't dog savy but have learnt to hit forst and then head rub dog!

[Leanne]

Good advice you have from peeps here.

I know where you're coming from on having 2, my husband was dead against 2 and I really had to persuade him to even get one, but once we adopted our second things fell into place and I would say that 2 is easier than 1.

My husband has the same views as yours I think, mine adores the boys, I know that, and Milo (who came a year after Jess) is very much his cat, but Hubs does say he thinks they are a tie and wouldn't be fussed if we didn't have animals.

[blackcat]

I have a labrador cross who came into the household where there were three adult cats. They soon taught him who was bottom of the pack and he has retained that lesson. He is now 7. Two years ago he met Smidgen (a 16 week old kitten) and Esther (a cat of indeterminate age). They all get along fine. I guess I am suggesting that rather go for the teeny tiny kitten you go for one just that little bit older, up to say 17 weeks. You get all the kitten behaviour, miss out on the kitten poo stink, and have less of a wait to be able to let it outdoors after it has been neutered. It is a complete nightmare keeping one animal indoors while the other is accustomed to being able to come and go ...

Smidgen meets Shadow:

[Den]

Get your dog into training classes  It is true that retriever types takes ages to  mature but they are so easily trained that it shouldn't take much effort into getting him less bouncy and obnoxious. I'd bet he'd take to clicker training in no time and it really will help for him to control his behaviour. Even more so now he's hit adolescence Then you won't have any doubts in getting a kitten 

[ZiggyCat]

I was in the same boat as you when I lost my childhood cat after 19 years, I had my heart set on kittens and there was nothing that could have changed my mind.  There was no doubt I was in it for the long haul so it wasn't just a case of wanting a cute kitten. As you say in your first post the logical answer is to get an older cat but sometimes your heart overules your head!

Thank You. That's exactly where my head is at. I'm not going to rush into this, it's still too soon after Mitzi. But you know when you know what you're going to/want to do ........ normally I'd just think, I'll start looking around for local kitts when the time felt right, and I'd feel settled knowing that there would be another cat member of our family on the horizon. It's just the concern about this big bouncy dog vs this tiny scrap of a kitten. Yes, I can and would be very careful while the kitt was young.I suppose deep down I wondered if I was being selfish even considering this. With the dog the situation isn't ideal, but it's something I desperately want, but as I said I was worried it would be a selfish decision on my part. So I posted here because on a 'cat forum' I thought if the idea was insane or inpractical, people would set me straight 

[Tiggy's Mum]

I was in the same boat as you when I lost my childhood cat after 19 years, I had my heart set on kittens and there was nothing that could have changed my mind.  There was no doubt I was in it for the long haul so it wasn't just a case of wanting a cute kitten. As you say in your first post the logical answer is to get an older cat but sometimes your heart overules your head!

I don't have a dog myself but my friend has a young bouncy black lab and their kitten soon put her in her place! Admittedly they adopted the cat when she was 6 months old so she didn't go through the teensy vulnerable kitten v big bouncy dog stage but when the kitten is tiny you'll just have to be very careful and not allow any unsupervised contact.  I think as it gets bigger and able to stick up for itself you'll probably find that the dog is ruled by the cat 

[clarenmax]

If a kitten is what you really want hun then nobody will be able to change your mind on that.

However, what I will say is that in getting a young cat, maybe 1 or 2, you do still see them grow up, evolve into their environment etc, and it can give you every bit as much pleasure 

I've just adopted Poot, he's somewhere between 1-2 and in the last week and a half, the change in him has been immense, growing in confidence, learning about his surroundings etc.

Not trying to change your mind, just giving you another perspective   

[ZiggyCat]

Sometimes adult cats come into rescue that have lived with dogs, it might be worth enquiring to see if there are any like that in your local rescue.

Like I said in my first post, that would indeed be the logical answer. But I've always had animals from babies, three dogs and Mitzi, over 25 years. So I had my heart set on a kitten.

[Desley (booktigger)]

Sometimes adult cats come into rescue that have lived with dogs, it might be worth enquiring to see if there are any like that in your local rescue.

[ZiggyCat]

how about getting two kittens - then they can gang up on him to keep him in his place

and be company for each other if they need to keep out of his way for a bit

You know I'd thought about that, but not so much because of ganging up on the dog, but more because they'd be company for each other and I'd get double the pleasure  But seriously, I don't think it's a goer in our house. I'm the animal lover, my husband could live without them. He thinks animals tie you down e.g. holidays. He does his part ,he enjoys them being around and the dog adores him. But if we weren't together I doubt he'd have any animals. I need to be fair to him as well. We have a dog and had a cat, because he knows me and knows how much I love animals. But equally I know him and I know he wouldn't be happy about getting two kittens.

[Kay and Penny]

how about getting two kittens - then they can gang up on him to keep him in his place

and be company for each other if they need to keep out of his way for a bit

[ZiggyCat]

Hello

Looking for a bit of advice.I want to get a kitten. I lost my last cat about two months ago to cancer. She was my first ever cat and up till then ( I'm 40 ) I'd never realised what wonderful creatures cat's are. Up till then I'd always been a dog person. The reason I'm nervous about getting a kitten is because of my dog. Don't get me wrong, the dog is not nasty or anything, he's a 9 month old retriever and as soft as butter, but he's young, stupid, clumsy and just very full-on. My previous cat was 7 when we got the puppy. We figured a grown cat could stand up for herself, and she did, but though she quite liked him (eventually) even she would get irritated when he got too rough. For example he'd lick/groom her and she enjoyed it, even purring, but he'd just go on and on, nosing her when she'd had enough and she'd just jump somewhere high up to get some peace and sleep. The dog is a bit like a hyper-active kid, no malice at all, but young, bouncy, un-coordinated and too full of the joys of life. Even with me he can cause damage unintentionally, like throwing a paw at me and scratching, or getting excited and forgetting he's not supposed to jump up at me. He's very exciteable. So I'm worried that he may be too much for a kitten. The logical answer would be to get an older cat, maybe a rescue, but the thing is ( bad though it might sound ) I don't want that. I had my last girl, Mitzi from a kitten, and for me, that was part of the magic, watching a little scrap growing into this increadible character with such a personality who loved me. I didn't expect the love.

So bottom line is, I want a kitten but I'm worried it may not be the right thing to do with the pup here.The breed doesn't really calm down till they hit four years, so I've got a long wait if I decide it's not fair or safe for a kitten. Just wondered that other people thought or if anyone had any suggestions.