Hey /an/, any experience with introducing a puppy to an older cat?
I have a 12 yo cat, and I'm getting a lab puppy in 2 weeks, he'll be 2 months old
I do have some idea on how to proceed, but do you have any experience or tips to share? Thanks
>>2053745
Hopefully you mean two and a half months. If not, you could start by getting a puppy from somebody who cares about the dogs temperament and is in it for more than money.
I'm sure your cat will be fine.
>>2053752
Yeah I'm actually more worried about the cat hurting the puppy
She's quite lazy now, she probably won't like it too much, being bothered by a noisy stinky bouncy ball of fur
>>2053755
I still advise you steer clear of the breeder you're about to buy from. Especially with labs; they're overbred as fuck.
The cat will be fine.
>>2053767
We've visited the 4 closest breeders to where I live, talked with them quite a while each time, seen the dogs and where they keep them
This one really seemed like the best option, though a bit more expensive. He asked so many questions about the family, the place, our hobbies, etc.
They seem overall quite passionate about their dogs (3rd generation of owners) and pretty professional
Also from what I've read and what I've heard from both breeders and my vet, anything over 8 weeks is fine
>>2053775
Does he health test? Is he involved with showing, conformation trials, obedience, ect? Eight weeks really isn't ideal, they miss out on a lot of socialization from their littermates and their mom. The minimum, especially if you don't already have a dog, would be ten weeks. Link their website. (if they don't have one, this is a good sign you should look elsewhere) If you're going to pay a shitload of money for a common ass dog breed, I really don't think the best breeder out of 4 breeders near you is a good pool of options, especially with labs. You can also end up with thousands of dollars in vet bills and a dead dog in a few years when all the inbreeding and unhealthiness in BYB labs catches up to you.
A decent hobby breeder isn't really that awful in all cases, but you definitely don't want to take any chances when you're buying a dog like a lab. Too common, too overbred, too unhealthy.
>>2053745
>>2053985
The issue isn't about anyone getting hurt. You really need to take into account your cat's feelings. You are basically ruining that cat's retirement.
They will not play. The cat will be annoyed. The cat will avoid the main areas, and likely not leave 1 room (usually the room you sleep in). If you don't move their litterbox, they'll just piss on the floor.
What you need to do is secure a safe spot for your cat. Keep your cat in mind.
-Where is its favorite spot?
-Where can it be with you without having to worry about the dog? (if you're doing it right, the puppy should never be in your bedroom).
-Is the food, water, and litterbox all in a safe spot and shielded from the dog?
-Get the food and water off the floor so the puppy can't get it, and face the litter box towards a wall so the puppy can't get inside, and make sure it's all in a spot that the cat feels safe at.
For example, get a card table and put a blanket over it so all 4 sides are "walled", then make a little door. Put the litterbox (or a pet bed) underneath, then the food/water on top with a box or something to help them get up and down. If you have a large walk-in closet, it's a great place for that setup.
You get the idea.
Reference: We just had a new puppy show up on our 14 year old tuxedo cat. We've been adjusting her for 6 months now. She is still hiding.
Have spaces your cat can jump up onto to it can get away from the puppy. They feel safer up than on the ground level.
I have a similar problem as op. I've had a bro-tier cat for the last few years, chillest, most social cat you'll ever meet. He even has a few doggo bros that he occasionally plays with. I got a puppy a few weeks ago, and the puppy always wants to play with the kitty whenever he decides to stop by. The kitty doesn't wanna play with the puppy, and will hit the puppy until either kitty or puppy go away. This has been goin on for a while now. Really just wanna know how to get puppy to calm down when she sees the cat. We give her treats when she sits instead of trying to play, but it isn't working that great. Puppy's a 11 week old German shorthair pointer
