# Cats...a big no no?



## CheerfulPessimist (Aug 29, 2010)

I've heard several different things and was just wondering about all your opinions. Can a cat and pit live harmoniously under the same roof? I've heard never trust a pit alone with any other animal or child and i've heard they can be fine if brought up and tought. I am new to the breed and wasn't going to get one for that reason but ended up with one still lol (see my introduction post it's quite ammusing and kinda embarassing). I have 2 cats and just ended up getting a 10 week male pit puppy today. I made sure I picked the most submissive of the bunch but not so submissive he would bite out of fear. When I brought him home first thing cats went in the bedroom. Well my sneaky hairless cat got out without my knowledge. She is normally great with animals but today she decided she wouldn't have it. The puppy was just sitting there and I hear it cry..sure enough bella gave him a nice thump on the noggin. I know nice introduction lol. Well now she is obviously banned to another room while the puppy is with me till she can prove trustworthy. My siamese on the other hand is normally quite pissy in general with newcomers. Well she has actually stood her ground. The dog has shown really no interest in her. When she got on her cat tree he did give a bark witch I didn't allow it to go on. But if she is walking aroung he completely aviods her. I'm just wondering if I did something stupid by getting this pup or is it possible for them to get along to where I can trust he wont hurt them. Any opinions or experiences will be great! My siamese is trained to leave it or if it is mine not to touch it and avoid it at all costs. I use to work at a few petstores and would bring home mice, lizards, birds, ect. and she wouldn't even bother with them. She's quite bright and can do any trick a dog could and even use to go potty on the tiolet before I got my other cat. I would trust her enough to leave my bird out while I was at work and i've never had an incident. Animals outside are fair game to her unless I tell her otherwise. I'm hoping it can work like this with the pup. I don't want to regret getting him.


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

I have several dogs and all get along great with my cats. Vendetta is wonderful with the cats and the chickens. Not so good with the goats but we are getting there on that one. Mikado my first APBT was wonderfull with the cats too. He would lay and wash them he loved the kittens. I think it is on raising them right. You need to teach the pup to leave the cats alone and to respect the cats and it should be fine.


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## wild_deuce03 (Aug 14, 2010)

IMO, any dog can go after cats. Like above, it's how you raise them. Athena wants to play with my cats sooooo bad, but she's already learned to respect the claws. LOL! It's funny because my one cat will come and rub against Athena's face and Athena is like, "Oh crap....what do I do???" LOL!


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## bahamutt99 (May 14, 2008)

Its not always how you raise them. Loki has always liked cats, and helped us foster a litter of kittens when she was about 8 months old. Aside from some resource guarding, she always did well with our cat that we kept from that litter, and she was fine with my mom's cats. Terra and Priest were raised with our house cat from day one, but they decided at 8 months when we moved to a new home that he needed to die, and we were never able to correct the behavior so the answer was a segregated household.


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## duckyp0o77 (Dec 5, 2008)

in my exp. its a love hate relationship. one day you can find them sleeping together and the next day the cat hates the dog so the dog gets a bloody nose bc she wants to play and the cat is being stuck up. on the other hand if bailey is out back and a stray cat wonders back there i hate it for the cat. already had to clean up 2 carcasses.


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## wild_deuce03 (Aug 14, 2010)

True, my cats have always been liked by my dogs. Strays, now that's a different story!


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## Xiahko (Feb 24, 2010)

Bruno and my cat get a long for the most part.
Have to keep the cat away when Bruno's eating,cause he's shown FA.
However, Bruno has also been known to play to rough with the cat,so I've been making him leave the cat alone now.
They still live together,and don't seem to mind each other right now. Bruno just has to learn,that the cat is not another dog,he can be rough with.


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## GTR (Mar 5, 2010)

Early introduction is key, but it really depends on the individual dog's temperament and drive.


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## Xiahko (Feb 24, 2010)

I was lucky Bruno has a good temperament. I didn't know how he would react around a cat when I first brought him home,and the first time he met my cat was on accident.
I wasn't going to introduce them quite yet,and I didn't know that my roomie had locked the cat in the bathroom,so when I opened it mango(the cat) jumped down RIGHT in front of Bruno.
Bruno was all tail wags though,and the cat could care less.
I was so relieved.


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## Lex's Guardian (Aug 8, 2009)

As others stated, it's how you raise your pup but it also depends on the temperament of your pup too. Lex is almost a fully matured APBT, he'll be two in December & have had no aggression issues whatsoever... Except for when he sees a bunny rabbit on a walk, because it's a new & unfamiliar smell. Though he's never growled or anything he continuously will leap for them but has learned 'leave it' quite well. With him & from what I've heard about the breed in general they're quite smart & quick learners.

He has been around 3 cats & other dogs frequently, he made best buds with a neighbor dog on our walks. Though cats are all he really knows, I've only seen him get annoyed at the cats when they fluff his tale in their face, he just walks away. They're a happy little clan & he's best buds with one of 'em, Milo. They nap together, share a water dish. But I almost never leave my animals alone. Actually they never leave me alone, wherever I go Lex is by my side & the cats follow - LOL. I feel like a shepard, which is inspiring in itself in a weird way...

Though when I leave the house Lex is crated because he still has a 'curious' side about him. I feel 100% secure & trust with Lex, if he were no longer curious about house items I would leave him with the cats.

Hands down he's the best dog & best breed I've had the pleasure of owning. This doesn't mean that I don't take their past & 'reputation' quite serious. I took it very serious since the beginning, strict with his training & encouraged good behavior consistently. I'm not saying he's perfect, certainly had his fair share of pillows & flip flops when i wasn't 'looking'.

But in short, yes I think you can live a quite harmonious life with dogs & cats... Etc. There are several other members who also have cats living w/ their apbt's as well. 

Just saying it can be done w/out being a 'statistic'  Good luck!


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## American_Pit13 (Apr 23, 2007)

It would very much depend on the dog itself. If you only have one dog it is a much safer bet. One thing thought is that no child should ever be left alone with ANY dog that is not a pitbull specific issue.


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## Lex's Guardian (Aug 8, 2009)

wild_deuce03 said:


> IMO, any dog can go after cats. Like above, it's how you raise them. Athena wants to play with my cats sooooo bad, but she's already learned to respect the claws. LOL! It's funny because my one cat will come and rub against Athena's face and Athena is like, "Oh crap....what do I do???" LOL!


^^ LoL, I know what you mean about 'the claws'. He was just a pup & got to close to my oldest cat 9 years. She's getting that isolated, angry b!+ch attitude about her. He went up to sniff her while she was sleeping under 'her' table once & she popped him. I didn't realize what happened until he started whimpering & ran away... Poor boy, LoL I felt so bad  - he still tries to attempt a sniff every now & again thinkin' it's a game but in the end always steers clear.

My other two are have their fronts de-clawed, she would be too if she weren't too old.


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## Lex's Guardian (Aug 8, 2009)

american_pit13 said:


> It would very much depend on the dog itself. If you only have one dog it is a much safer bet. One thing thought is that no child should ever be left alone with ANY dog that is not a pitbull specific issue.


:goodpost: You can trust a kid less than you can trust any dog, IMO. Not saying kids do things on purpose as much of an accident. I'm not a mom but as an outsiders perspective & neighbor kids all around I don't trust most kids near my dog much less supervised.


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## Black Rabbit (Nov 14, 2009)

My dogs love their kitty 



































Yes it is very important to not leave them unsupervised you never know what can happen.


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## angelbaby (Feb 4, 2010)

Mine get along great, they sleep and groom eachother very cute.








We introduced them immediately though and it did take some time for them to bond, The cat i think scratched lokis nose on day 1 and he learned to give space. However like any other animal you shouldnt leave them unattended you wouldnt leave your dog with another small dog when you are gone so dont do it with the cats either.


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## coppermare (Jun 25, 2010)

First off I want to point out to be very careful with a young puppy and grown cats. It's easy for a cat to do some damage to a pups eye with one swat!!
I think it depends on the dog and the age they are introduced. We have had two males that love cats. The other wants to and has killed them. My weim had no problems with my cats but when the people that use to own him came to visit him he all of a sudden decided to try and kill them!! When they left he didn't do it again.
If they RUN his prey drive kicks in and I have to get on to him always. I think things cats do kick that in for some dogs. The running, the spitting and humping up or slapping at them. And mine that have gotten along with cats get along with "their" cats but strange cats are fair game.


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## teasha (Aug 3, 2010)

Pictures speak 1,ooo words


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## mypitgia (Jun 28, 2010)

its so funny you pst this today i jsut posted about how my dog basically saved a kitten


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## CheerfulPessimist (Aug 29, 2010)

Thanks you guys have really assured me a lot. He seems to be so smart so i'm sure he will get it! He already scratches at the door when he wants to go out and I just got him last night. I'm hoping it works but I guess before I think it wont or give up I should at least give it a try.


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## coppermare (Jun 25, 2010)

teasha said:


> Pictures speak 1,ooo words


Pretty kitty! There was a feral cat that had kittens on the roof and they fell off. Our little mutt dog "Taz" scooped them all up like hunting easter eggs and nursed them with her pups. The mama cat wouldn't have them back. Taz would try and steal other dogs puppies also! She wanted to be mama to everything!!


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## Carriana (May 13, 2008)

If you get the dog as a puppy they learn at a young age the rule of the claw: cats have claws, they are sharp, they hurt, and they are not afraid to use em. 

Loki loves his kitties, one of them could care less about him, so keeps his distance but the other two are totally fine. One even sticks his entire face inside Loki's ear sometimes, and cleans his face. 

I have an album with a few pictures of Loki an his kitties in fact, if you want to check it out.


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## ames (Jun 6, 2010)

I think the cat wants to put your pup in her place, so let the cat do it, lol. The pup will learn not to go near the cat, but don't ever leave them all together when you leave the house. The cats MUST be separated and never left alone. Just think if a friendly fight turned into something and your pup lost control for a minute and accidental snapped a neck or stepped on the cat wrong and no one was there to help. Horrible scene to come home too. Always separate them when you leave or sleep.


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## teasha (Aug 3, 2010)

coppermare said:


> First off I want to point out to be very careful with a young puppy and grown cats. It's easy for a cat to do some damage to a pups eye with one swat!!


I agree 100%!!! My older kitty swatted at Quinton and as a result he has a small abrasion on his eye. Best to keep those claws clipped to help lesson any injury.


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## teasha (Aug 3, 2010)

coppermare said:


> Pretty kitty! There was a feral cat that had kittens on the roof and they fell off. Our little mutt dog "Taz" scooped them all up like hunting easter eggs and nursed them with her pups. The mama cat wouldn't have them back. Taz would try and steal other dogs puppies also! She wanted to be mama to everything!!


Thank you  He is a Ragdoll. That is so sweet about your girl! I can imagine her stealing pups, makes me smile!


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## duckyp0o77 (Dec 5, 2008)

rare, but it does happen


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## Pitcrew (Jan 19, 2008)

Gamebred very DA bulldogs...love the kitties. The kitties know not to run, hiss, spit and act ugly. Strange cats however are considered collateral damage


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## CheerfulPessimist (Aug 29, 2010)

Thanks for all the pics guys...so obviously it can happen. He's starting to get more brave with them and I don't know to let it go on or not. He wags his tail high and seems to want to play but he will chase a bit and try their patients and then run away a bit...going back and forth like it's a game. The cat finally got tired of it and hissed and swatted (she is a declaw, but not by my choice) and he growled a bit. But he is starting to get a little too bouncy with them. One has no hair and the other has no claws so both of them are kinda defenseless. I don't have the largest place so the cats really don't have a place to run to. Not sure what to do. We have tried to tell him enough or leave it and he goes right back to it. I don't know if it's him being a puppy and getting comfortable or a prey drive. Any advice? He is so sweet sometimes but getting not even 4 hours of sleep every other day on a regular basis (very bad insomnia and can't sleep even if i'm dead tired) i'm to my breaking point. My fiance is NO help whatsoever and sees it more of a frusteration and i'm left to do it all and i'm running on empty. I wonder if I was stupid for doing this and i'm starting to miss the peace and quiet of having just my siamese. Any suggestions before I go postal? :hammer:


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## CheerfulPessimist (Aug 29, 2010)

On a good note he did good with not barking at the dogs at petsmart and the quick trip to the vet. I didn't let him get too close and he was really curious but he did good. He even enjoyed getting pet by a little boy. But this trying my patience with the kitties is driving me nuts (he's at it again). He was on great behavior the first few days but I guess the honeymoon is over. He would do good sits for a treat and scratch at the door a bit if needed out. But now sitting nice seems to be out of the question. If I said enough with something he'd go lay down...now he's just persistant. He still goes by the door but won't give too much time before he goes on the floor on the only carpet in the house which is a small rug in the front room. Seems like the animals go out of their way to piss me off with making it a mess as the rest of the house is wood and tile floors. My siamese will run for dear life to get to it or the bathroom rugs that were down when she has to throw up.


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## Pitcrew (Jan 19, 2008)

There is nothing more stubborn and trying than a bulldog puppy. Period. The End. Do you crate? Have you tried NILIF? Yelling and scolding will turn him backwards. You must find patience somewhere. He needs a crate to get into to rest and when on a time out as well.
If you are really losing it at this point, its not a good sign. Best of Luck.


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## CheerfulPessimist (Aug 29, 2010)

I'm not losing it lol...just overly tired. We do crate him. I do not rasise my voice to him...I know it will no get me anywhere. At this point though my one hairless cat that is normally good with animals keeps tracking him down and trying to kill him. He listens great for the most part unless it's during his overly tired energy spurt. For his safety and the cats peace of mind i'm thinking it's not right. I don't want him to get hurt and she is making him think that he needs to defend himself when she comes near. At this point she is such an annoyance to my fiance I let him know if he wants the cat gone do it. Not to mention she cost me 1000$ and a 6 hour car drive. My siamese is an angel though. Before I got this rebel cat that eats a 30lb bag of cat food in a matter of weeks my siamese was even trained to go on the potty. She's a smarty and knows any trick a dog would. Even likes he walks on a leash. So I know if I can train a cat I can deal with a dog. I sat crying and thinking last night after it calmed down and he was sleeping with me that he really is the dog i've always wanted. But I feel for his sake he needs somewhere where he won't have to deal with crazy hairless cat ambushes. My fiance doesn't have the patience afterall and is really of no help.


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## EckoMac (Aug 25, 2010)

Ecko was introduced to Spaz and Isis about 2 months ago. He learned pretty quickly that they don't want to play. I crate him when I'm gone for his own safety. If he tries to play too rough with the cats they will tear him apart. But when supervised they'll happily share the couch and snuggle time with me.


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