Can I Have A Cat If I Have A Dog
If you have other pets there should not be a problem in getting a cat, but you just need to make sure that you take everything into consideration. If you have a dog you just need to make sure that you make introductions carefully so that your new cat is not chased or injured while the dog gets used to it. Not all dog types make good companions for cats.How to introduce a new cat or kitten to a resident dog
Why Cats Get Blamed
Reports of cats suffocating babies go right back to the 17th century. Its probably no coincidence that this is around the time of the witch trials.
I am certain that every single smothering was really a case of SIDS. Anyone of my age can remember how common, frightening and unexplained it was. We all knew someone who had lost a baby.
In the research effort that went into solving the riddle, every possible risk factor was explored. Never were cats implicated. Thanks to finding the real reasons, SIDS has become very rare .
How To Introduce Pets To Babies
Prepare your home and furry friends early on for the arrival of a new family member.
- April 16, 2020
This guide was originally published on May 30, 2019 in NYT Parenting.
The moment when parents bring a baby home is one of the great joys in a familys life. But it can be a tricky time for the family pet. Introducing a new permanent fixture into a pets life one who has an unfamiliar smell, makes erratic movements and emits squawking sounds can make four-legged family members anxious. Babies arent just stressful for parents, they are also very stressful for pets, said Dr. Yaron Schmid, veterinarian and director of shelter medicine at the New York Humane Society.
Parents can find themselves caught between their pets often their first babies and their human babies. We as parents have chosen this stressful event, but nobody else in the room did, said Marjie Alonso, executive director of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and professional dog trainer. What Ive told parents for years is that everything you want to kiss may not want to kiss each other.
Pets live in 84.6 million American households, according to a by the American Pet Products Association, so youve got plenty of company in introducing a new human to your cat, dog or pot-bellied pig. I spoke with a pediatrician, a veterinarian and an animal behaviorist for their takes on keeping everyone safe and happy.
Hygiene Cats And Babies
Due to hygiene concerns, people who do not have pets of their own may try and encourage you to rehome your cat. Its essential that your cat is treated for worms and fleas regularly, using products from your vet.
Dont leave dirty nappies on the floor, as they can cause the cat to wet or mess on that spot. Use antibacterial soap to clean your hands after feeding, grooming or playing with your cat and always wear rubber gloves, which are washed afterwards, to clean your cats litter tray.
Is It Actually Possible
To put it simply, no. There is no way for cats and dogs to have babies with each other. If youâd like a longer, more detailed reason as to why, read on.
Genetically, a dog and a cat are unable to have a baby with each other successfully because they are different species. For two animals to be compatible for breeding, they need to have an equal number of chromosomes. Cats have 19 pairs of chromosomes while dogs have 39.Â
Even if a dog and a cat have mated, there is no way for them to conceive and have babies. Their genes donât match up.
Whats The Difference Between Dog Food And Cat Food
Dogs are omnivores and therefore can consume a more varied diet that includes both plant-based and animal-based ingredients.
On the other hand, cats are true carnivores, meaning they eat solely animal protein and have greater protein and fat requirements than dogs.
Additionally, cats require 11 essential amino acids to be provided by their diet, whereas dogs require 10 amino acids. The additional amino acid required by cats is .
To meet these greater nutrient requirements, commercial cat foods must provide greater protein, fat, and taurine concentrations than commercial dog foods. This implies that all commercial dog food is nutritionally deficient for cats.
For dogs, however, the greater protein and fat contents of cat food make it more tasty, fragrant, and therefore enticing, and allow it to meet or even exceed a dogs nutrient requirements.
How Does Your Cat Feel About Dogs
When thinking about introducing a puppy to a cat, begin by looking at your cat.
What past experience has she had with dogs?
If you have visiting friends, or dogs to stay on occasion, how does she react?
Does she flee the house and not come back until the dog is gone? Does she stand at a distance, fur on end and hissing? Or hide in a corner, peeking out suspiciously?
Is she intrigued, carefully creeping forward to say hello? Does she get over excited and pushy?Each of these scenarios tell you something about how your cat might feel about your new puppy.
Take this on board when planning out their introductions. Remember to take it very slowly and carefully with a cat who is afraid.
There Are Many Glitches For A Mating Signal:
Some outside glitches are there for a dog and a cat to impregnate. Barriers to reproduce include factors like, geographical separation, different mating times, different rituals, for example; some birds have different mating calls to attract their opposite mate. Then there are different reproductive organs, different reproductive environment, like say, the sperm cannot survive the journey in the vagina, or the sperm cannot penetrate the egg. Members of different species, as a rule, cannot procreate. A canine cannot get a feline pregnant, as a rule of nature.
Introducing Your Cat To Your Baby
The baby should be introduced in a quiet room where the cat has few associations not a place where the cat usually sleeps or eats. Hold the baby in your arms and allow your cat to sniff them. Reward your cats calm behaviour with gentle praise and tasty titbits. The cat will appear interested for a few seconds and will then lose interest. If your cat prefers to run away from the baby, thats fine. Forcing your cat to interact with the baby could be very stressful. Allow your cat to escape and investigate in their own time. Carry on with the normal daily duties and routine and your cat should readily accept the new arrival.
Can I Keep A Cat On Vegetarian Food
Are you a vegetarian and want your cat to be one too? If you want a vegetarian pet that wont challenge your beliefs, then it would be better to get a rabbit a cat is a carnivore first and foremost, and looks and behaves as it does for just this reason. A cat is what is called an obligate carnivore it has an absolute need for some of the nutrients found in meat and all of its senses of smell and taste are atuned to being a carnivore it would be unfair and very dangerous to health to even attempt keeping it as a vegetarian.Feeding your cat or kitten
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Resting And Sleeping Places
You should decide if you will need to change where your cat currently rests and sleeps. For example, the spare room where your cat usually has free access may become the nursery. Gradually encourage your cat to sleep in other areas and then keep the nursery door closed. Make this and other changes well in advance so your cat,does not associate the change with the arrival of the baby.
Introduce New Baby Sounds And Smells Ahead Of Time
Before the baby arrives, you can also try playing recordings of the various sounds babies make very quietly at first, and then gently increase the volume over time. This will give your cat time to gradually get used to these different noises before the baby arrives. Each time you play the recordings, you can also distract and reward your cat with a few treats.
Likewise, if mum and baby are likely to spend a few days in hospital before coming home, it may be a good idea to take a small item that has your babys smell on it, and place this somewhere in your home for your cat to sniff and investigate in their own time. This way your cat can start to familiarise itself with the baby before they actually meet.
Bring Home Receiving Blankets Or Onesies Your Baby Has Worn Prior To Discharge
One of the most popular and well-known ways to introduce your fur baby to your new baby is to bring home your little ones receiving blanket or first outfit. Doing so will help your pet become familiar with the infants scent prior to their first introduction.
So youve done the prep work, you feel like youre ready, but what about when you actually bring your brand new baby home for the first time?
Two Weeks Before Your Due Date:
Unless you’ve scheduled a cesarean section or induction, the delivery date is anyone’s guess, so have your dog’s ducks in a row. Divide his food into individual servings, jot down pertinent phone numbers for the sitter, and keep the leash in a visible place. This way, if you have to head to the hospital suddenly, your pooch’s caregiver can find everything in a flash.
As the days dwindle, you’ll no doubt be dealing with a thousand emotions , and your pet, picking up on those feelings, may act out. Take a leisurely stroll if you’re up for it, or cuddle with him on the couch. The TLC will calm your canine and help you feel more relaxed and ready for the impending life shake-up too.
How To Introduce Dogs And Babies
The key to having your dog and baby get along? Planning ahead! Follow our step-by-step guide for introducing your pet to your newborn, starting with things you can do to help the transition while you’re pregnant.
For many couples, a dog is their first “baby.” And chances are, your hound knows he is! Your canine will still be a cherished part of the clan when your son or daughter arrives on the scene, but your routines will shift, and that can befuddle your furry friend.
Like babies, dogs thrive on predictability, and “a newborn dramatically changes not only your life but your dog’s as well,” says Victoria Stilwell, dog trainer and host of Animal Planet’s It’s Me or the Dog. Soon he’ll have to share your adoring attention with a demanding infant, and he won’t understand why the long walks he relishes are getting shorter.
Don’t wait till Baby is home to help your pup adjust to the expanded fam. “While you’re pregnant, initiate changes to get him used to a new schedule,” Stilwell says.
Put our plan into play and see Spot fall in love!
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Preparing Your Dog For Baby Noises
One of the biggest changes in the household with a new baby is the noise level. For a dog, introducing a crying baby into a previously quiet home can be startling.
One of the best ways to introduce your dog to the new baby is to utilize a . This will familiarize them with the noises of a crying baby as well as the idea of a small human baby. You can also use a recording of a baby crying along with a silent baby doll.
When you are at home with your dog, you should treat the baby doll as a real child and carry it, hold it, feed it, change it just as you would with your baby once it comes home. Your dog should become used to these routines even before you return home with your baby so that when you are taking part in these daily chores with your newborn, your dog will not show as much curiosity.
How Much Care And Attention Does A Cat Need
As pets go, cats are relatively low maintenance compared to dogs which need companionship, walking, training etc. However, like any pet, they do need care, and some cats need more care than others. Do you want to spend a lot of time with your cat, do you want it to be demanding, or do you have limited time? Cats can fit into busy, modern lifestyles more easily than dogs, as they are pretty independent, can be left alone much more easily and are more suitable for smaller flats or houses. Cats are often chosen by people who have busy and stressful lifestyles and who want some companionship when they go home to relax.
What do you want from your relationship with a cat? If youre the kind of person who really needs to have a close relationship with your cat and to be able to handle it and have it interact with you, then youll be disappointed if you take on a nervous cat that hides every time you come into the room. You may want to think about one of the pedigree breeds which can be more interactive and perhaps more needy of human company than some moggies. This may however become a problem for the cat if you are out at work all day and only available to give attention on evenings or weekends.
How To Introduce A Dog To A Cat
Some dogs do fine living with cats; others simply cannot live safely with felines. Sometimes, a dog can live with certain cats , but not others. Even if your dog has successfully lived with cats in the past, it is important to remember that each dog and each cat is an individual and therefore each introduction is different.
Can I Have A Cat With A Baby Or Young Children
There is no reason not to have a cat or kitten if you have children. It is up to parents to teach their children from the very beginning how to approach, stroke and handle cats and to treat them kindly. Many children have fantastic relationships with their cats and learn about respecting other creatures and being gentle it is done successfully all the time, but it is up to parents to lay down the rules. Perhaps taking on a new kitten when you have a new baby or a toddler might be a lot to handle at once, so ensuring you have time for all the parties is part of a successful relationship. Likewise, if you are pregnant there is no need to get rid of the cat. Simple and basic hygiene precautions and common sense management of the cat, while the baby is small, can ensure all cohabit happily and safely.
How Many Cats Can I Have Together
Its very easy to collect cats theyre addictively beautiful, theyre small and theyre quite easy to care for. Even if they dont get on, they tend to remove themselves from the situation rather than fight. However, there may be a great deal of tension between cats which owners just dont pick up on. Cats originate from a largely solitary species and although they can live in groups these are usually related individuals or are self-selected so that cats are not sharing space with cats that they dont get on with. Cats may start to spray or soil in the house because theyre trying to deal with a situation where they feel under stress because of other cats, and this might be all that owners notice.
If you have two cats living together very successfully then think very carefully before you add more. If you have three cats living well together then thank your stars and quit while youre ahead! The trouble with adding more is that it might not be just the relationship between the resident cats and the new one that causes problems; it may upset the whole equilibrium of the resident cats relationship and introduce difficulties even between the original cats as tension and stress levels rise. Any new cat needs careful introduction.
The best way to have two compatible cats is to choose siblings. These will have grown up together, and this usually bodes well for a good future relationship .
What Can You Give A Cat For Pain
Pain medications for cats should only be given to cats under close veterinary supervision.
Acute pain is often treated with a prescription opioid pain reliever called buprenorphine, but this medication can be costly over the long run.
Chronic pain associated with inflammation, like that caused by degenerative joint disease , tends to respond best to multimodal therapy , which often may not include traditional pain medications.
Can A Dog Get A Cat Pregnant What Will Happen
The enigma about a dog getting a cat pregnant is like saying whether it is possible to fit the tire of a bus to a bicycle. The answer is very clear and loud. NO. Reason? The chromosomes do not match. That is the scientific truth. People who have seen the movie Ted will wonder that if a woman can marry a teddy and through artificial insemination can have a baby, why a dog cannot do the same. Is it due to lack of expert vets in this category? It is a debatable point.
Keep Them Away From Each Other
Dont introduce your pets to each other on the first day. When an animal first arrives at their new home, they are likely to feel some anxiety and stress. After all, theyve just been plunged into a brand new setting.
Let the new pet adjust to the environment, and set up a room exclusively for them, where the other pet has absolutely no access. Spend time with your new family member there, and make them feel as relaxed as possible.
After Your Baby Is Home
- When you first arrive home from the hospital, peacefully greet your cat in a quiet room without interruption. Once you’ve had a few minutes to reconnect, let in everyone elsepartner, baby, grandparents, baby nurse and other well-wishers.
- Place a used receiving blanket or piece of infant-wear in a quiet area where the cat can investigate it. Make sure that the crib and other baby sleeping-locations are off-limits to the cat. A newborn cannot turn over or even move her head at first, so a heat-seeking cat who chooses to cuddle up close to the baby’s face could make it difficult for the child to breathe. Close the door to the nursery when the baby is napping. If there is no door, either install a temporary screen door or place a crib tent over the crib to keep the cat out. These precautions also prevent the cat from urinating in the crib, something she may try if extremely stressed.
- With the baby safely at rest, now’s the perfect time to grab a catnap with your favorite feline.
Preparing Your Pet For Your Baby’s Arrival
My first baby was a 5-pound French bulldog puppy named Napoleon. For three glorious years, he led the life of a pampered New York City pooch. Then, in October 2003, his perfect world was shattered by the high-decibel cries of a strange, tiny creature who couldn’t even walk to her own water dish — our newborn daughter, Sasha. Napoleon spent a considerable amount of time sulking. However, after some lavish affection from our next-door neighbors, a few new treats, and a bit of obedience training for both child and dog, Napoleon and Sasha have become fast friends, proving that even the most spoiled pet can learn to love his new sibling. Here’s how to make it happen.
What About Nsaids That Are Made For Cats
Currently, there is only one oral NSAID that is FDA-approved for use in felines, called Onsior . But it is only prescribed for short-term use and can only be given once a day.
There has been increased research into NSAIDs and their potential use for long-term use in cats, specifically for the treatment of chronic pain .
The American Association of Feline Practitioners , in conjunction with the International Society of Feline Medicine , released consensus guidelines on the long-term use of NSAIDs in cats in 2010. The report explains, It is only recently that NSAIDs have become licensed for long-term use in cats in some countries.
These guidelines explain that NSAIDs are an important class of medication in feline medicine, and that its worth looking into whether they can be used safely in cats in long-term treatment protocols.
The guidelines also say that any cat being prescribed NSAIDs should be given the lowest effective dose and that all cats should undergo pre-treatment screening prior to starting an NSAID regiment and be closely monitored while on NSAIDs.
Your veterinarian will determine whether NSAIDs can be safely used for your cat.
Body Language Of Dogs And Cats
When introducing your dog to a cat, pay attention to the body language of both animals. If the cats ears are pinned back or his tail is swishing back and forth, this is a good indicator that he is displeased. You particularly want to be aware of dog body language that could be potential warning signs. If your dog has a strong prey drive , she might become very focused on the cat. Shell stiffen, stare, and may start barking or whining. If you see these signs, do not let her near the cat. Ideally, her body language will be loose and relaxed around the cat. Its OK if she pays attention to the cat, but you dont want to see her fixated on him.
In addition, a dogs interaction with a cat can change depending on the environment. Just because your dog is OK with the cat inside the house doesnt mean shell exhibit that same behavior outdoors. She might fixate on the cat and start stalking him when they are outside together. So, be aware of her body language around the cat in each new situation, until you know how she is going to respond toward him.
Why Does My Cat Act Like A Dog
With all that being said, there are cats out there who may sometimes act like dogs. While they have no canine genes in them, they may still exhibit behaviors we would normally associate with dogs â like how some cats enjoy walking on a leash, coming when called, or even playing fetch. This is because cats are just naturally cunning. Theyâre smart and crafty enough to know how to win your favor.
There are some cat breeds who tend to act like dogs more than other breeds. These cats are the closest youâll get to getting a cat-dog hybrid if thatâs the sort of pet you are looking for. Ragdoll cats are also known as puppy cats because they are people pleasers. They always want to be with their humans, so much so that theyâll follow them from room to room. Abyssinians are very playful and energetic. They can be trained to walk on a leash. Maine Coons are gigantic cats who like to play fetch. Lastly, if you want the most dog-like among the cat breeds, bet on the Turkish Angora. Theyâre playful, devoted, and not skittish around new people.Â
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Lastly, you can always train your cat to be more dog-like if thatâs your jam. Cats are very intelligent creatures. With enough treats and patience, thereâs not much in this world thatâs impossible â except perhaps, an actual cat-dog.