Best way to welcome a dog?

[Karin]

I'm the mother of Oni, a 16 month old kitty who was recently neutered (and came thru it very well). I'm giving him some time to adjust and heal up 100%, but in the future we'd like to look into adding a dog to our family as well. We would of course take our time and seek out a gentle friend that seems to be good around children and other animals. Here are my questions though.

1. Does the *beep* of the dog matter?

2. What would be the best way to introduce Oni to our new friend?

3. Is there any behavior I might expect from Oni while he's adjusting to our new addition?

My son is dog crazy and I'd like to be able to give him a canine friend, but not at the expense of Oni. I've never had a cat and dog in the family at the same time so any advice would be most welcome.

[davet]

we have always had a dog and a cat, plus guinea pigs, hampsters, etc etc etc...it seems that they just seemed to work out their differences over time...just slow introduction and equal time is important...i think a spayed female would be better than a male. I know no secret method of introducing them excpet equal time and observation,,,,i am sure some one will post rules but just don't throw them in together and hope they like each other....take a little time etc etc etc

[melissaranks]

If you are looking for a calm friend, may I suggest an adult rescue who is in a foster home? These dogs are GREAT to have. And, often, you can ask the rescue group for a dog that is good with cats. AND, usually, they come house trained and with some basic obedience! And the foster parents have a good gauge on their temperment too!

As for what to expect from your kitty. In my house, it was total chaos. One of my cats (who went to live with my MIL because of it) started losing her all her glorious long hair. The second cat just ignored the puppy except for the occasional you're too close to me growl and swat with the hand. My third cat (who has since passed on) decided he REALLY liked the puppy and would play and play and play with her! Every cat is different!