cats and goldens

[ClaikenAiken]

i was just wondering, how easy is it to train a golden retriever to be calm around a kitten? cuz we already have a dog and were thinking about getting a kitten



Edit: added search terms to topic.

[Harshy]

Good Question - and how about with a rabbit? We have a 4 year old dwarf rabbit that I would love to let out of his cage more to exercise & socialize but last time we tried this with Harley (at about 9 months) she got very hyper and almost gave the rabbit a heart attack. The rabbit's instinct is to run and Harley loves to chase! I really don't think Harley would intentionally try to hurt the rabbit but the size difference between the two makes me think that I'll never be able to trust them together. Yet I've read that goldens can became so calm and laid back that it may be possible some day! When I open up the rabbit's cage, Harley will stick her head in and the rabbit will hop towards her. She's never made any attempt to bite the rabbit in this situation - she seems more interested in chomping on the rabbit food, timothy hay & baby carrots!

[Skyesmom]

Skye loves to eat Snuggles hay. It drives me crazy!! She also loves baby carrots. We don't let Snuggles out to run if Skye is out. I don't think that she would intentionally hurt him but I think she whould get to excited and start chasing him around.

[SweetDaisyDew]

Daisy's first introduction to a kitten went really well. She's almost 4 now so she was about 3 at the time but she immediately assumed a very nurturing and protective role. And they would play wonderfully together. Daisy never hurt the kitten. In fact, once when the kitten got outside, Daisy made sure I knew about it and when we went outside to get it, Daisy ran back and forth in front of the house so the kitten couldn't get out of the yard. They were very sweet together. The kitten was my sister's and eventually it did wander off never to be seen again
:(

Bunnies, I'm not sure what Daisy would do with a bunny. She chases the wild ones...but she's never caught one. I think she might kill one if she did!!

[Rudy Kazooti]

Rudy is 22 months old, and we have 4 cats. They all get along great. We had 2 before we got Rudy. While he was a puppy, it was "something else" for a while. He loved picking on our Maine Coon Cat that weighs 26 pounds. Now that he has settled down, everything is pretty peaceful. He does have his times when he tries to chase the 2 younger cats. They are both about a year old. One loves to chase him back, but the other one doesn't. All in all, they get along great. Most of the time they just all mind their own business and each has their favorite spot to spend the day sleeping. It's a pretty laid back, lazy bunch!!http://www.topgoldenretrieversites.net/userpictures/Rudy%20Kazooti/Sophie%20&%20Rudy.jpg

[nicekite]

As long as you get a kitten between the age of 6-8 weeks old it will never develop it's natural instinct to be afraid of dogs. My Sophie (cat) is a prime example of this. But our older cat Bob will only tolerate the dog and never lay with Maddie as Sophie does. However Bob spent most of his time hiding from Maddie until he saw Sophie cuddling up with Maddie. Now he will even rub up argents Maddies legs (When the food bowl is empty) and sniff nose to nose with her. I truly think if we would not of gotten Sophie, Bob would still be hiding.

http://www.nicekite.com/bed.jpg

Chris

[Cettie]

We recently adopted two wonderful goldens, a father and daughter, ages 7 years and 6 years. They're loving and wonderful but we've seen now that the father has a big aggression toward cats and I'm not sure how to break him of this. We've been getting them acclimated toward living here and are able to let them out of their pen one at a time to bounce through the fields and enjoy themselves (if you let out both at once they run away, we were forewarned by the previous owner) Anyway, they also need to get used to going inside our house and we let the father in the other day only to have him sniff out one of our cats and try to kill her. It took both of us to stop him from shaking her so she could get away and she's still bruised and limping and minus some fur. He's interested in a new cat I also adopted and tried hard to get to her in her pen and I fear that last night there would have been one missing kitty if he'd been able to get to her. He's a very very strong dog and has moments that make me wonder about him. He also seems to have one bad eye and I wonder if he sees all that clearly.

Otherwise he interacts in a friendly manner with the other dogs and people. He dotes on his daughter and they play avidly but I just don't know about this thing with cats.

I'd appreciate any ideas.

[CaynCher]

The Golden Rescue in our area tests the dogs to determine whether they are cat friendly etc. so that people are aware of what they are bringing into their home. I feel sorry for your cats. I don't really have any advice except to keep the cats/dogs in separate areas of your house or trade the cat agressive dog since he was the last one that you brought in. At the age of seven, you may never really be able to trust him alone in the same area with the cats. In my opinion, I would never trust him around my cats.

:dogbark :reddogx

[lammer29]

I can sympathize and relate to your dilemma. We have 2 dogs (one golden and one lab mix, and 2 cats). Our one cat (16 years old) will only run when she sees the lab, which then makes the lab chase her, and I don't want to know what she'd do (I am sure she'd hurt the cat). This cat would spend most of her time on the second floor, and for a time had her litter box on basement, that was awful for her, so I had to move it to the attic. The cat does not come to the first floor at all, the lab will rarely go to second floor and I installed a baby gate just in case she has other thoughts. My golden is fine around the cat, the cat will swipe at her, though - she is shell shocked of all dogs, but the cat allows he to sleep in our bedroom, where she also sleeps (on the bed - the dog has a bed on floor). The golden will occasionally come up on bed and the cat nervously tolerates it, the dog is just as nervous!. The second cat (18yrs old) has the run of a room in the attic with his own set of litter and food, toys, etc. The other cat has access to another room in attic for litter and never comes down to first floor, although I think he is oblivious to the danger.I have to make special time for him to get attention, although at 18 he's not very active and if he gets a large space he'll mark his territory, so a small space is just what he needs (although it is big enough for a bedroom).The other cat dislikes him, too, so I have to separate them! It is trying and I have to be vigilant, but it seems the only way for everyone to live here. Is there any way you could set up something similar, so that when the dogs are in the house the cats would not be vulnerable? Are the dogs outside primarily or are you working to get them inside more? I just couldn't make a choice to part with either of them, I have had the cats sinve they were kittens and the lab since she was 4 weeks old. There are just some dogs that the prey instinct is so strong they just can't resist the chase and capture. You will also have to be very careful and as I said, vigilent, and creative, and maybe you can come up with a solution for all. I envy those households where every one gets along, but as with everything else in life, it rarely works out that way! Best of luck.

[BACI]

[QUOTE=ClaikenAiken]i was just wondering, how easy is it to train a golden retriever to be calm around a kitten? cuz we already have a dog and were thinking about getting a kitten



You didn't say how old your dog was and if it reacts around cats. I had two Goldens before the one I have now so I know they do calm down. I got my cat after I lost my second Golden. I couldn't get another dog right away and had to have a furry animal. The Cat has real cattitude! She hates cats (does not even want to see one out the window) but I noticed she did seem to tolerate dogs. Bella (cat) was 6 when we got Baci (Golden). Baci will be 1 year old on the 15th of this month. They are doing better now but Bella knows if she runs he will chase. She also has her claws and has never cut him. She hisses and growls and he thinks she is playing. I still have a speacial gate with a little hole in it where the cat runs through and her litterbox is on the other side. You don't want the dog to eat the litter. Good luck.

[amborg2]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1095/610696551_577c060414.jpg?v=0

It really does depend on your dog's temperament but the intro can go well even late in a golden's life! Mulligan was nearly nine when the kitten arrived quite unexpectedly.

Jabba hissed and spit the minute she saw him - the first intro was completely unplanned and chaotic, my son coming in the door with a handful of kitten and crying because it came from a deceased friend, my husband yelling, the dog barking. It took a few minutes to sort everyone out and separate to safe corners.

In the end, the kitten was much more interested in Mully than he was of her.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1429/535380739_ad414ae7f7.jpg?v=0

She hisses and spits at other dogs who come to visit, and had a rude awakening when Newton arrived and was interested in her and played - a lot rougher than Mully at full size ever did.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2125/2116634192_8cdf39d087_m.jpg

Jabba and Newton are pals and roughhouse daily. They also partner to commit crimes, knocking food bags off the counter that Newton can open and they can share ...

So in a nutshell, expect chaos at first, monitor the introductions carefully, keep it safe for both and they will come around to some sort of mutual understanding.