Im new and need help!

Hello,

Im new to this forum but im looking for some specific advice. I have an 8 year old staffy who doesnt like other dogs at all especially if she is in a bad mood. she is ok with one of our friends dogs but other than that its usually a no go. she is amazing with people and kids though and is as soppy as a baby. The problem i have is we are rescuing 2 8 week old kittens and i have no idea how to go about introducing them or if its a really bad idea completley. im petrified she might attack them. My partner thinks she may be ok (she is originally his dog since birth and he does know her inside out)

Any advice greatley welcomed

thanks!

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Hi and welcome to the forum from Rocky and me.

Sorry I have no experience with cats at all, always been a dog person. I'm sure someone will be along soon who can help.

Hiya from me and Moo, sorry I can't offer any advice mine hates cats Xx

Hiya from me and Vinnie, sorry not much help here either, have never had cats whilst owning a dog  

never had cats as mine hates them but bit of a risk i would think intoducing cats to a D.A girl

Hi & welcome from Darcy & me

Warren wrote:never had cats as mine hates them but bit of a risk i would think intoducing cats to a D.A girl

Thanks Warren, at risk of sounding stupid what does D.A mean?!

D.A = dog aggressive.

Welcome from the kids and I Sorry, also never had cats so not much help either

Hi and welcome to the forum from me and the zoo xx

I really dont want to upset our Staffy its her home, im torn, these little kitties were going to be drowned and i love cats, i think i will give it a couple of weeks and see how she goes, if she isnt happy i think i will have to make some tough decisions.

Hi and welcome from me and daisy  

I've never had cats either but would have to agree with Warren, it sounds a bit risky (for the kittens).

Hello and welcome to the forum from me and the kids

At 8 years old I am assuming she will be slowing down a little , are you able to provide a separate area for the kittens , maybe use a safety gate so if they do get into trouble they have an escape route ?? It's a bit of a tough one as you are only trying to-do the right thing but they could end up hurt as a result of this. Any indicators on cat behavior outside just because she is DA then doesn't neccesarily mean she will accept the cats but how is her prey drive ( chasing squirrels , rabbits etc

Dave wrote:Hello and welcome to the forum from me and the kids

At 8 years old I am assuming she will be slowing down a little , are you able to provide a separate area for the kittens , maybe use a safety gate so if they do get into trouble they have an escape route ??  It's a bit of a tough one as you are only trying to-do the right thing but they could end up hurt as a result of this. Any indicators on cat behavior outside  just because she is DA then doesn't neccesarily mean she will accept the cats but how is her prey drive ( chasing squirrels , rabbits etc

Thanks Dave,

She is still full of energy and enjoys the odd chase of a cat, there are lots of cats where we live but she isnt that bothered about them most of the time, certainly not like she is with other dogs, she sometimes pulls to go and have a look but never growls or lunges. She lived for a time at my parents house while we were in between houses and she wasnt bothered by my dads cat at all, i think maybe because the cat was blind it never really ran away and thats why she never chased.
I guess only trying it will assess how she will be, im hoping by doing it slowly and by keeping them separate for a while will help intriduce them. Luckily we are able to separate them between the living room and conservatory, they will be able to see each other but not get to each other. Im hoping by keeping them separate and giving her extra fuss she will realise they are no threat...

well sounds like you are going for it and have your safe haven , if they are doomed and nobody else will take them then you haven't got a lot to lose as long as they are safe

hia from me and sasha  ,sorry sash hates cats so we have never owned one,good luck with them  

hi from me and the boys

sorry, those kittens are likely to get seriously harmed. My girl hates other dogs and has killed a few cats. its not pretty either. if i am there and she knows im there she would let a cat walk up to her and eat her alive, she won't flinch if im there. as soon as im gone, so is the cat.

If Muse tolerated your dad's cat, then there might be hope.

Unfortunately, most cats that dogs meet out of the home will run away, and this will almost always excite the dog to give chase. Even my first Dobermann would chase a running cat, and she was brought up with them. On the rare occasions that she met a cat who would stand its ground she put her face up to the cat to say hello and inevitably got clawed for her trouble; poor girl, she couldn't understand it.

So long as the kittens don't spit and fight at Muse, there might be a chance. Introductions should be made very carefully for the kittens' sake, and preferably the kittens should not be held by you or your partner (who should focus on Muse, calmly).

As Dave says, it's worth a try - obviously be careful, careful, careful for the kittens' safety without transmitting any stress to Muse (or the kittens). It may all work out well, many dogs live happily with cats.

Good luck - take care! Do let us know how you get on.

Hi and welcome from Tip and me. We have two cats and Tip does sometimes chase them but as she is only four months old we are working via treats to get her to be more tolerant towards the cats. That said we always make sure the cats have a non accesable to Tip escape route. Good luck and a job welkl done at rescueing the kittens.

Thanks for all your replies, we have had the kittens for a day now and luckily Muse hasn't shown any agression at all so its a good start, we are keeping them separated but they can see each other, she has gone in to see them a few times when they have been in a crate, and once this morning when they were out, she seems to just sniff and walk away, helped by a bit of hissing from one of the braver kittens! Im keeping my fingers crossed it stays that way! Im very proud of her so far! :-)

That's a good start, anyway! 

Hi and welcome to the forum from Chiquito and I

Hi and welcome from me and my two

Hi from the girlies and me

Welcome to the forum from Rocky and I

Hi All,

Sorry for such a delayed reply! thanks for all your welcomes :-) Im soooooo happy to report that our little Staffy has done us proud and last night both kittens and her curled up and slept together whilst watch tv :-) slow and steady has won the race so far! Muse likes to suck the kittens ears and the kittens like to rub their little faces all over her- its so cute! Don't get me wrong she doesnt like it when the disturb her while she is chewing her bone or if they annoy her so i wouldnt leave them alone together but she is certainly doing well and has shown no signs of aggression to date :-)

That's fantastic news

Good news, clever Muse, it must be her maternal instinct  

Hi and welcome from me and nico, sound like you've got some good advice already, sorry I can't help, never had a cat!