Fighting like cats and dogs?

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

It's come down to one dog left. I delivered one to his new home on Friday. When I turned to walk away he tried to chase after me and I cried most of the way home. So now I have one left who has been with me for about a year and a half. The one I cried over was only with me for about 3 or 4 months! I am just beginning to think I won't be able to send her to another home.

But then comes the issue. I also have a cat who I've had for about 19 years! And this cat is a calico -- extremely tempermental and hates everyone and everything besides me and my family and my ex. She weighs about 8 lbs in her aged state but actively sought to attack my mom's dog who weighs about 70 lbs!!! Also the doggy I am now aching to keep loves to chase after and bark at cats and is a big dog.

So the point is, how can I get these two to coexist peacefully? Anyone have any tips? If they were both babies I know it would be easy, but they are set in their ways and I live in a studio so I can't just keep them separated by keeping them in different rooms like we did in the house.

Any tips or links to helpful stuff is much appreciated!!

[Joely]

I have no idea what to do but my heart breaks that you had to leave your dog behind. I just adore dogs, and cats too.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Thanks, I was really sad too, but I've been in touch with the family who got him and they have an acre of land and three kids and have made a place for him in the house. I feel a little better about it now. I still miss him, but I think he will thrive in that environment because he's very energetic and playful.

Walking away was REALLY hard though...

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Can cats and dogs put aside their feelings of animosity and live harmoniously together?

Anyone...Bueller...Bueller?

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by {aspiring_to_clarity}

Can cats and dogs put aside their feelings of animosity and live harmoniously together?

I know cats and dogs can live harmoniously together - I've seen it. We've had cats play with dogs, and you can do a youtube search and see plenty of such examples.

I've also had a medium-large size dog that would chase neighborhood cats, and even killed one or two of them. However when it came to our cat, our dog wouldn't dare do anything to her and never, to our knowledge harrassed her. It was actually the other way around - at times he'd be intimidated by her, if she was in the doorway. (Nothing we consciously did - it just happened that way)

So, what you're instead talking about is two animals who have a history of feeling animosity toward each other. You want them to now live harmoniously together. Thus, you don't really need an example of a cat and dog playing well together, or at least tolerating each other. What you instead need is an example of two animals who've changed the way they behaved toward each other, going from animosity to tolerating each other.

I personally don't know how to do that since it's not a situation I've faced yet. I'm guessing though it has to be possible

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Yeah, I've had cats and dogs that coexisted before it's just these particular two that seem to have so much animosity. I am hoping it will work out.

A lady who had been assisting me in trying to place the dogs said after a couple of weeks they should get over it. I just hope they both survive a couuple of weeks!

[Dan.Linehan]

I don't know if they'll be able to get along. It sounds like the dog likes to play and the cat won't be having any of those shenanigans..

That being said, can you just keep them somewhat separated at your new place?

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

I don't know if they'll be able to get along. It sounds like the dog likes to play and the cat won't be having any of those shenanigans..

That being said, can you just keep them somewhat separated at your new place?

Well, it being a studio I don't have a separate bedroom. When I am at work I will have the dog in her crate. I've heard it is actually good for them. I am kind of leary, but my parents do this with their dog and he's great with it.

I figure when I am there I can kind of mediate. The dog is well behaved...if I tell her to stop or come to me she will. The cat doesn't listen to me at all .

When I am asleep is the main time I am worried about. I don't want to have to put the dog in a crate all night too. So I might use some kind of baby gate to partition off the kitchen and keep one there. Or put the cat in the bathroom at night.

I hope that they will just magically get along and it won't be necessary, but the cat especially is set in her ways and very tempermental...she's 19!

PS I love the word shenanigans!