My Caroline And Cats

[Guest chinamom]

Hi Greyt Dog Owners,

We have Had Caroline home for 2 months now. She is our perfect girl in every way except she really, really, really wants to kill our cats.

We are with our second behaviorist and we think he has given us greyt advice and we're doing it but our gut tells us it'll never work.

From the moment Caroline entered our house she has been thinking of the cats. She doesn't really relax ever because she knows there are cats in the house. They are downstairs and she is main floor. She runs to the top of the stairs everytime she hears a noise.

She has met one cat up close twice by mistake and it was not pretty. There was blood, dog blood, not cat blood and she seems to want more!

 

Our method at the moment is to set her up to look at the cats and reward her with delectable yummies every time she looks away them. Sounds greyt....but we think it might take 500 years to get where we're going..

 

There is a difference from when we brought her home 2 months ago, then she would tremble, whine, puff, all weight in her front and droooool when she saw the cats....now she can look away, take food, go "down" but not stay, but still has such a gaze that we know she wants them in her mouth to shake.

 

Anyone here who can share their experience with a high prey hound with cats in the house?

Oh, should probably let you know that we have two human kids who love, love, love the cats!!!!!

Advice? Thanks in advance,

Barb in Ontario, Canada

[Guest Samantha]

Hi Greyt Dog Owners,

We have Had Caroline home for 2 months now. She is our perfect girl in every way except she really, really, really wants to kill our cats.

We are with our second behaviorist and we think he has given us greyt advice and we're doing it but our gut tells us it'll never work.

From the moment Caroline entered our house she has been thinking of the cats. She doesn't really relax ever because she knows there are cats in the house. They are downstairs and she is main floor. She runs to the top of the stairs everytime she hears a noise.

She has met one cat up close twice by mistake and it was not pretty. There was blood, dog blood, not cat blood and she seems to want more!

 

Our method at the moment is to set her up to look at the cats and reward her with delectable yummies every time she looks away them. Sounds greyt....but we think it might take 500 years to get where we're going..

 

There is a difference from when we brought her home 2 months ago, then she would tremble, whine, puff, all weight in her front and droooool when she saw the cats....now she can look away, take food, go "down" but not stay, but still has such a gaze that we know she wants them in her mouth to shake.

 

Anyone here who can share their experience with a high prey hound with cats in the house?

Oh, should probably let you know that we have two human kids who love, love, love the cats!!!!!

Advice? Thanks in advance,

Barb in Ontario, Canada

 

Did you get her from a group? usually they would have known wether she was cat safe in the 1st place. I don't have advice, because we don't have cats although Maddison has taken a interest when we have met them on walks, but she really doesnt have much of a prey drive. Im sure someone will offer you great advice here, and I hope it all works out well .

[TheFullHouse]

Some hounds are "cat workable" but it doesn't sound like your girl is one of them. To be honest, to me, this sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. If she is so fixated on the cats and she's already had at least one encounter with them where she lost, and she's still that fixated I'd be really worried. If someone accidentally lets the cats out where she can get to them, you could end up with some badly injured cats or worse.

[Guest TeddysMom]

I'm sorry you are going through this. I would be more than concerned in this situation. Even if you muzzle Caroline all the time she could still really hurt one of the cats or the cat could do real damage to Caroline's eyes. You have to think about your kids too, if one of their cats was injured or killed by the dog it would be devastating to them. You sound like you love Caroline very much but you might want to consider talking to your adoption group about this, maybe she would be better off in a home without cats.

[Guest Greytluv]

maybe she would be better off in a home without cats.

[greysmom]

This does not sound like a case where you can change her behavior to the point where both animals would ever be safe together. Unless you (and every member of your household) are *seriously* committed to keeping your cats and dog completely separated for the rest of their lives, you need to consider rehoming Caroline.

 

If you got her from a group they should have been able to tell you whether she was able to live with cats or not, and they should take her back since this adoption is not working for the household.

 

If you adopted her directly from a track or a breeder/trainer, or picked her up from a shelter, you should seriously think about getting in touch with a local adoption group and explaining your situation. Most groups should be able to help you rehome Caroline in a place with no cats.

 

If you would still like to have a greyhound in your home, there are plenty available who would love to live with you AND your cats.

 

This is a very hard decision, and you shouldn't think of it as a failure of either you or your dog. Sometimes things just don't work out. It's better to fix this before an animal in your home gets seriously hurt.

[maryz]

I agree that this doesn't sound like a good situation. I fear for the safety of your cats and as someone earlier stated, a cat can do severe damage

to a dog's eyes and face. Also, it must be very stressful for all the animals as well as you and your kids. If you got her from a group, please do

talk to them about rehoming her to a cat-free environment. There are plenty of greys out there who live safely with cats.

[Guest barkdogs]

I am so sorry you are in this situation. Cat testing by groups is never fool proof--they can get an idea of prey drive, but there are always other factors that can't be predicted.

 

I was going to adopt a hound who had been fostered by a friend with a cat--he was fine with that cat. I brought him home (muzzle on to be safe, thank Dog and thank God) he investigated Vinnie the black and white cat, got swatted, backed away, fine. I took him upstairs and my blind tripod kitty Maxine got startled and ran/hopped into the bathroom. I had him on a leash and he STILL bit the end of Maxine's tail and broke one of her teeth. It took all my strength to hold him back (and for 118 Lbs I am pretty strong) and I had to immediately take him out of the house and back to the adoption program. They were great--they brought out Nigel and I was in love by the time I got home, so all ended well.

 

I felt terrible having to take the first guy back. He had been waiting for his forever home for a long time and everyone was so excited that someone wanted to adopt him. I was fighting back tears when I brought him back--It broke my heart but really it wasn't meant to be. He got adopted a month later and his new family adored him, so he wasn't meant for me, but he was meant for someone else.

 

I suspect the group would want to know and would prefer taking her back to having a terrible incident with your cats. There really are a lot of low prey drive hounds out there. I am sorry you are facing this decision--it must be very difficult. Best of luck to you and to Caroline.

[Guest jaws4evr]

Sounds like a tough situation. Personally, It seems like the best thing for everbody would be to bring Caroline back to the adoption group. Many may not agree with this but but cats are extremely difficult to rehome, and have a staggeringly high euthanasia rate with respect to dogs. The GH, especially with the help of an adoption group, will be able to find another great home, whereas your cats will most likely not. And really, the cats were there first.

 

We have a GH, a pitty mix, and two cats who live in peace, and lived in peace from day 1. It still took us a while to trust the GH loose and unmuzzled with the cats, but we've never had any problems at all. The cats are very playful and like to dash everywhere, and we've never encountered the prey-stare that we see with her and rabbits. So it is possible, but for the safety of your kitties the current sutation doesn't sound like the best one to me.

[Guest Jubilee251]

Yikes - I agree with everyone else, this just seems to be a set-up for failure. I don't think it's fair to the cats or the dog that neither can relax and is always on high-alert or stress. You're only 2 months in, so if there's an adoption group in the picture, return the dog. Like everyone else said, there are plenty of other wonderful greys who can live peacefully with cats.

[Guest chinamom]

Thank you for your responses and I know you're all correct. It's pretty hard here to give up hope though.

Yes, we have a supportive adoption group but we have laid low because I guess we knew what we would hear, that the situation probably isn't workable. I suppose we should make this decision before we put more money out for behaviour therapy.

I am abit surprised at how awful the thought of rehoming her makes me feel.In every other way she is fine, obedient, gentle, patient, etc.

Perhaps we will spend some time first looking for a good home for the cats and give ourselves a time limit.

Again, thanks for all the advice. I needed to hear it.

Barb

[PrairieProf]

Wow, I can't help but say that I really don't think that's fair to the cats, who were there first. After two months Caroline is that much more important to you than them? As a lifelong cat person I hate how cats seem to automatically rank lower in people's priorities than a dog -- even though I love my dog and would also have been heartbroken to have to return her.

[Guest fandogs]

Which ever way you decide to go.. (cats leaving or Caroline leaving).. I absolutely agree that you cannot change her behavior.. High prey drive is inborn.. not taught. I have raised racers, that had no prey drive..and from the same litter, incredible prey drive. And they were all raised together.

I suggest, keep the cats,and get a cat friendly GH.

Good luck

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

I agree with PrairieProf. The cats were there first, and as you stated your children are attached to them. You've only had the dog for two months. Were you just looking for a reason to get rid of the cats? What happens in a few years if you get another dog and it won't get along with Caroline, is she out the door?

 

When I looked into getting my grey NOTHING was more important than the dog being able to live safely with my two cats. I went in to the adoption process fully prepared to return a hound that was too interested in the cats. Her behavior the first night had me on edge, but as her initial curiosity faded (being slapped once by a cat helped) within a day we didn't have to return her. Just this morning I was cuddling the dog on the sofa while I watched TV with one kitty purring happily laying on top of me and the other curled up on top of the sofa.

 

Return Caroline. It's not fun, but it's your responsibility to provide your family and cats with a comfortable and safe home. Like others have said, it's not a failure on your part if the dog doesn't work out. It will, however, be extremely shameful if you dispose of the cats to keep the dog.

[TwiggysMom]

As heartbreaking as it is, I also think that the most fair thing to do for all concerned is to return Caroline to the group and adopt a hound who really is cat-workable or cat-safe. From your description, it doesn't sound like she can ever live calmly and comfortably with cats. I think it is also in Caroline's best interest, even though it may not seem like it. The poor girl is probably constantly thinking about how she can get those kitties, and is likely stressed about that.

 

Kudos to you for working so long and hard to try to make this work - you have gone way beyond what many people would do in this situation. Clearly you love and care about Caroline, and want to do the best for her.

 

I've had a fair number of fosters, and most of them settled in quickly with the kitties. One I had a really hard time with, and he bit the cats a quite a few times over the course of the first couple months (no damage, but still), but eventually learned to love them (even snuggled with them!). One foster, however, was simply not workable. She sounds very much like your girl. Same types of behavior, never settled down because she wanted to eat those yummy cats. We moved her to another foster home w/o cats, and she quickly became a permanent resident there!

 

Good luck with your decision, and don’t beat yourself up if you do decide to bring her back to the group. It’s rare that I think that returning a dog is the best option, but it sounds to me like it is the best, kindest, and safest option in your case here.

[RobinM]

As much as I hate to think about her being rehomed, I hate more the thought of her eyes being scratched out and your cats mutilated to death and GOD forbid that happens in front of your kids.

 

I have 5 hounds and 3 cats. There is no way I would allow Caroline in my house with my cats.

 

There are so many other dogs out there who are cat friendly. Caroline needs a cat free home.

[RobinM]

duplicate post

Edited June 11, 2010 by RobinM

[3greys2cats]

I agree with PrairieProf. The cats were there first, and as you stated your children are attached to them. You've only had the dog for two months. Were you just looking for a reason to get rid of the cats? What happens in a few years if you get another dog and it won't get along with Caroline, is she out the door?

 

When I looked into getting my grey NOTHING was more important than the dog being able to live safely with my two cats. I went in to the adoption process fully prepared to return a hound that was too interested in the cats. Her behavior the first night had me on edge, but as her initial curiosity faded (being slapped once by a cat helped) within a day we didn't have to return her. Just this morning I was cuddling the dog on the sofa while I watched TV with one kitty purring happily laying on top of me and the other curled up on top of the sofa.

 

Return Caroline. It's not fun, but it's your responsibility to provide your family and cats with a comfortable and safe home. Like others have said, it's not a failure on your part if the dog doesn't work out. It will, however, be extremely shameful if you dispose of the cats to keep the dog.

 

 

I agree wholeheartedly w/this! We have 2 Greys and 2 cats and cats were here 1st and their safety was 1st, they all get along wonderfully. Caroline will be better off in a home w/out felines and there are plenty of Greys who are cat-safe that need homes too.

[fsugrad]

I am so sorry you are having to make this decision. I am the mom to a very high prey drive hound (Robin) and one who is not high prey at all (Toby).

Robin is our 2nd hound and we purposely adopted a non cat safe hound because our youngest son is allergic to cats, so we will never own one.

Caroline's behavior really makes me fear for the safety of your cats. It sounds very, very familiar to me!

It is only a matter of time before tragedy strikes, in my opinion. And it's not reasonable to me to expect to be able to keep your cats and dogs apart in your home for the rest of their lives.

I think your group will understand perfectly and can help place a cat safe hound in your home... as difficult as it must be, it's the only right thing to do.

[Guest larock]

Three of our houdies were bounced from their first home for one reason or another....so rest assured there are good homes to be had, second or (in some cases) third time around.

 

It's a tough situation to be in. I hope you find peace with whatever you decide.

[jetcitywoman]

I am abit surprised at how awful the thought of rehoming her makes me feel.In every other way she is fine, obedient, gentle, patient, etc.

Perhaps we will spend some time first looking for a good home for the cats and give ourselves a time limit.

Again, thanks for all the advice. I needed to hear it.

Barb

 

It's totally your decision, but in the same situation if I had the cats first, they would stay. Actually when we applied to adopt Capri, we wrote in our application that the ONLY situation in which we would return her was if she was not cat-safe. Keep repeating to yourself that it's not really a rejection of her, she's not a bad dog. She just has different requirements than you are able to provide.

[maryz]

Wow, I can't help but say that I really don't think that's fair to the cats, who were there first. After two months Caroline is that much more important to you than them? As a lifelong cat person I hate how cats seem to automatically rank lower in people's priorities than a dog -- even though I love my dog and would also have been heartbroken to have to return her.

 

I have to say that this is my opinion too. My number one priority when getting a grey was the safety of my cats. Your kitties were there first

and it's not fair to them to have to live under this stressful situation (or to Caroline either). Stress can manifest itself in many health issues, as

it does with humans. How stressed would your cats be if they were to be rehomed? Caroline has been there for a shorter amount of time and

she will adjust easily to the right home. Sorry, but I don't think it would be fair to rehome the cats. Could you really live with that decision?

[GeorgeofNE]

Some hounds are "cat workable" but it doesn't sound like your girl is one of them. To be honest, to me, this sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. If she is so fixated on the cats and she's already had at least one encounter with them where she lost, and she's still that fixated I'd be really worried. If someone accidentally lets the cats out where she can get to them, you could end up with some badly injured cats or worse.

 

I agree with Judy, and wonder if you're working with a group. Experienced Greyhound folks would not have let you bring home a hound to a household with cats without having a pretty good idea if she could deal with them. From what you describe of her initial meeting, I know I would NEVER have been allowed to adopt that hound as I also have cats.

 

I'm so sorry for you. I'm sure this is terribly tough on you, but I think this is a disaster waiting to happen.

 

I'd also like to add that there are PLENTY of greyhounds that can live with you AND your cats. The hound will be placed in a cat-free home, and your cats will be safe. You'll have to be patient and wait for a cat-workable hound, but here are MANY, MANY of them out there. It's really not fair to get rid of the cats.

 

I had to rehome a GORGEOUS Siamese cat once because he was beating up my female--a shelter rescue. But she was there first, and it was the fair thing to do. I easily found him a wonderful family (with really BIG cats that he couldn't pick on). It worked out even though it was hard. If you let the group take Caroline now, she'll adjust easily enough to a new family. There's not much chance you'd place two adult cats in the same home.

Edited June 11, 2010 by GeorgeofNE

[Guest Jubilee251]

Wouldn't your kids be heartbroken if you got rid of the cats, who have been there for much longer? It's also kitten season, which means there's an abundance of tiny, adorable, squirmy kittens in shelters, and all the older cats get overlooked. Please don't rehome the cats (this coming from someone who is NOT a cat-person at all).

[Guest LindsaySF]

Some hounds are "cat workable" but it doesn't sound like your girl is one of them. To be honest, to me, this sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. If she is so fixated on the cats and she's already had at least one encounter with them where she lost, and she's still that fixated I'd be really worried. If someone accidentally lets the cats out where she can get to them, you could end up with some badly injured cats or worse.

X 2

 

 

Personally, It seems like the best thing for everbody would be to bring Caroline back to the adoption group. Many may not agree with this but but cats are extremely difficult to rehome, and have a staggeringly high euthanasia rate with respect to dogs. The GH, especially with the help of an adoption group, will be able to find another great home, whereas your cats will most likely not. And really, the cats were there first.

I agree with you.

 

Wouldn't your kids be heartbroken if you got rid of the cats, who have been there for much longer?