Expert: Dear Tabbi - 4/8/2009

Question
Hello,

My family is a blended family. My parents, step dad and mother, have been together for 12 years but we consolidated houses about 8 years ago. We have a 16 year old lab, Bullet, and a 12 year old cat, Jazmyne. Jazmyne and Bullet stay separated at almost all times. When they see one another, Bullet is very respectful and calm, but Jazmyne, being the Queen of the house, hisses, and runs for the most part. Some days Jazzy is worse than others.

Recently, my mother decided to inform me that she was thinking about getting a baby puppy! I am losing my mind. Jazzy and Bullet mean the world to me. They are both at fragile ages, and I do not know what I am going to do when it is their time to leave this world. My mother and I have not spoken in three days because we are seeing this new puppy affecting Jazmyne in two different ways.

A bit about Jazmyne, as you can tell we are not worried about Bulled because he is down stairs and is very calm and collective; an old little guy:  she is a 12 year old tabby who is becoming more sociable with age, but is also becoming more vocal as well. If we leave the room she is in, she WHINES. When she is hungry, she whines. When we sit down, she immediately jumps up. She has never lived with any other pets. I studied abroad last semester in Dubai but was away at a Lake for three months prior to that. I was gone for seven months in total. In that time, Jazmyne had to be put on hormones and other meds for anxiety. She was tearing her hair out, trying to run away, and would just walk around and howl. I feel that now I am more grown up (and not tormenting her) and back at home, she has become my favorite companion. My mother, however, feels she is lonely. She feels that bringing a pup into the home would give Jazzy a companion for when we are gone.

I have tried to convince my mother otherwise. I feel that Jazmyne will think this is betrayal and become more sick. Furthermore, my parents are not home that often. Do they not realize that puppies HAVE to be trained. My mother has never been a dog person; always a cat person. When she was younger my grandparents showed dogs, but they were Great Danes! I try to explain to her that breeds are different and preferred by different people for a reason. She feels I am being hateful. I’m not trying to be hateful and downing her intelligence. I am just afraid for my kitty cat. As mentioned, she is my world. I thought about her everyday while I was away. I am not moving away after college, until both animals have passed. Now that is pet loyalty! HA.

Please help me. I miss talking to my mother. She is a stubborn women and never has understood that I only play devil's advocate when need be. I am just worried. If Jazmyne is showing signs of needing a companion, and maybe she could just swat the puppy in the face for a few weeks, and they could become best friends, they yeeeyy! I would be thrilled and encourage the new addition. But I have her best interest at heart and can only think pessimistically on this idea.

Sincerely,

Brittney Morris


Sorry for the length of message. I tend to give too much detail and go on rants!


Answer
Brittney,

Not too much detail and rants are fine. *smile*

In human years Jazmyne is 64 years old. At 12 it is iffy about the changes a dog will make in the cat's routine and life. An elderly cat does not take change and stress as well as a younger cat. It can cause emotional and physical problems (as you have seen#.

Being prepared and knowledgeable about elderly cats will make things easier for the cat and for you. just for future reference I am including some very good links about elderly cats.
(Copy and paste, or type, the whole links into your address bar:)

http://www.sniksnak.com/resources/geriatric.html

http://www.messybeast.com/towards-end.htm

http://www.2ndchance.info/oldcat.htm

I hope it won't be for a long time, but if you need to put your poor kitty to sleep at some point, or lose her, here is an EXCELLENT site for emotional support, and where you can have a memorial for your kitty:
http://rainbowsbridge.com/hello.htm

A cat at 12 years old will slow down and sleep probably sleep more, especially when you are gone. A puppy will be energetic and wanting to play. It will be like getting a 5 year old playmate for 64 year old person. That wouldn't be fair to the puppy either. It would be better to get a kitten with the puppy because then they can grow up together and will naturally be friends and playmates. But that may send Jazmyne over the edge too. It also wouldn't be fair to the puppy if your parents are gone a lot and the pup is left home alone with just an elderly cat. It can then become destructive due to boredom.

Is it possible to bring the puppy home just to see how your cat will react without actually owning the puppy first? As long as the puppy is on a leash and can't chase the cat (which would be the worst thing) you could get a feel for how the cat will react. She may surprise you and take to it immediately, or she may attack the puppy and try to hurt it, or she may run and hide and not come out for a day or two.

here is an excerpt from an article by the Human Society:

"Introducing a New Dog to a Resident Cat

If you plan to bring a dog into a home with a resident cat, your best bet is, in most cases, a very young puppy, one too little to accomplish much barking or chasing of the cat. Although most cats recognize that an 8 week-old puppy isn't much of a threat, you will need to monitor their time together at first to guard against injury such as a slash across the puppy's eyes. It is possible to combine unfamiliar adult dogs and adult cats, but it may take a lot of work and time; it all depends on the personalities of the dog and cat. The following routine will maximize your chances for success in introducing a new dog to your cat:

(1) Before you attempt a face-to-face meeting, keep the animals separated and first let them get used to the smell of the other and be aware the other's presence in a non-threatening manner. Feed them closer and closer on opposite sides of the closed door separating their areas until they can eat calmly right next to the door. Hopefully, they will begin to associate the presence of the other animal with good things like eating. It would also be a good idea to begin teaching (or reviewing) some basic obedience commands ("sit," "down," "stay") to your new dog in preparation for the face-to-face meetings.

(2) Keep the first face-to-face meetings short and both animals controlled. One person should be with the leashed dog, commanding him to "sit" or "down" while the other person holds the cat on his/her lap on the other side of the room. If the dog behaves aggressively, he should be distracted by pulling on the lead or giving a command. Both animals should be praised and rewarded with special tidbits of food for calm behavior. Reward for good behavior is far better than punishment because you want the dog to associate pleasant things with the cat's presence. Gradually bring the two closer until they have the chance to investigate each other face-to-face. The behavior of the animals will tell you whether this will take one or many short sessions.

(3) If the cat and dog seem happy together in the controlled situation, the next step is to allow them loose in the room together, but be certain that the cat has an escape route or a safe place to hide in case the dog becomes excited. Keep them separated when you are gone until you are sure that they can get along. If this step does not go well, go back and spend more time on the earlier introductory stages.

Always be cautious and concerned for the safety of your cat and dog when introducing adult animals, even if they have previously had an amicable relationship with an individual of the other species."

I hope this helps. Personally, I agree with you and do not think a puppy (or other dog) would be good to get, but then again the cat may surprise you.

Tabbi