HELP! Introducing Frenchie to an attention-hogging kitty!

[nancyp]

I have an awesome orange & white male tabby (Jake) who is the most people friendly; dog-like cat I have ever seen. He constantly follows me around, sits on me (or my husband) whenever he can, is a big 'talker', comes and greets us at the door every time we get home, tries to eat food off our plates, and basically smothers me with his love every night in our bed as we try to sleep. He's about 13 yrs old now, but you'd never know it - super healthy and spunky.

The problem... we want to get a French bulldog puppy! Does anyone have any experience with Frenchies and cats? (especially very attention-hogging cats?) I have lots of info that I've found on the best ways to 'introduce' dogs and cats slowly... but would appreciate any tips or tricks if you guys have them....esp as they relate to Frenchies.

My two main concerns - 1) I don't want my kitty (or the new pup) to get too upset with us and 2) my kitty still has his claws. So I'm nervous that he might gouge out a puppy eye! (esp since Frenchies do have bulging eyes that are prone to injury)

Any help would be appreciated!!!
Thanks,
~Nancy

[franp]

Welcome Nancy,

First let me tell you that my cats were 6 years old when I got Dari; both had claws and both were/are very spoiled...

My (late)Butc was a Bobcat Hybid and CCkaht is a Lynx Hybrid..

The key to having a happy home is making sure that the cat has a place to get away from a playful pup..I have a 6foot tall cat tree with platforms that my cats could climb up into.

Dari did try play; the cats were standoffish at first.. Patience and caution were needed..Now we have a happy home..Giving attention to both and providing safe space is key.

In six years NEVER have either of my cats drawn claws on my dog.. In fact they have hit her on the head with a paw.You can hear the leather of the pad as it hits her hard Frenchie skull..And Dari learned early on to respect them.As a matter of fact the ONLY living things she respects is my cat(s)..

Nancy, Frenchies do NOT have bulgy eyes...maybe puppymill or byb dogs do..but no well bred Frenchie I have seen has ever had eyes that bulged..

[ashley1135]

I recently got a baby frenchie and have had my 2 cats for years. The cats are my babies and I was/am really worried about them feeling ousted. Before I got Sulley (my pup), I had even built this elaborate system of ramps around my ceiling for the cats to run on. Talk about spoiled!! The cats are glad to have those ramps now that Sulley is here.

My cats are much much more standoffish than yours sounds. If my cats didn't run away from Sulley, I think we wouldn't have any problems...but mine sprint off every time the dog gets close, so he wants to chase them. He really doesn't mean any harm to them at all and just wants to play. They're scared to death of his energy and just give him a good smack w/ a paw if he gets too close. You cat sounds like he would be more tolerant of puppy antics. We're still trying to work out a hierarchy in our house. From what I understand, there are tons of harmonious Frenchie/cat homes am I'm sure yours will be one of them. Hope mine is too someday!

[nancyp]

Thanks very much for the stories and advice, Fran & Ashley!
That makes me feel better about bringing a Frenchie pup into my home (and my cat's home)
(BTW - I didn't mean 'bulging' in a negative way - I've just read on the various AKC and doggie sites that they do have eyes that are prone to injury...)

Thanks again! I look forward to learning more about Frenchies (have been doing my homework and research) and then posting on this forum once we have our new addition!
~Nancy

[franp]

NancyP,
There is a wealth of information on how to find a reputable breed here.. One of my favorite sites is www.frogdog.org. This site will tell you how to differentiate a broker/importer/backyarder/puppymiller...from a reputable breeder.. And these people are getting smarter everyday.. The "catch phrase" from champion lines" hot button...That is NOT the same as from a Champion.....

Please ask away..And read this site...as well as the reference I gave you.. I am with FBRN... I see way too many dogs come in from places that never should have been open..

and again..Frenchies with "injury prone eyes"...???that comes as a surprise to me..
Anyone on the board familar with this??

[cookiesmug]

Nancy,

Fran is right that a properly-bred Frenchie does not have bulging eyes, those are reserved for Pugs, Pekingese, or Bostons. :lol: (I have a Boston myself)
I think "eyes prone to injury" probably means these Frenchies have a very flat face and do not have a longer muzzle, like most other breeds do, to protect their eyes when something comes too close to the face.

[Kirby]

We too have a 10 year old, 20 pound male cat who very much liked being the only animal in the house prior to our pups arrival. I could tell there was some jealousy brewing up when Kirby (4 mos at the time) first arrived. The first few introductions were at the cat's discretion. We put Kirby in the playpen and let the cat come over and sniff him. Mostly, we kept the cat in a separate part of the apartment for the first few days and after that we introduced them was Kirby was very sleepy so that he would not get overexcited. On the fourth day I had Kirby in my lap and the cat came over and nugded him on the head a couple of times. I knew from then on that they would become good friends.

Little by little we let them interact more and more. It was scary at first as we were worried about eyeball injuries too (I have heard horror stories) and bites etc. At this point still at a month later, Kirby is not good at determining when the cat has had enough wrestling so I do have to step in, often with a water bottle and a "Be Nice" command. Supervision is a must! Believe it or not, it is the cat who now instigates a lot of the playtime between them but it is not uncommon to find them both lying on the floor nearby each other either. And just this morning, I had the two of them lying on my stomach for an early morning snuggle. I was so happy! appicon

If you are really concerned about your cat injuring your puppy I strongly recommend looking into a product like "Soft Paws" for cats http://www.softpaws.com/ or trimming kitty's nails really well. Our cat tends to be more of a biter and if he does take a swipe it is rarely with claws extended. Oh, and another added bonus to crating your dog is safety from a jealous cat at nighttime evilicon

[French lady]

Introduced a new puppy into my family 3 months ago. I have 3 cats and 2 other FB. The cats stay away from the puppy for the most part. Yes, he will try to play with them if they wander into the room he is in, but he is just too much for them. They have many escapes routes to take and they do take them. Sometimes he is too much for the older FB, so I must save them from him too. Slowly everyone is learning to live together peacefully.

[imogene]

In December my husband and I introduce our FB into a house with two 8 yearold cats - I have tried my best to let them work it out. We have taught the puppy "No Chase" which stops her from running at the cats. And we keep the cats claws clipped just incase. For the most part the cats avoid the dog by hiding in our room - I have started closing them out of that room, in hopes that they will be more social and get used to the puppy. They seem to be settling down. Gabriel our AbbyX is much better with the puppy, and will look for her and play with her a bit. Lucifer (our Siamese) still hisses a bit, and he still runs away. I am so happy that No Chase is working, because now the cats will spend time on the floor. Sometimes I feel stretched a little thin - Belzie is very demanding, and Lucifer is very determined to make up any missed attention - once Belzie is asleep or in her crate.

Just make sure not to give the puppy all the attention and you should be okay. Rembemer you can't controll the cat, but you can contol the dog and you should be fine.

[J20]

Hi
Hope this helps. We have 2 very pampered cats Kitty who is 18 and Poppy 15.
When we decided to get our Frenchie we looked up the web etc for advice and it did say that 9 times out of 10 it was easier to bring in a dog to a cat home than the other way around.
When we brought Monty home he was 12 weeks old. I placed him on the floor and Kitty being the nosey one came and sniffed him. When he turned to look at her she hissed and puffed up :eek: In his playful way he still went up to her and she just spat and ran off. From then on she just spit every time he went near and one day he went to chase after her and before I could stop him, I heard a loud squeal and ran out to find him as I always worried about his eyes. Before i got there this little white fat puppy caming running past me with this cat chasing him. I picked him up to look at him because of the noise and found a shell off the cats claw in his rear end by his tail.:lol: Since then the cats rule. Monty will even sit and wait for them to finish eating HIS dinner before going to finish off what is left. The other cat just spat every time she saw him and took up residence in our bedroom for about 3 weeks and only came out at night or when Monty was asleep. It depends on the cat, but it does take time and now 13 months on they get along fine but they still spit at him but will share the sofa. If your worried about your pups eyes, I do believe they sell goggles for dogs:lol: As i said it takes time and they will work it out between them just don't make to much fuss of your new arrival, as your cat was there first. If you stop your pup from the start and tell him NO when he goes to chase the cat then all should be ok! (well eventually):lol: only joking

[J20]

NancyP,
There is a wealth of information on how to find a reputable breed here.. One of my favorite sites is www.frogdog.org. This site will tell you how to differentiate a broker/importer/backyarder/puppymiller...from a reputable breeder.. And these people are getting smarter everyday.. The "catch phrase" from champion lines" hot button...That is NOT the same as from a Champion.....

Please ask away..And read this site...as well as the reference I gave you.. I am with FBRN... I see way too many dogs come in from places that never should have been open..

and again..Frenchies with "injury prone eyes"...???that comes as a surprise to me..
Anyone on the board familar with this??

My lovely boy is a show dog, but he has had a few near misses with my cats.
Before we dicovered the wonderful Frenchie we were looking at Pugs, and the eye thing did put us off, but against a cat i do not think any dog regardless off breed or quality would come off to well against a Cat on a mission:lol:

[Deanna67]

NancyP,
There is a wealth of information on how to find a reputable breed here.. One of my favorite sites is www.frogdog.org. This site will tell you how to differentiate a broker/importer/backyarder/puppymiller...from a reputable breeder.. And these people are getting smarter everyday.. The "catch phrase" from champion lines" hot button...That is NOT the same as from a Champion.....

Please ask away..And read this site...as well as the reference I gave you.. I am with FBRN... I see way too many dogs come in from places that never should have been open..

and again..Frenchies with "injury prone eyes"...???that comes as a surprise to me..
Anyone on the board familar with this??



My wonderful puppy has bulgie eyes but that is because she is half Boston Terrier also :)