Behaviour - cat and dog in same house - phantom pregnancy

ooompie5

We would like to get a cat but we have a terrier who hates cats so we haven't dared.

It would be war and somebody would get badly hurt.

But something I've been wondering about; almost always after she has her heat the terrier develops a phantom pregnancy for a few weeks and 'adopts' a toy or something as her baby.

If we were to introduce a kitten at this time, could it be that she would adopt it and accept it as a member of the house later?

Its probably too risky to try but just putting the idea out there in case anybody can throw some light, one way or the other.

aonb

Ive had terriers who got a 'red haze' where cats are concerned.
Two years ago, a litter of feral kittens were abandoned by their mother on our property. Only 1 kitten survived. I introduced her to our house with the terriers. The dogs went bonkers. I had to keep the kitten totally separate in a workshop. The kitten was tiny, feral and very weak, so food and the supply of food was all that concerned her so she tolerated me coming in/out many times/day. Once she was strong enough, I spent a week or more trying to handle her. Once she was happy to be handled, I started getting the dogs to accept her. It took at least 6 weeks. I spent time with her during the day in the workshop, but every evening, I took her into the house proper, and played with her for an hour or so, while the dogs could see her/me through a glass door. After a couple of more weeks, I would carry the kitten around the house, then I had a child-gate across the door, with the dogs on the other side. If anyone got too aggressive towards the cat, I would give out to them and tell them NO etc. Finally, when the cat was old enough, with the dogs on a leash for a few evenings while the kitten explored. Lots of cross words to any over-nosy dog. Lots of treats too. Once it was old enough, the cat lashed out at dog noses - turning point! At this stage the kitten is a very beautiful cat. One elderly terrier has since died, but the remaining terrier is great friends with the cat. She will snuggle up to him and lets him eat her food. So it is do-able with lots of patience.

As to your terrier in phantom pregnancy mode, definately worth a try if she tends to be more nurturing at that time, but Ive never had a bitch like that so dont know. Could you 'borrow' or foster a kitten to see how it would go?

AryaStark

ooompie5 wrote: »

We would like to get a cat but we have a terrier who hates cats so we haven't dared.

It would be war and somebody would get badly hurt.

But something I've been wondering about; almost always after she has her heat the terrier develops a phantom pregnancy for a few weeks and 'adopts' a toy or something as her baby.

If we were to introduce a kitten at this time, could it be that she would adopt it and accept it as a member of the house later?

Its probably too risky to try but just putting the idea out there in case anybody can throw some light, one way or the other.

My girl had a phantom pregnancy and she was really taken by a small sheep teddy. She loved it so much for the week or so the pregnancy lasted and was trying to nurse it and everything. She started to come around then and killed the teddy! She took it apart while playing one day - I was so happy as I had never experienced anything like the phantom pregnancy and I did not like it!

It would be terrible if something like that happened to the kitten.