Animal Welfare Professionals

For owner surrendered dogs that grew up with cats, would you adopt them out to a household with cats? I'm always paranoid. I've heard stories where cat friendly dog are adopted out and end up attacking the new owners cats. 

#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment

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Krystle Woodward
President/Founder
Paws/Pinky Paws Search & ResQ
CA
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We tell the adopters that the animal has previously lived with cats and did well but that doesn't mean you can just plop a dog in with your resident cats and it will go fine. You have to thoroughly instruct them on how to properly introduce cats to new animals and that it takes time. Cats should have a space that they can escape from the dog and proper introductions can take a few weeks. Send them home with a handout that explains all of this as well. After that anything that happens is out of your hands and the fault of the adopter for not doing what you told them to. If you want or need a copy of the hand outs we give to people at our shelter I would be happy to provide!

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Laurel Nelson
Cat Welfare Supervisor
Nebraska Humane Society
NE

Original Message:
Sent: 09-19-2024 09:40 PM
From: Krystle Woodward
Subject: Owner Surrenders previously raised with cats

For owner surrendered dogs that grew up with cats, would you adopt them out to a household with cats? I'm always paranoid. I've heard stories where cat friendly dog are adopted out and end up attacking the new owners cats. 

#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment

------------------------------
Krystle Woodward
President/Founder
Paws/Pinky Paws Search & ResQ
CA
------------------------------

I would love to get a copy of instructions for introducing cats to new dog. Can you email it to me or post it here? Thank you.

We tell the adopters that the animal has previously lived with cats and did well but that doesn't mean you can just plop a dog in with your resident cats and it will go fine. You have to thoroughly instruct them on how to properly introduce cats to new animals and that it takes time. Cats should have a space that they can escape from the dog and proper introductions can take a few weeks. Send them home with a handout that explains all of this as well. After that anything that happens is out of your hands and the fault of the adopter for not doing what you told them to. If you want or need a copy of the hand outs we give to people at our shelter I would be happy to provide!

------------------------------
Laurel Nelson
Cat Welfare Supervisor
Nebraska Humane Society
NE

Original Message:
Sent: 09-19-2024 09:40 PM
From: Krystle Woodward
Subject: Owner Surrenders previously raised with cats

For owner surrendered dogs that grew up with cats, would you adopt them out to a household with cats? I'm always paranoid. I've heard stories where cat friendly dog are adopted out and end up attacking the new owners cats. 

#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment

------------------------------
Krystle Woodward
President/Founder
Paws/Pinky Paws Search & ResQ
CA
------------------------------

I've attached the flyers our organization gives for cat to cat intros, dog to dog intros, and dog to cat intros.

I would love to get a copy of instructions for introducing cats to new dog. Can you email it to me or post it here? Thank you.

We tell the adopters that the animal has previously lived with cats and did well but that doesn't mean you can just plop a dog in with your resident cats and it will go fine. You have to thoroughly instruct them on how to properly introduce cats to new animals and that it takes time. Cats should have a space that they can escape from the dog and proper introductions can take a few weeks. Send them home with a handout that explains all of this as well. After that anything that happens is out of your hands and the fault of the adopter for not doing what you told them to. If you want or need a copy of the hand outs we give to people at our shelter I would be happy to provide!

------------------------------
Laurel Nelson
Cat Welfare Supervisor
Nebraska Humane Society
NE

Original Message:
Sent: 09-19-2024 09:40 PM
From: Krystle Woodward
Subject: Owner Surrenders previously raised with cats

For owner surrendered dogs that grew up with cats, would you adopt them out to a household with cats? I'm always paranoid. I've heard stories where cat friendly dog are adopted out and end up attacking the new owners cats. 

#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment

------------------------------
Krystle Woodward
President/Founder
Paws/Pinky Paws Search & ResQ
CA
------------------------------