Holy crap it's complicated at times. 2 weeks ago, my mom bought a 2 year old female dog (English pitbull I think...). She's really nice and really affectionate.

http://">

However, the 2 cats are having a real hard time adapting. They have been living here, alone, for the past 6 years or so. Rubby spends 90% of her time in the corner of the office desk. She barely eats and she's ALWAYS on the lookout for the dog. And to make matters worse, I was the only one who Rubby was affectionate with and since I move out due to my posting with the army to another province, things have been even harder. My mother was telling me that she spent a few weeks (before we got the dog) sitting in front on my old bedroom door waiting for me. I would of brought her with me but I can't.

http://
">

Calvin, on the other hand, is handling the dog a little better. He now basically ignores her, and in return she ignores him, except when they eat. The dog wants the cats food and viceversa. So my mom now feeds the cat on top of some dresser.

http://">

Everytime I come back home I feel like im at a zoo!

I would like to hear any tips or stories you guys might have about your cats and dogs living together.

awww the new dog and your cats are so adorable!

My family has had one dog and 2-4 cats for the past eight years or so. The dog, Mike, lived outside for the first five years of his life, and since then has been mostly an inside dog. We had three cats when he first moved in, two of which were totally ok with him; but my cat, Teddy did NOT approve of that big, smelly, slobbery thing in HIS house and hid a lot. When he did see Mike he hissed at him, and Mike also felt that he needed to referee the cats--whenever we scolded them for something he went after them. Eventually, they all got used to each other, like I think your cats will do in time. The only piece of advice I have is to make sure that cats always come first. Mike weighs 110 pounds and could easily kill a cat if he got too rambunctious during play or snapped at one, so we always make sure he knows that the cats are the bosses, not him. I think it would be better for him to submit to the cats, so if there's ever an instance where it's him or the cat to be scolded, it's gonna be the dog who gets in trouble. I think it's a good idea to feed the cats up high, not only so the dog can't get their food but also so that they'll feel safe.

The people I got both of my cats from were raising a big family of cats (three generations' worth at one point), and one very friendly pitbull. The kittens were comfortable around a dog but not the older cats. Over time, though, they will adapt, and at least be civil to each other.