I really want to get a kitten....

[sandrajo]

I have 2 small dogs. Would it be okay for me to introduce a 4 week old kitten into the home?

[snow.maiden]

depends on whether your dogs are good with cats to begin with.

[tiggerblue10]

Have your dogs been around cats before?

[wildwood]

A 4 week old kitten? That should still be with its mother!

[gelda]

That's what I was thinking Wildwood!

[Nosha123]

a 4 week old kitten needs to be kept with the mother for feeding and training purposes.. a kitten separated too early is likely to need a high amount of attention and may have behavioural problems! We didn't get our kittens until they were 12 weeks old - which is later than some... but they are both really well trained and lovely natured animals.
The mother would also train the kitten to use litter trays too - so a four week old kitten would be too young to understand this and would pee or poo everywhere it's not meant to!!! Personally I think it is cruel to separate the mother and kitten too young

[LoftyLottie]

There may be a reason for bringing a 4 week kitten into the home. I have actually reared kittens from as young as 10 days when, for one reason or another ,they have had to be separated from their mother, or abandoned. So don't assume sandrajo is doing the wrong thing.

Keep the kitten separate from the dogs at first unless you are holding it, when you can safely introduce it to the dogs but letting them sniff it and get accustomed to its scent and being in the house. Keep it in a different room in a small box with plenty of bedding and a cat litter tray. At this age it should be fed small amounts regularly and should be fed a mixture of milk substitute (available from the vets) mixed with a small amount of mashed cat food. Give it as much of your time as possible.

As it gets older and grows stronger and bigger then increase the time it has with the dogs (but still supervise strictly). In time most dogs (unless they are known cat haters) will accept cats as part of the family. I have always successfully kept dogs and cats together with no problems.
It just needs common sense.

Good luck sandrajo.

[LoftyLottie]

I agree with the others though that a kitten ideally should remain with its mother at least until they are nine weeks old.

[echokilo]

No - it's not OK (unless it's orphaned and you are hand rearing it) as it needs to be with it's mother for several more weeks, as the others have already said. Please take care, or you will have a cat with "issues"

[Kleiber]

i agree with the other answers re the age of the kitten, but in introducing a kitten (in general) to a home that has 2 dogs, you have to consider a few things :
Do your dogs usually get on with cats? Have they ever met one, in fact? Are they boisterous dogs or relatively quiet? Remember, small dogs can cause as much damage to a little kitten as large ones can and often can be more feisty! What breed are your dogs? Personally, I wouldn't get a cat if I had any sort of terrier - it's in their nature to kill small, furry animals and a young kitten may not be able to escape their attentions as well as an adult cat could. It's better to start with a cat and thenget the dogs later (although I know that's too late for you, sandrajo). Dogs & cats can get on really well - I've got a GSD and a collie and 5 cats. To be honest, sandrajo, I'd think twice about it, if I were you. K

[LoftyLottie]

Hi Kleiber, I have two terriers who are both absolutely great with cats and one of them wouldn't even notice a rabbit if it walked under his nose! ;o). The cat in our house is definitely their boss.

I have introduced kittens as young as one week with no problem, but I have been very, very careful. No way would I have left them alone with a very young kitten.

[Kleiber]

Hi, LoftyLottie - I'm glad that your terriers are good with cats. My friends' Jack Russell is lovely, too and gets on well with their cat, although they had the cat first, so he was naturally the boss (still is!). I wasn't branding all terriers as cat murderers, as obviously there are some who are great with their feline friends, it's just that I'd be a bit wary as I said, depending on the dogs themselves. K

[LoftyLottie]

Hi Kleiber, I agree with you - it depends on the dog. I was just being light hearted.

However, a lot of people get terriers because they are small and think they will be easier to handle - how wrong they are. They would be better off with a Lab. Most terriers have bags of energy and loads of character and really do need good handling. With the right owners they make loving, amusing and wonderful pets.

[Kleiber]

Yes, LoftyLottie, my German Shepherd is a big softie & loves all her cats (you should see them together - the cats rub round her nose and she snuggles up to them, it's lovely to watch!) the collie thinks they're miniature sheep and tries to round them up - they tolerate it for a while, then turn round & swipe him with their paws and he looks so upset! Sandrajo - don't get a collie if you're going to get a cat!! K xx

[LoftyLottie]

We hada lovely old cross German Shepherd/Hound. A great big softy. I hand reared a kitten from about one week old and the dog was so very gentle and loving with her. To see her hanging off the dogs bottom lip with whilst he walked around (ouch) was amazing. Both are sadly departed this world now. I hope they are together somewhere!