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How to Raise Your New Puppy in a Cat Family The Complete Guide to a Happy Pet-Filled Home
Everyone dreams of bringing home a new puppy and watching them romp around the living room. But, for some households this can be a complex process especially when you already have cats in the home that are used to their own space and way of doing things. Teaching your puppy to play nicely with existing cats and the cats to treat the puppy like a new member of the household can be nerve-racking in those first few critical days for this very reason, every family should have the necessary tools in hand to help make the transition. This book has been written to provide the guided, carefully outlined approach every family needs when bringing a puppy home into a cat family for the first time. You will learn how cats approach other species and what warning signs to look out for in both your cats and your puppy. You will learn about how to handle your puppy s playful tendencies, especially for larger breeds that might hurt a cat. You will learn what you can do to separate your animals when needed and how long to allow them to interact each day. You will learn all of the basics of multi-pet care, from the essentials of their daily needs with water, food, and outdoor care to their attention related needs each day. Hundreds of hours of interviews have been conducted with experts throughout the pet field and their advice has been compiled here to provide a comprehensive perspective on how you should approach your multi-pet home. You will learn what it takes to choose the right puppy to get along with your cats and what specific issues might arise between the two. You will learn the 10 most common myths that are propagated about dog/cat relations and how some of them can come true if you are not careful. For anyone looking to bring home their first puppy to join one or more cats, this book is for you.
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 31, 2010
8 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Jackie Sonnenberg
19 books63 followersJackie Sonnenberg has a background in journalism and creative writing. She wrote for local newspapers in both print and online before publishing books. She wrote and published three requested reference titles under Atlantic Publishing on business, housing, and pet care. She indie published her first novel ALL THAT GLITTERS before diving into the right genre for her...
"semhyR yresruN" is the name of her growing standalone collection writing horror stories based on, of course, the classic Nursery Rhymes.
She is an active member in the horror community as a haunted house actor thriving on every Halloween season, where she creates original characters to go with given themes and settings. She uses her knack for character development to bring them to life on paper, and in person, with original costuming. She is known for interacting with people in character at conventions at events to promote her books.
She lives in Orlando, FL where she is surrounded by creativity and imagination.
https://www.jackiesonnenberg.com
Sign up for author newsletter: http://www.jackiesonnenberg.com/conta...
Follow her social media platforms here:
http://www.facebook.com/authorjackies...
Twitter and Instagram: sonnenbooks
"semhyR yresruN" is the name of her growing standalone collection writing horror stories based on, of course, the classic Nursery Rhymes.
She is an active member in the horror community as a haunted house actor thriving on every Halloween season, where she creates original characters to go with given themes and settings. She uses her knack for character development to bring them to life on paper, and in person, with original costuming. She is known for interacting with people in character at conventions at events to promote her books.
She lives in Orlando, FL where she is surrounded by creativity and imagination.
https://www.jackiesonnenberg.com
Sign up for author newsletter: http://www.jackiesonnenberg.com/conta...
Follow her social media platforms here:
http://www.facebook.com/authorjackies...
Twitter and Instagram: sonnenbooks
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 19, 2024
My partner and I are considering getting a puppy. We have two cats currently. This was the only book in Seattle Public Library system that addressed this particular issue, and I wanted to read something to figure out if we are up for the challenge of getting a puppy.
TL;DR…I finished the book and still am not sure.
More details:
There was some useful stuff around setting up your home/training/first introductions, and A LOT of information around potential illnesses (and also a weirdly anti-vax slant that I wasn’t expecting??). The author also included a lot of testimonials from other people with both cats and dogs in their homes. But it felt like much of this book was hedging, with sentence structured like, “in order to avoid X, do Y, but some puppies actually kind of like Y, so it might *encourage* X.” I understand that all cats and dogs are in fact individual creatures with their own personalities and quirks so there are no guarantees, but the consistent qualifying made me feel unsure if I could trust the author.
Most of my big takeaways aligned with 1) what I already knew from raising a dog as a child and 2) stuff I had read online about introducing our older cat to the younger cat years ago.
But also…it was an easy read, prompted a lot of good conversation with my partner about this potential puppy, and it got me my “Borrowed from the Library” square on Book Bingo, so overall not a bad experience.
TL;DR…I finished the book and still am not sure.
More details:
There was some useful stuff around setting up your home/training/first introductions, and A LOT of information around potential illnesses (and also a weirdly anti-vax slant that I wasn’t expecting??). The author also included a lot of testimonials from other people with both cats and dogs in their homes. But it felt like much of this book was hedging, with sentence structured like, “in order to avoid X, do Y, but some puppies actually kind of like Y, so it might *encourage* X.” I understand that all cats and dogs are in fact individual creatures with their own personalities and quirks so there are no guarantees, but the consistent qualifying made me feel unsure if I could trust the author.
Most of my big takeaways aligned with 1) what I already knew from raising a dog as a child and 2) stuff I had read online about introducing our older cat to the younger cat years ago.
But also…it was an easy read, prompted a lot of good conversation with my partner about this potential puppy, and it got me my “Borrowed from the Library” square on Book Bingo, so overall not a bad experience.
June 16, 2018
Poorly written and badly organized (a section of one chapter is copied word-for-word into another chapter,) this book still provided some information about introducing a new puppy into your cat-having home. If you read this, though, beware! Some of the 'information' is questionable and I would double-check anything that seems odd to you.
I'm going to see if I can find a better book on this subject because I have two wonderful, sweet, and well-behaved cats and I'm researching what type of dog I might want to get. I want to be sure that I am able to have everything I need to make it a smooth transition and end up with three happy pets.
I'm going to see if I can find a better book on this subject because I have two wonderful, sweet, and well-behaved cats and I'm researching what type of dog I might want to get. I want to be sure that I am able to have everything I need to make it a smooth transition and end up with three happy pets.
May 29, 2012
This book was a bit more general that I imagined it would be, but I'm still leaving it on my e-reader to deal with any problems or questions that my crop up.
The author tosses in quite a bit of basic cat- and dog- care information, which may be of help to first-time owners of either species. As a life-long cat person, I will say that the first puppy comes with a lot of unexpected changes from the feline way of doing things.
I was pleased to see that the author talks about puppy mills, specifically warning about purchasing dogs from pet stores. She suggests animal shelters and rescue groups and tips for finding a more humane breeder.
And while the author wisely advises readers on what dog breeds to choose for maximum chances for success in a cat family, she undercuts herself by giving space to quotes from random dog owners, which include potentially dangerous claims such as, "Every single dog can be taught to get along with a cat." and "Breeds that are normally seen to be aggressive are only aggressive because they are trained that way." One doesn't have to be an expert in canine behavior to recognize how silly these statements are. There is a small minority of dogs who can't even be trusted to be safe with human beings--let alone cats. And a dog's prey drive is influenced by not only training, but also breed, genetics, and history--and dogs who have been bred for thousands of years to chase down and kill other animals aren't simply going to change because you want them to play nice with Kitty. Smart cat owners will research dog breeds before choosing one to bring into their home.
The author tosses in quite a bit of basic cat- and dog- care information, which may be of help to first-time owners of either species. As a life-long cat person, I will say that the first puppy comes with a lot of unexpected changes from the feline way of doing things.
I was pleased to see that the author talks about puppy mills, specifically warning about purchasing dogs from pet stores. She suggests animal shelters and rescue groups and tips for finding a more humane breeder.
And while the author wisely advises readers on what dog breeds to choose for maximum chances for success in a cat family, she undercuts herself by giving space to quotes from random dog owners, which include potentially dangerous claims such as, "Every single dog can be taught to get along with a cat." and "Breeds that are normally seen to be aggressive are only aggressive because they are trained that way." One doesn't have to be an expert in canine behavior to recognize how silly these statements are. There is a small minority of dogs who can't even be trusted to be safe with human beings--let alone cats. And a dog's prey drive is influenced by not only training, but also breed, genetics, and history--and dogs who have been bred for thousands of years to chase down and kill other animals aren't simply going to change because you want them to play nice with Kitty. Smart cat owners will research dog breeds before choosing one to bring into their home.
February 14, 2016
If you are excited about bringing your new puppy home, your cat probably has a different opinion. How to Raise Your New Puppy in a Cat Family: The Complete Guide to a Happy, Pet-Filled Home is aimed for families who want to bring a puppy into a cat’s environment. Do you remember those old cartoons where the dogs and cats do not get along? Well, that was just a myth. Cats and dogs can get a long in a household. If your cat is already set in its ways, then it will take some time for the cat to adjust to having a dog in the home.
The author list different dog breeds, and which ones are more suitable for a family. The early chapters give guidelines to make sure you get the right dog for your family. You might have to take things slow at first. Let the animals meet and see how they react, then, slowly move the puppy into the home. Keep a close eye on your cat’s behavior. They are very emotional and may not understand why another animal is in their home.
I am a cat lover, so I was eager to review the book, and I was surprised to find many cat tips through it. I also did not realize how much responsibility it would be for me to have a dog in the house. After finishing the book, I would have to say I would never keep a puppy and a cat in the same household. It would be too much stress on the animals, and especially on me.
The author list different dog breeds, and which ones are more suitable for a family. The early chapters give guidelines to make sure you get the right dog for your family. You might have to take things slow at first. Let the animals meet and see how they react, then, slowly move the puppy into the home. Keep a close eye on your cat’s behavior. They are very emotional and may not understand why another animal is in their home.
I am a cat lover, so I was eager to review the book, and I was surprised to find many cat tips through it. I also did not realize how much responsibility it would be for me to have a dog in the house. After finishing the book, I would have to say I would never keep a puppy and a cat in the same household. It would be too much stress on the animals, and especially on me.
June 7, 2015
This book did a good job of easing some of my fears about bringing a puppy into an all cat house. It explained what to expect and I think is a good resource to help pet owners manage their expectations on how interactions between the new pet and current pets might be.
I don't think it's a great guide for training your new puppy, it only scratches the surface on positive reinforcement type training activities and in some instances it's a little off base in what it's saying. If you're looking for a good book on training look elsewhere. And I did find the pet owner anecdotes a little strange since some of them flew in the face of what the author was saying for pet introductions and the like, so I'd ignore those, but otherwise it was a great resource for what to expect from your cat and your new pup.
I don't think it's a great guide for training your new puppy, it only scratches the surface on positive reinforcement type training activities and in some instances it's a little off base in what it's saying. If you're looking for a good book on training look elsewhere. And I did find the pet owner anecdotes a little strange since some of them flew in the face of what the author was saying for pet introductions and the like, so I'd ignore those, but otherwise it was a great resource for what to expect from your cat and your new pup.
August 7, 2011
While it didn't quite provide the guidance I had been looking for, this book has all kinds of information regarding caring for both dogs and cats and is an easy read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews