<p>We’ve always had cats in the house but are down to no kitties after having to put down 2 kitties in the past year. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, one of the cats had anxiety which led to a significant amount of marking inside the house. We have spent much time cleaning the marked areas to where our human noses cannot detect anything, but it’s likely another cat would still smell the markings. Longer term, we plan on replacing the affected carpet and furniture - but it will take some time for us to do this. </p>
<p>We talked about perhaps getting a female cat in the hope that the territorial markings of the male cat wouldn’t bother her - but I’m not sure if that would be the case.</p>
<p>Our vet recommended we get a dog - which was something we never really considered. She specifically recommended the King Charles Cavalier saying that they are very ‘cat-like’ (whatever that means!)</p>
<p>Hubby would rather not get any new pets right away, but I work from home and am very lonely without my fur baby companions. In addition, in a year, both kids will be in college away from home, which may be a bit difficult for me (understatement!!!)</p>
<p>I love the idea of having a dog (one who gives affection freely!) but I’m sure there are lots of pros and cons to having a dog that go beyond endless kisses (is this a pro or a con?)</p>
<p>Would love some advice or words of wisdom from pet owners out there as to whether you would recommend a dog or a cat (or two) at this stage of our lives. </p>
<p>I can completely empathize with this. I had a female cat like this who lived more than 20 years, about 18 of which I spent with this problem. After a lot of research, the consensus seemed to be that the best chance for 2 cats to co-habitate peacefully and without spraying are to get 1 male and 1 female around the same age. This is what I did - I got the first kitten about 2 months after the death of the other one, and the other kitten a month after that - both at 3-4 months of age. They are not related at all but get along fine and never seemed to notice or be bothered by any remaining odor buried in the carpet.</p>
<p>Getting 2 kittens from the same litter also usually works well.</p>
<p>I don’t know about the spaniels, but we had friends who said their retired racing greyhound (there’s an organization that places them once they are too old to compete) was totally cat-like in personality, including sleeping vast amounts of the day.</p>
<p>We lost our dog of almost 15 years in May, and as much as we loved her, I have to say that at this stage in our lives, not being tied to the needs of a dog is very beneficial. I’ll be out shopping, or we’ll be out with friends for the evening, and realize that there’s no need to rush home to let the dog out (something that had to be done more and more frequently as she aged), and frankly, it’s rather liberating. Dogs are demanding of your time and attention in ways that cats aren’t (have two of those, too), and you have to really ask yourself if you want those kind of demands made on you at this point in life. We’re quite content with just the cats (and can’t imagine ever not having at least two). I think this decision also rests on what you are seeking from a pet. Our cats are pretty affectionate, but they also will disappear for hours at a time, whereas our dog, until her napping increased significantly with age, was ever-present, often underfoot. But she also made us get off our duffs and go for a walk when we otherwise wouldn’t have, so I guess that was a good thing. I’ve heard dogs described as being like toddlers who never grow up. Me, I’m past toddler stage!</p>
<p>Perhaps you can “borrow” a vacationing friend’s dog for a week to suss out your reaction before making a commitment.</p>
<p>@headed2great, those who have had both cats and dogs as pets know they each have their distinct charms. Many folks expect cats to behave like dogs–which makes as little sense as expecting goldfish to act like parrots–and are disappointed when they don’t. Our cats are often comedians, stuffing themselves into unlikely spaces or wrestling with empty grocery bags (check out the Maru series on Youtube for a great example of this sort of behavior), chasing a laser toy light, or freaking out over some fresh catnip, and one of them will play fetch with a rubber band. And there is little more relaxing than a loudly purring cat napping next to you on the couch.</p>
<p>I rescued a dog just a year before my D (only child) went to college. As a single parent I was anticipating the “empty nest” in addition my own mother was dying, so I thought it would be excellent comfort for both D & me. It was the best decision I could have made…for the dog, my D and myself. He was lovely, affectionate (loved to sleep in, and knew how to spoon, in either direction!), and insisted on a good mile or more walk each and every evening, rain or shine, which forced me to get some needed exercise as well (win, win, win!). </p>
<p>It’s funny (ironic, not ha ha) this subject came up today as it was 3 years ago, today, that I had to put him to sleep. I miss him something fierce (still), but a year ago rescued a yellow lab. He to is lovely, but he is HUGE. I think he will be my last “big” dog. Definitely not my last dog!</p>
<p>I am really struggling with this myself. My youngest is leaving for college in 3 weeks :eek: and my dog is an aging lab, 12 years old and moving really slowly these days. I am a single parent, so unlike the OP there is no one to negotiate this with – just my decision. I alternate between thinking of getting a rescue dog (no puppy, I am gone at work during the day, and think it would be better to have a housebroken, beyond-chewing dog instead). But then I think of being able to take a class after work or out to dinner with a friend without going home to the dog, travel without boarding expenses, etc. I am really torn… I think I am going to give it a try without a pet for a year after the dog dies and then make a decision. Will I really live a more “free and unburdened” life without a dog? Or just come home to an empty house and wish there was someone there to greet me? Would a smaller dog be less work? I guess they are more portable, but poop is poop… and they still poop a couple of times a day, shed, eat, need vet visits, and can’t easily go on a plane. Gah. Wish I weren’t allergic to guinea pigs – I love them, and would definitely just get one or two of them if they didn’t make my eyes and nose run like a faucet.</p>
<p>I have a Japanese Chin (aka Japanese spaniel) and they are quite similar to the King Charles in looks, only smaller. I haven’t heard that the King Charles is cat like but Chins definitely are. </p>
<p>“This breed is considered one of the most cat-like of the dog breeds in attitude: it is alert, intelligent, and independent, and it uses its paws to wash and wipe its face. Other cat-like traits include their preference for resting on high surfaces such as the backs of sofas and chairs, their ability to walk across a coffee table without disturbing an item, and some of the surprising places their owners often find them in.”</p>
<p>I’m a cat person. I’ve done dog sitting, and, since I’ve never owned dogs, I was surprised to find how much more work dogs are than cats. I really don’t like the smell of dogs, either. </p>
<p>I’ve also heard that getting two kittens, one male/one female from the same litter works well. Make sure you get them neutered at a young enough age so the male doesn’t spray.</p>
<p>I have a 4-year-old neutered male indoor cat. We recently borrowed a friend’s kitten to see if we could adopt one, but our spoiled cat was not amused. In spite of his “personality” (he is a little bit crazy–maybe because he is part Siamese?) he provides endless entertainment and the whole family loves him. I wanted to be pet-free, but H let our kids get this kitten 4 years ago. Now I’m really glad to have him around-- I’m the one who takes care of him, so he will sit on MY lap, but no one else’s. If we travel, he is easy for a neighbor’s kid to take care of. And he can be left for a weekend.</p>
<p>If you’re definitely going to get a pet, I get a dog.</p>
<p>That being said, we had to put our dog down two years ago. Youngest kid was a college junior. The nest was pretty much empty. We decided against getting another dog.
The freedom has been wonderful. Now we can do things on the spur of the moment w/out always having to think about the dog. </p>
<p>My sister’s big dog died a couple of years ago. She said her next one would be much smaller (easy to pick up and toss in the car when going to her beach house). She agreed to wait awhile but couldn’t help herself. She went to the dog pound and fell in love with a big hyper dog and took him home. She loves him but I keep thinking…Dogs usually live at least t 10 years or so. She is 61 now. I can’t picture being 71 and handling a by then aging giant dog. I think it was all a reaction to the grief/loss of her dog. If she had given it more thought, she would have realized another big dog was not the best decision. BTW, she’s had rotator cuff surgery on both her shoulders!</p>
<p>We have always had multiples of each and I’ve never met a dog that was really like a cat. Dogs are a LOT more work and responsibility. If you’ve never owned a dog, be sure you know what you’re getting into prior to getting one. Maybe dogsit a friend’s dog for a weekend? Puppies require lots of time, training, and patience. Dogs require regular exercise and cannot/should not be left alone like a cat can. </p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong. I think dogs are great, we have four! But they are a huge commitment and I don’t like seeing anyone make the decision only to realize that it was a mistake. When the current bunch of furry friends goes, that’s it for us. My H is retired now and we travel a lot. The cost and worry of boarding is something I’ll be happy to see end. You really can’t make any kind of plan without first thinking of how it will affect the dogs. Even waking up in the morning and deciding you want to go out for the entire day on some adventure and stop somewhere nice for dinner? Nope, not with a dog.</p>
<p>We lost our dog in May and in a few weeks we will be empty nesters when my youngest starts college.</p>
<p>Yes, it has been freeing for my H and me to just pick up and leave when we want to go somewhere. But there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t almost buckle over from the grief of losing my Missy. She was absolutely a vital part of our family and there is a big emptiness in the house from not having her here. </p>
<p>All my life I was a cat person until her. Right now it’s hard to think of having another dog, but I know the day will come again when I will have another. I think I would rather have a bit less freedom as the love they give more than makes up for that.</p>
<p>Ditto. Our lab is 13.5 years old. Every morning when I get up I look over at her still body and wonder if she is dead. After I poke her with my foot, she startles awake and I sigh with relief. But lately she’s moving slower and slower and I’m wondering about her quality of life. I’m hoping she can hold on until D2 leaves for college in a couple of weeks as I think D2 will handle it better if she doesn’t have to witness the end. :(</p>
<p>Another one with older pets thinking through the options. I have a dog who was my hiking companion until old age caught up with him and he just isn’t comfortable going more than a few blocks. I also have two cats who have never given me any trouble and are very affectionate. I love my dog dearly and hate not having him along on my hikes, but he’s always been a lot of work and does make travelling much more difficult. I know that if I get another dog when he’s gone that I’ll be making a big commitment, and I don’t know if I want to do that.</p>
<p>We’ve always had cats but haven’t replaced our wonderful kitty when she died. The kids are out of the house and to tell the truth I’ve been enjoying no fur surfaces, no litter boxes and the ability to go somewhere on a moments notice.
I have a friend who just got a new dog when her kids went off to college and I suspect sometimes that she regrets the decision–I know her husband does but he just lets her do the work (he feels justified since he told her upfront that he did not want another dog at all). They travel fairly frequently so the dog is always a concern. And it’s another commitment for 10 years.<br>
My other friend’s life always circles round her dog–gotta get home to let it out, feed it etc.
I have thought about getting another cat but stomp on that idea pretty hard at the moment. Besides, I got spoiled with my last cat --she was special and I’m not sure I could replace her! I’ll probably wait a few more years until I get the travel bug out of my system to get another pet.</p>
<p>It actually is very freeing to be able to travel without having to worry about who will feed and water and care for any furry friend. Our bunnies died when S was away and D was getting ready to leave for college. We did NOT replace them and are glad, so we can travel at will. If you want to try FOSTERING kitties or dogs, that may be an option, to be sure you REALLY want to add that complication back into your lives. Just another thought to ponder.</p>
<p>Dogs are not that difficult caring for. Dogs can be boarded fairly easily or left with a friend if you are going away for a trip. What can really tie one down and are almost a full-time job are horses!</p>
<p>Dogs and cats aren’t the only pets! After our last guinea pig died (she was 8 years old), we were planning to be pet-free. But DH made the mistake of saying we should wait a week to make the decision, and that opened the door…within a month I’d adopted a new fuzzy friend. Ordinarily one should have at least two pigs because they’re so social, but since Carmela hated every pig the rescue tried to bond her with, they adopted her out as a single.
That’s a bummer. My son used to spend a lot of time in the recliner with a pig nestled up against his cheek, but then he started getting a rash whenever he touched a pig. Are you sure you’re allergic to the pigs themselves and not the hay or bedding?</p>
<p>I have been a cat person for my entire life , but in the last 3.5 years , I have been a corgi owner and I am so in love with this breed. We had a golden retriever , but to be honest with you, I never really bonded with her and she felt like a burden s she was always a handful . Not her fault , but she was not carefully matched with our family like the breeders of my corgis did.
We did have three , but one unexpectedly passed away. We have two now and they are such great companions and also fun sized
I still love cats , but I know that when our youngest goes off to college in a couple of years , we can take our dogs in our ( hopefully ) future motor home with us</p>
