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Permalink Reply by Geri & Sidney on February 10, 2009 at 2:20am

Hi Amanda!
Oh my gosh, Isabella is one of the cutest corgis I have ever seen! She's a doll!

We brought Sidney home when he was nearly 6 months old. He had already learned his manners, was housebroken and knew a few basic commands. It did not take him long at all to completely bond with our family. He's been a great addition to our family.

We also have 2 cats. Hamilton is very old, about 16 years old. He is very affectionate and my shadow-cat. Pippin is about 5 and is more aloof, not much of a lap cat at all.

One reason we wanted to add a corgi to our family is because we had heard they got along great with cats. It has been true in our case. They DO interact; Sid tries to herd them, but using his nose-poke technique, not with nipping. Sid will maintain a respectful distance from the old cat but will play-chase the younger cat. In return Pippin will get up on a chair or table and give Sidney a playful swat as he goes by. It's fun to watch the two play.

I think it would be quite normal for your cats to be wary, or even hide, for the first day or two, while they get acclimated to Isabella. What we did was, during Sidney's first few days with us, was to restrict him to one room with a baby gate. The cats could see and smell him, but they avoid him as well. After the cats got used to the sight and smell of Sidney, we let them mingle. They get along great now.

Here is a picture of Sidney and Hamilton having a nap together:

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Permalink Reply by Amanda & Tuck on February 10, 2009 at 8:56am

Thank you Geri -I love that picture! Corgi's always look so cute when they sleep. Thanks for sharing your experience. It does make me feel better to hear how well things can work out. Hopefully if I stay positive and take things slow they will do fine as well. It's good that Sidney knew to give Hamilton a bit more space. I think my younger cat would be thrilled to have someone else to run around with just not sure about the older one!

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Permalink Reply by Stephanie & Lola on February 10, 2009 at 2:47am

Welcome Amanda!! When we first brought Lola home to meet Buddy our cat (who has since passed), Lola ran right up to him and he swatted her right on her nose! I broke into tears thinking my little kitty would hate the puppy forever!! It took a few days for Buddy to get used to Lola but when I got home one night from work I found them cuddled on the bed together and it was the best thing I have ever seen!! I was so happy! It took them a while but they eventually loved each other. When Buddy passed away, he was only 2 years old, Lola cried and slept under the couch for about a week. But she always sat on my lap when I cried. Your cats will take awhile to get along with the puppy. and they will still need their space. Also you need to keep the cat food and little box away from the puppy!! haha those are delicious snacks =)

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Permalink Reply by Amanda & Tuck on February 10, 2009 at 9:01am

That is so sweet that you found them curled up together! Definitely gives my some hope. I am sorry to hear about Buddy leaving you when he was so young. I am glad Lola was a good companion and little support system for you. They have big hearts! Thanks Stephanie :)

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Permalink Reply by Geri & Sidney on February 10, 2009 at 3:09am

Stephanie brings up a very important point. If you don't already, feed the kitties up on a counter or table where Isabella can't reach. Cat food is really bad for dogs, and if the kitty food is on the ground, Isabella will find a way to get to it.

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Permalink Reply by Amanda & Tuck on February 10, 2009 at 9:08am

I think I am going to move the food into the spare bedroom where the litterbox is and gate off the room - so hopefully that will solve those problems!

How did both of you go about separating the dog and the cat(s) when you weren't home. If you crated the dog did you put the crate in a separate room with a closed door or out in the open where the cats could see the dog? If you didn't crate did you just put a baby gate between them or were they completely closed off from each other? I will be sure to keep the cats nails trimmed but i am not sure how much caution to take when i am not around. I don't want the pup to feel too isolated when I am at work.

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Permalink Reply by Tauna and Kota on February 10, 2009 at 7:09am

she is soooo cute, i do not have any advice for you, sorry. but wanted to let you know she is beautiful and hope everythign works out well.

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Permalink Reply by Amanda & Tuck on February 10, 2009 at 9:09am

Thanks :) I hope so too!

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Permalink Reply by Geri & Sidney on February 10, 2009 at 11:29am

When we are not home, Sidney is gated off to the upstairs loft. We put the gate at the bottom of the stairs, so he can still visit with the other 2 dogs and the cats. We gate him off because he is still relatively young (18 months) and the other 2 dogs are 14 years old. Sometimes the younger cat will jump the gate and go upstairs. If SId wants to play and Pippin does not, then the cat will just jump up on a window ledge or furniture to stay out of Sidney's way. We've never had any fights between dogs and cats, other than a "back off" warning tap on the nose given by the cat.

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Permalink Reply by Paula Hess on February 10, 2009 at 12:53pm

Hello Amanda! We have 4 cats with totally different personalities and Wookie (our 7 month old corgi) is still alive. LOL
He has watched our Australian Sheperd groom the kitties and has also picked up the chore of grooming them. Some times it ends up to be a cleaning festival. Our other 2 cats are indifferent to being bothered by dogs, so they hiss and swat. Wookie sometimes jumps and tries to get them to play but, they will have none of it. Life goes on and everyone still has all their eyes. They all need time to get used to each other. Crating your pup is a good safety measure when you are not there weather you have kitties or not. Good Luck! Keep us posted.

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Permalink Reply by Paula Hess on February 10, 2009 at 12:54pm

Oh Dear, that is one cute little darling!

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Permalink Reply by Jamey Osborn on February 10, 2009 at 2:38pm

I just adopted my first dog, a 4-year-old male pembroke corgi, from a local shelter. I was also very concerned about my cat's reaction, and was feeling guilty for bringing another pet home. One difference from your situation is the age of both pets. My cat is about 7 years old. But like your cats she also is quite social, with us and strangers.

It's been two weeks now, and she is settling in with the dog. There was quite a bit of hissing the first few days. She has only swatted at the dog once. She had taken to sleeping/hiding upstairs, but she's showing her face a bit more in the past few days.

Luckily our dog (Toki) is totally afraid of and submissive to her. It makes it easier that he doesn't chase her around. A puppy may not be so docile. But you said the dog your adopting is a bit shy, so she may be just as submissive.

I'm far from an animal expert, this is just my personal experience. I can't generalize for all dog/cat situations.

Good luck, and welcome!

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