Pet Lovers

[Drythe]

@brmmom 

What a wonderful, thoughtful gift to the kitties, and a memory for your brother.  I’m sad for your loss.

I’m an animal lover, always multiple cats and dogs as a child, and in my own home.  My highest number is 8 cats and 3 dogs. Currently 4 cats and 2 dogs.

If you have a local animal services shelter, I would call and ask if someone there could give you advice about blending your two families, and some cat mothering info. You can look on their web page, or better go there in person.  That way you could have a local person to talk with.  

Readers who only know ‘kill’ shelters, DO NOT JUMP ON ME!  Some are very fine shelters, with dedicated volunteers and employees who love and want good things for animals.  I volunteer in one, and know we would offer help.  Just be sure they know you don’t want to get rid of them, but that you want advice on introductions and such. BUT,  If YOU want help in finding homes for a few of they can likely help.

I’ve blended new comers into our home many times, it takes calm patience, and likely education / training for your doggies.  They have to know / sense that it is your expectation that this Will work.  If you are indecisive, not firm with them, they will know.  For a bit your dogs will likely be displeased, but I’ve never had one who did not adjust.  You will be much in demand, as you need to assure dogs that there is still plenty of love to go around, they have not been displaced, and to assure cats that they are here to be loved, and not turned into snacks.  

All my dogs know absolutely that cats are NOT toys, and that their FOOD is not up for grabs.  But it takes time.  My dogs wash the cats ears, and the cats snuggle up to them when it is cold.  But this will take work, the most I’ve done at once is 3 cats and 1 dog.  I use the separation method, starting with newcomers in one area closed off, able to smell, but not see.  After a week or so we use a screen gate so smelling and seeing is possible.  After a week or so we use limited visits, one at a time. *** happy to provide more info on how if you can stand anymore!

AND, I will affirm that my home has NO cat aroma.  I would however, invest in an room size air filter to go in with the litter boxes.

Best wishes to you and your whole family!

[NickNack]

@brmmom  I just wanted to mention how I solve the dogs eating the cat food problem.  I put my cat's food on the bathroom counter.  I know that might be difficult for you when you're going to have more than one bowl, but it will be hard to train your dogs not to eat the cat food if it's not out of their reach.

Another solution when they're on the same floor of our house would be a gate to the room where the cats' food is.  There is a gate that has a cat opening.  I believe your dogs would be too large to go through it.  Amazon and Chewy sell it.

Also, at one point I had a cat that had arthritis and couldn't jump on the counter.  I bought a "cat hole" for the bathroom door.  The cats can go through it, but dogs can't.  It would be great for a laundry room, too.  cathole.com

[Drythe]

@brmmom 

Hello again,

We also use a gate at the laundry room door with cat’s food in and doggies out.  Your idea of trying the gate at the door to the basement is super.  Knowing you have a Golden gave me thought that he may take a shine to the cats.  We have Labs and Golden’s and Labs are similar.  

You mentioned a Persian, I would try to brush, or comb it at least once a week to prevent knots in that beautiful fur.  They are usually particularly affectionate cats!

Not meaning to harp on shelters, but they often offer free, or low cost vaccinations.

Please return and let us know how you are doing with your wonderful new family.  You and your great DH are in for a wonderful, interesting ride!  Your brother sounds like a kind generous man, would really like to have known him.

[Drythe]

@NickNack 

Hey to you, Frankie, Henry, and their Dad!

Nose bumps to all. 😉 

[NickNack]

---

@Drythe wrote:

@NickNack 

Hey to you, Frankie, Henry, and their Dad!

Nose bumps to all. 😉 

---

Hey back to you @Drythe .  I'm sitting here on the couch with Henry and Frankie right now.  There is no Dad.  It's just the three of us. ❤️

[Drythe]

---

@NickNack wrote:

---

@Drythe wrote:

@NickNack 

Hey to you, Frankie, Henry, and their Dad!

Nose bumps to all. 😉 

---

Hey back to you @Drythe .  I'm sitting here on the couch with Henry and Frankie right now.  There is no Dad.  It's just the three of us. ❤️

---

@NickNack 

Thank you for the lovely mental picture of y’all cuddled up together.  Cold and rainy here, a good evening for a snuggle.

My mistake, somehow I got the mental image of a Dad.  ???

But of course, they have a You, which is exactly, very much.

Well then, without having to think of offending a Dad,

Nose Kissies To All!

[chprsp]

In our area I pick up Wegman's brand lightweight cat litter. I scoop the boxes daily. We have 9 cats who are the upstairs cats. Most were strays. We brought Mama cat in with her young feral. She then presented us with 7 kittens. We found homes for 4. Some like dogs,a couple don't. We have a Great Pyrenees and a young Bernese Mountain dog. One of the cats used to wash our previous Great Pyrenees ears and rub up against him. I have several giant size litter boxes (I believe I ordered them from Petsmart) and several smaller ones. Also a couple cat trees/scratching posts. One post ordered from Chewy is called the smart cat ultimate scratching post at 32" high. That has really lasted vs. the carpeted and rope wrapped ones. Several of the cats are over 20 pounds (big boned not fat) so it's stood up to their use. I'm sure your brother knows his cats are being taken care of. What a wonderful thing you've done.

[Naturally]

Good for you. I find that sometimes it is the energy produced and the expectation that everyone get along that produces the best outcome.  We found 6 kittens in our hay barn and then found the mother dead in the road.  We were able to get all of them out and got them all fixed   The females can go into heat at 4 months.   Found them all homes.  You are a good person for taking them in.  I applaud you.  

[noodleann]

---

@brmmom wrote:

Thanks again NickNack. The throw up is just food, no hair. I'm thinking we were over feeding them. I will go to Petsmart and pick up a tube of hairball remedy just to be on the safe side. Thanks to you and everyone here for your input, we have so much to learn about caring for our new additions!

---

Haven't read all the replies, but I'll add this on vomiting. I have a cat I adopted when she was 7, and she threw up routinely from the moment I got her. She was and remains a bit high strung and would eat compulsively if she was nervous. As a result, she'd eat too much and yak it up. (She's on the thin side and ladylike and clearly wasn't cut out for binge eating.) The throwing up hasn't gotten worse, even though she turns 18 this month her Senior Wellness Profile labs are showing the start of chronic renal failure, which can make them nauseated. So I'm not concerned, but will take her to the vet if it gets worse or I see yellowish vomitus.

If you can identify who's doing the throwing up and take that cat to the vet for a workup, it might be a good idea, just to rule out anything organic. 

Thank you for taking care of the kittehs, and I'm very sorry about your brother. I'm sure he's smiling on you now.