It’s been a long held myth that cats and dogs can\’t live together. It\’s been said that to have a cat and a dog living together is like mixing oil and water. But many pet owners have dispelled this myth. The fact is that when a dog and a cat have been socialized to live together, not only can they get along, but they can even become dear friends, in as much as pets befriend each other.

There are some things to keep in mind when you want to keep a dog and a cat in the same household. First, you need to take the energy of the household into account. What type of environment is your home? Is it full of children and rambunctious activity? Is it a very quiet environment? Are there any senior citizens in the home? These will all determine what types of pets that a person would want in the home. Just like with humans, pets have personalities. Having said that, cats tend to be very independent creatures; they keep to themselves, do what they want, and just don\’t require that much attention. Some breeds of cats flat out don\’t want your attention. If someone tries to pet a cat, some of them are okay with it for a little while, and some of them will hiss and snap at the person touching them. Cats in general want to be social on their terms, and on their time table.

Dogs on the other hand need lots of attention. They crave lots of love. They are very active, like to play indoors and out, need to be walked daily, and they want to be touched. As such, they will assume that the cat in the home wants to play with them, just like the humans do. Here lies the problem between cats and dogs. They are both loveable, but for different reasons. They naturally have different temperaments. So the human pet owner has to decide what breeds of cats and dogs would fit into their household and with each other.

It would make the most sense to pick out cat and dog breeds that complement each other. For example, you wouldn\’t want to get a rambunctious dog to live with a very independent and scary type cat. The dog will want to play, and the cat will scratch and hiss at it. On the other hand, kittens can be an issue with a huge, older dog. Older dogs are slow and impatient. Kittens are frisky and all over the place. Plus, the large dog might crush the kittens. So be mindful of their size and personalities.

Once you get your two pets together, whether they’re newborns, older pets, or in between, it might take some work to get your dog and cat to live together peacefully and without much hardship between them, but don\’t believe the myths. Dogs and cats can live together in harmony and peace, and they can both be valuable parts of the family.

Author Bio: Article written by Kelly for OMDS – your source for personalized dog beds, dog collars and other cool dog gear you won\’t find at your local pet store.

Category: Pets
Keywords: dogs,cats,dogs and cats,choosing a dog,choosing a cat