Multipet household?

As strange as it may sound, I had it easiest when I had more than one  small dogs not just one. I have found three to be the ideal number.   The reason was that I could take care of each one in isolation, and the other two had each other.

Dogs tend to be quite sociable pack animals, while cats are a bit more aloof.

Having said that, they do appreciate a companion of their own species more often than not. We have only ever had one cat with issues in relation to additions in the family, and no trouble at all with dogs.

I have had up to four small dogs in our apartment, a bit chaotic because of the needs of each one, since they were mostly seniors and one very lively ‘teen’ 4 years old. Ironically, it was the 4 year old Irish Terrier who died first, compared to the 8, 13 and14 year old Pom, Bichon, and Westie. And we had a diabetic cat too, who lived for 8 years on insulin.

At one point we also had 2 dogs and 4 cats, then it dwindled down to one and three. It is sad that they do not live as long as we do, but we have been very fortunate with their health and life expectancy generally. Remember, it is not just life, but quality of life issues that you will have to face if your dog gets older, or worse still, becomes ill.

We have had as many as 6 cats in a 2 bedroom apartment at one time, in pairs according to age, and now have 3 boys we rescued from the streets.  They love our dog, so just because you have one or the other of the breed, does not exclude you from having a multi-pet, multi-species household too.

So multi-pet households are possible, but they are also an additional expense that needs to be budgetted for.  You should always ask your vet if they give a multi-pet discount, and some are even willing to give a senior’s discount.

Choosing The Right Pet For You Part 8