Can dog lovers be cat lovers too?

According to some of our Twitter followers (naming no names @billhilton), no way no how. We know that dogs and cats can be friends, so why not the people who love them?

It's time to 'fess: I've never had a dog. My parents preferred tortoises, stick insects, canaries, guinea pigs and, finally, cats - mostly because none of them required walking - but we cared for a friend's Cavalier King Charles and I grew up spending half my time at my best friend's house with her soppy Rottweiler and stately Lab Cross. So now that I commute to work and live in a house that only allows cats, there was an obvious choice: cats.

And, if I'm honest, I really love cats in their own right. But I love dogs, too! I think they have individual and marvellous merits. For example:

Dogs: Show complete love and loyalty all the time, even if you haven't asked for it.
Cats: Really don't. But when you get the unexpected snuggle, you do appreciate it more.

Dogs: Can be trained to come when called.
Cats: Can be trained to come when called, and ignore it when visitors are there.

Dogs: Will always great you with enthusiasm.
Cats: Will greet you with enthusiasm and a pointed look at an empty bowl.

Dogs: Can be very exuberant and active, making you fitter and getting you out of the house.
Cats: Save all the exuberant and active for the middle of the night.

It's really a win-win situation. If I had the appropriate lifestyle, I'd have both, and get the benefits of the enormous loyalty and enthusiasm of the dog alongside the elegant beauty and simmering megalomania of the typical cat (there are exceptions, of course). Surely an animal lover is an animal lover no matter what that animal might be? I draw the line at cockroaches, spiders and anything that stings or whose bite can kill, but other than that all companion animals seem like good news to me.

You just have to check out today's Twitter feed on the topic to find out that not everyone agrees, but that there are many examples of people who love and live with both cats and dogs. Are you one of them?

By the way, the image is my husband's Opie-esque rendering of our younger kitten, seven-month-old Casper. Not that we're cat bores or anything.

Oh, and, of course, a quick reminder. If you are thinking of getting a pet for your household, cat or dog, please consider rehoming. There are thousands of animals out there just looking for the perfect home.

Other Pets: Socialising cats

At Dogs Trust, we spend a lot of time talking about early and thorough socialisation of dogs as the best form of prevention of behavioural problems. Vets, behaviourists and trainers spend much of their time working to correct problems in dogs who have not been properly socialised.

But what about cats? That was the question asked by a reader of A Vet's Guide To Life. We tend to think of cats as solitary, anti-social creatures. We even revere them for their independence. So what happens when we need to calm a frightened cat in a social situation?

A Vet's Guide To Life gives some very sensible advice about introducing guests in small numbers and, importantly, carefully training the person (adult or child) to be gentle and offer a rewarding experience to the animal. Cats respond to different rewards than dogs, and much of the advice surrounding this topic suggests training should be kept to short bursts with the cat having a 'safe' route.

The notion of a safe route for the cat - either a separate room or a few shelves that they can quickly scuttle up to get a view of the area from a secure distance - is key in introducing both adult cats and kittens to new and potentially frightening situations. This could be introducing a new baby, having visitors to the house or introducing a new cat, dog, ferret etc. to the mix. When my baby nephew first came to visit, my parents' elderly and now sadly deceased cat, Zoey, hid in her favourite spot between two sofas until he fell asleep; when he went quiet she emerged, sniffed, gave a quick lick to his hand and from then on was perfectly calm around him as she had approached the situation on her terms.

I'll be watching this blog carefully as I've recently been adopted by the pictured abandoned kitten (now known as Snaffle) found wandering on the streets. I've had cats before, but never one who clearly left mum too early and is a potent mixture of bullish confidence and bad manners. My other main source for lots of good cat information is the Cats Protection website. And yes, people who adore and work for dogs can be cat lovers too!

Other Pets: The Truth About Cats and Dogs (and how they get along)

A quick poll on DoggySnaps was enough for me to confirm what I already suspected; many of us have more than one kind of pet. Some will have been introduced with no fuss at all, others will have had to employ good training techniques over a longer time to help the new addition settle in. Now scientists in Tel Aviv claim to have worked out the perfect time to introduce a cat to a dog in order for them to get on well.

The problem, after all, is all to do with communication. We all know there's a huge difference between Puss's ominously swishing tail and Fido's tail-jiggling delight and that's half the problem - they don't speak each other's language. The Tel Aviv University boffins have suggested they can learn if the cat is adopted first, and they are both young when introduced; the recommended ages are up to six months for the cat and up to a year for the dog.

Of course, there are no guarantees. The temperament and history of both pets needs to be taken into account, because even in this ideal situation researchers observed indifference between the animals (which some of us might consider a success!) in 25% of homes and outright aggression in 10%. However, the conclusion was still drawn that the chances of them becoming best mates were considerably heightened following the age and adoption order guidelines.

You and I probably know many examples where cats and dogs get along fine having been introduced at much later stages in the process, or the other way around. If you have any good tips for helping feline and canine friends get along, then please share them in the comments.

You can read more about the science behind the recommendations on Science Daily.

Despite being considered natural adversaries, many households have a peaceful life with dogs and cats. For more advice on how to introduce a new dog to a feline friendly household, download Dogs Trust's free pdf factsheet.