TrishD

Hi Folks. Yes, we decided against it, late last night. I'm absolutely gutted, but we decided it was a risk we weren't willing to take on behalf of our cats, and that the stress of being constantly watchful would outweigh the benefits of ownership. Thanks to all of you for such honest answers - as enthusiasts it would have been easy for you to defend the breed unrealistically. They are such beautiful dogs and have a lovely temperament, but we are 'cat people' of long standing - sometimes owning as many as nine at a time - and their safety has to come first. We will look instead for a spaniel cross, as our current mutt has been just perfect with the cats, and we'll feel on much safer ground. Thanks to all of you once again, and good luck to all of your animals. I envy you. Trish

Thank you so much for all your replies. I feel, with great regret, that the risks outweigh the benefits. We love our cats, and we want to be able to replace our existing cats when they go. Such a shame - he is a beautiful creature - but I'm sure that someone else will want him, as all of his five siblings have been found homes.

Many thanks. I guess then that we will just have to be very careful. I don't have any pix of my own, but I've uploaded some the owner took, to the General gallery. Trish

Hello folks. I'm Trish, I live in rural France, and next week I'm picking up my husky crossbreed puppy, aged 11 weeks, called Cézanne. He is one quarter each of Husky, Malamute, Belgian shepherd and Pyrenean sheepdog (though the grandparents might also be crossbreeds, so there could be more breeds in there). I have bought him as a companion animal to my Breton spaniel/Gordon setter cross, Zola, who is now 13. He will be crated in our living room, where we spend most of our time (we work from home and are not out much). However, I also have three adult cats - one aged nearly 20 - and would appreciate any advice on handling introductions, etc. Is the prey drive is equally strong in crossbreeds? Do I need to keep him crated or on a lead at ALL times when the cats are around? I can supervise encounters in the house but are the cats more at risk in the garden? Or do I just need to suck it and see? I've heard such horror stories about Huskies and cats that it is making me a bit apprehensive, as I love my cats very much. FYI, we have one hectare of (near as dammit) unfenced orchard, surrounded by mostly arable farmland (but also a chicken farm!), the garden is full of rabbits, and I usually walk my dog for 3km each morning either on-road or round the local lake. Is this enough for now, or will I need to add an afternoon walk to take the bounce out of Cézanne? My spaniel is old, so 3km is all he can take now in one go, though he spends most of it off-lead, quartering, so he goes a fair way, and he also runs round the garden all day. I don't plan to take Cézanne off lead until he learns to come back (or possibly never...). I have bought a Halti harness for him (the type that goes round the nose), and a backpack, plus a training lead, standard collar, standard harness and a 10m tie-down tether. Any advice greatly appreciated. T