So the best option would be to get a kitten if the pup is super young? I'm a huge cat person and I would preferably like to have both a cat and dog. Our pup just turned 8 weeks. If we ever want a cat, do you think now is the ideal time?

Wow, I forgot about this topic.

The general consensus seems to be that it's generally better to introduce cats younger. I've found that with Ezio even though we didn't introduce him to kittens/cats very young it's been a process for us (with our bunny particularly) and a very beneficial process at that. It all depends on the dog. Ezio plays rough with other dogs and tries to chase birds sometimes, but he's become very gentle and sweet with our rabbit. That might be an unpopular thing for me to say here, but my point is that it's possible with the right animals and patience. After the things I've read here and elsewhere I sort or resigned myself to possibly not having a cat, but after getting to know my dog better I'm 99% sure that despite us not getting a kitten with him as a small puppy we'll be able to work around that and introduce them peacefully. It might take a little more work than it would have if we had gotten a kitten and a puppy simultaneously, but that wasn't possible at the time and I'm honestly not concerned about it anymore. Try only what you believe your dog is capable of and be patient. It doesn't always have to be done one way.

Well this is an old topic but since it has new posts I will put my 2 cents worth in. I think you need to start young and even then it takes a lot of training.

However, I do believe that if you have the right older dog they can be taught how to behave around cats. But again this takes really knowing your older dog. If your older dogs chases and bites/eats everything smaller than it is, it probably won't work. If your older dog could care less about everything smaller than it is, it could work with the proper training.

A few important things to remember when introducing cats and dogs IMO (regardless of age and regardless of breed):

1. Take it slow and keep your eyes open. (It will take time for everyone to get comfortable so don't rush things. This just sets you up for failure. Watch for signs of trouble and address them immediately!)

2. Make sure the cat can escape. (My cats have full run of both the unfinished basement and the bedrooms. These are blocked from the dog with babygates that sit high enough off the floor the cat can easily slip underneath but the dog can't. My cats also have cat trees to climb to easily get away from the dog.)

3. Establish that the cat is higher in the "pack" than the dog. (I don't want to start an argument about typical "pack" training, but the fact remains that dogs are pack animals and within any pack there is a heirarchy. So make sure your pup knows the cat comes first. Feed the cat before the dog. Pet the cat before the dog. Greet the cat before the dog. Etc. Give treats when the dog behaves well and allows you to do this.)

4. Train the dog to ignore the cat. (This requires at least two people to do unless your really good at being in two places at once. I do this by having my daughter play with the cats, carry the cats, and otherwise just generally interact with the cats in the common cat/dog areas. While I give all necessary commands to ensure that Saphire learns she is to ignore the cat and give treats when appropriate. Then we switch. I started this training when Saphire was 10 weeks old and we still practice it to this day!)

5. Train the dog with the "Leave it/Drop it" commands. (Because I have cats, this is one of the first commands we taught. We use this at home and on walks. Husky's have a high prey drive for sure but even on walks Saphire will ignore small animals (as long as I see them first and issue the "Leave it" command). This is really important for your cat's safety. Obviously, you want your pup to know the "Drop it" command in case they ever get ahold of the cat god forbid, but it is also useful in other areas.)

6. Never ever ever leave the cat and dog together unattended. (Some people will disagree with me on this and in fact I grew up with both dogs and cats who were allowed to have free run of the house together even when no one was home. That said, the dogs were not husky's and had litterally no prey drive. Saphire however, has at least some level of prey drive and even though I feel comfortable that it is under control. I don't want to set her up to fail at the risk of my cat's life. Therefore, Saphire is crate trained so she is in the crate when I am not home during the day. So when there is no one home to supervise, Saphire is in the crate and cannot get to the cats to hurt them. This is safer for everyone.)

Okay so that was probably more like my 5 or 10 cents worth but just my opinion. Hope it helps those that are considering it.

I'll second the earlier the better but each situation is also completely different either way i'd make sure to get a full grown cat rather than a kitten. I got Bella was she was 3 months old, her first interaction with my cat was sniffing her, getting up in her face and my cat deciding enough was enough smacking her right on the tip of the snout. Bella let out our a yelp and then pretty much left my cat alone for a few months. Now my ex left her cats with we after our break up and Bella has no problem playing with them. She's a little rough with them sometimes but she isn't trying to be vicious at all.
She picks them up by the scruff of the neck and drags them around, a full grown cat seems mildly annoyed by this and when it gets too much they growl swat and then run. She still thinks they're playing but I have some safe spots for them and I try to call her or catch her before she gets going. My cat continues not liking Bella and hisses whenever Bella gets in her face. She has learned to mostly leave Honey alone or at least give her space.