cats and a puppy

Question
hi there,
i have two cats, a male and a female. a month back we had to adopt a puppy who was abandoned and left to die by my neighbours. he was abused and he was so thin that his ribs showed. now, he is fat and healthy and my older male cat hates him. he hits the three month old lab and mutt mix dog a lot and hisses and growls. the other cat has started sleeping with the puppy and they are quiet good friends. my question is, do dogs and cats get along. will the puppy hurt the cats? my cats are my priority and i love them a lot. please reply. thanks

Answer
Sarita,

Cat are usually very tolerant of young animals (puppies or kittens).  I would leave them be and let all three work out their relationships with each other.  There is no guarantee that the older cat will love the puppy, but, it is his task to make sure the puppy knows the rules of the house (according to the older cat, that is).

Yes, cats and dogs can get along famously, so I would not worry.  It is more likely the cat will hurt the puppy than vice versa.

I would think things would settle down after a few weeks.

Also, sometimes we misinterpret their discussions since we humans tend to see things as humans.  It may be that the puppy and older cat have settled things and the hissing and growling is just setting limits on the puppy.

Best regards... Norm.