OK to put dog and cat in crate?

Question
I recently got a 3 year old Coton De Tulear.  He's extremely friendly;  I've never seen him bite or even nip at something.  He doesn't even bark, except when I go to another room and he can't get to to me.  He does not seem to have had any obedience training.  He does seem a bit jumpy, but my vet said he was sweet and does not think he was ever abused.  He seems to interact with stranger and other dogs normally.

I also have an 18 year old front-declawed cat.  At first, she hissed at him a lot and swiped with her declawed paws at him.  He would always respond surprised and run away.  He's never done anything even remotely agressive towards her.  Nowadays, she's pretty calm around him and no longer avoids areas that he's at.  If food is involved, she'll even sniff his mouth.  Except for an occasional butt sniff, the dog does not seem at all interested in the cat.

So, now that they get along, I've been putting my dog and cat in the same large crate at night or when I leave.  Coton's seem to be very emotionally dependent on having people around, so I'm hoping this will keep him somewhat distracted while I'm not nearby.  He seems to have no interest in the variety toys that I bought him or watching TV.  

They have plenty of room and they both seem OK with it, but I want to make sure this isn't a bad idea.

Answer
I would never put a dog and cat in the same crate.  The cat has no way to escape or defend itself since it was declawed.  Although the cat is geriatric in age, it deserves a place of its own.  Since it hissed and swings at the dog, forcing them together is a bad idea.  It is OK for cats and dogs to live together, and many of ours have "adopted" each other as sleeping buddies or play buddies. But the dog and cat have to work this out for themselves.

Regards,

Henry Ruhwiedel
Westind Kennels LLC