Can we get another cat?

[EFmom]

We've got a dog who is a Basset Hound/German Shephard mix. The dog likes to chase critters, particularly bunnies, and if she gets one in our yard, which has happened a couple of times, she will kill the bunny. That's the Basset Hound thing in her.

Before the dog joined us, we had an elderly cat. For the first six months or so, the dog was way too interested in the cat. She'd bark at her and lunge whenever she got the chance. The cat was dog-savvy, as we'd always had a dog, and would stand her ground, and we generally kept them separated. But I wasn't terribly comfortable, either, for fear the dog would go for the cat.

After about six months, it was like a switch flipped in the dog's brain, and she stopped going after the cat completely. The two of them became good friends, often cuddling up together, and the dog loved having the cat lick her head.

My kitty passed away over the weekend. The question is, can I dare bring in another cat or will the dog think it's a new bunny? I'd really like to get a cat that's about a year old, but I don't want bad stuff to happen.

[MaWhit]

If you do decide to bring a new cat, keep the dog secured at all times at first, preferable tethered to you. When she so much as looks at the cat, correct her. It also helps, IME, to have the dog sit or lie down, and then hold the cat above the dog (only if the cat is comfortable, of course). Once dogs know that cats are "above" them in hierarchy, they generally do better. However, there is always a risk.