Dominance & Submission Dog - Cat

Hi,

I recently had to move in with my sister. She has two small dogs, and I have one cat. The number two dog loves to aggravate my cat. Of course in the pecking order my cat is at the bottom. Generally, my cat simply tries to stay away from the dogs and doesn't want to be bothered. The dominate dog is very old, she doesn't care and doesn't bother Reggie (my cat). Both the aggravating dog and my cat are male.

My sister says that this is her dog's house, he's more dominant and I should not scold her dog when he is bothering Reggie. Obviously, moving out is the quick answer, but that takes time and money - mostly the latter. While I'm stuck here, do I just have to let this little stinker aggravate Reggie? Or is my sister the real leader of the pack, and therefore she should control her dog more? She is very stubborn and already believes that because her dog is higher on the pole, my cat just has to put up with it. But dogs and cats are different. I believe the pets can get along and not be bothered by each other, but I don't know how to train them. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

gentisle

YOu cant just let the dog pick at the cat, It will stress him out and could possibly cause permanent damage on him. He may become agressive and annoyed by everythiing, including you. You have to do something about the dog Try to talk to your sister and explain that it is very hard on the cat and he shouldnt be allowed to agatate him just because the cat is at the bottom of the pole. Tell her that the cat may even seriously harm the dog by blinding it or something (He will become so agatated that he'll eventually fight back and claw him eye out or something) And i just hate to hear that any animal is being hurt . Best of luck to you and your kitty!

I'd sit down and have a talk with your sister. It may be her house and her dog is the "dominant" one, but that doesn't mean it's acceptable for him to make your cat's life miserable. I think it's a bad idea that your sister thinks it's acceptable. The dog does need to be scolded. He needs to learn not to go after other smaller creatures.

What happens when your sisters other dog passes away, since he's older? If she decided to bring in another dog will she take the same position? By that time her dog might think he's the boss and won't accept any other animal in the house.

I hope you can find a resolution to this soon, for Reggie's sake.

Thanks katherine93 and ancient girl.

gentisle