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-   -   HELP! Dog and Cat Relationship (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=82950)

Anomoley December 2nd, 2012 09:28 PM

HELP! Dog and Cat Relationship
 
Hello everyone! Sorry in advance for the length of this! :sorry:

I'm brand new here, hoping to get some help/words of advice from those more experienced than myself.

Hubby and I have had a WONDERFUL, calm and very sweet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for over a year now. He's fantastic in every way, gets along with everyone and everything.

We've now introduced a new kitten into our household a week ago. Lynx point siamese. Very sweet to me -- purrs, wants to be petted constantly, extremely vocal and doesn't stop following me around. A bit more shy with my husband... tolerates some petting from him, but that's about it. We figure he'll be better once he adjusts to both of us (since it has only been a week).

Now, the problem and source of my confusion: He's absolutely hating our dog! We introduced them in a very controlled way (held the dog, who was lying down and not moving anything but his tail -- couldn't stop wagging it), and let the kitten do his exploring on his own time. The kitten came up to the dog, sniffed him, and ran off.

Now, when we let the kitten out of his room (which we just started doing yesterday), he walks around our place exploring... the minute he stumbles upon the dog (who doesn't chase him but just sits quietly on his bed observing as per our command), he hisses, scratches the dog, and runs off!

I'm just not really sure what to do at this point. The dog is now afraid of the cat and is hesitant to sit still on his bed when the cat is out roaming around... he usually runs to one of us for protection as soon as he sees the cat. We were hoping they'd have a good relationship, we were expecting it knowing how sweet and loving our dog is... little did we know the kitten we'd be getting is a little terrorist in his own right.

Any ideas on how to help them develop this relationship into a better one, or at the very least stop the cat from scratching the dog? It did cross my mind to make some sort of loud noise (coins or an air compressor) when the cat "attacks" the dog... but I don't know if this is a good idea since I don't want to cat to associate the dog with fear, either.

Any thoughts from anyone with experience would be VERY much appreciated. Hubby's sort of hating me for bringing the kitten into our happy home at the moment... trying to find a way to make things "normal" again. :pray:

Anomoley December 2nd, 2012 09:30 PM

3 Attachment(s)
Some pictures of our dog and new kitten, since everyone seems to love pictures around here. ;)

**SORRY they're so big, no idea how to make them smaller :(**

[ATTACH]78645[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]78646[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]78647[/ATTACH]

pbpatti December 2nd, 2012 10:49 PM

Love, Love, Love your fur family.:cloud9: They are very sweet. Thanks for posting pics before we had to hound you :crazy::rolleyes::highfive:. I have no assistance for you but wanted to welcome you aboard.

Loki Love December 3rd, 2012 05:44 AM

As long as the kitty's nails are short and and can't do any real damage to your dog - I would let them work it out (monitoring at all times, of course). It's only been a week - that's not a lot of time for your kitten to a) adjust to your new home and b) realize that dog isn't going to try and hurt him! :)

Could you try giving treats to both animals when they are in the same room - something like dehydrated chicken? That will keep your puppers in the room (rather than running away scared) and it may also give your kitten the idea that good things happen when he's calm and not going after the dog.

I think there's time for them to become best buds - or at the very least, tolerate each other. I wouldn't panic yet :goodvibes: It took our cats at least a month or so to adjust to Loki when we brought him home.

And your puppers and kitten are so so sweet! ♥

Longblades December 3rd, 2012 08:08 AM

Yes, I'd give it more time yet as well. Your dog sounds wonderful and a good disposition for encouraging a kitten. In my experience kittens LOVE dogs and can get a little rough with an accommodating dog. Ditto the short claws and let them work it out.

Are you sure the kitten is not trying to entice the dog to play? Kittens play fight, even more realistically than dogs I think.

Marty11 December 3rd, 2012 09:06 AM

Give them more time, and just monitor them. Keep the nails trim, give the kitty somewhere high to get away. That is a wonderful breed of dog, this relationship will do fine.:thumbs up

Barkingdog December 3rd, 2012 11:56 AM

Have you and your husband tried playing the both pets at the same time? Does the kitten have any toys to play with, maybe if both pets saw one another playing they will feel more relax together.

ownedbycats December 5th, 2012 09:55 AM

I second keeping the nails short. Once your cat realizes that he has the dog terrorized, and is in no danger, he should calm down and cease attacking on sight. On the other hand, he/she will likely use this power to take over the house and boxx the dog around.

Jim Hall December 5th, 2012 07:41 PM

Once your cat realizes that he has the dog terrorized, and is in no danger, he should calm down and cease attacking on sight

:laughing: yeah that's about it .

angeldogs December 5th, 2012 08:48 PM

What a sweet face your pup has and cat is a beauty.

Barkingdog December 5th, 2012 09:56 PM

[QUOTE=angeldogs;1050408]What a sweet face your pup has and cat is a beauty.[/QUOTE]

Is hard to think of a kitten with such a sweet face as being a bully. Would spaying the kitten with water help? I did that to a cat and after being spayed a couple of times just picking up the bottle would stop my cat from jumping on the table.

angeldogs December 6th, 2012 05:30 AM

It might..But like longblades mentioned cats play more realistically and if thats what the cat is doing. that might stop it from wanting to play with the pup all together

It is hard to believe with that face kitties a bully.

englishgoldens December 8th, 2012 01:52 PM

Like Cat & Dog
 
Depending on how long they've been adjusting to each other (if less than a month or two) it is TOTALLY FINE.

You did make a few mistakes but they still can be corrected:

First of all, a kitten's breed. Some cats are more social with other species than others (won't go into specifics here at this point...)

The age of both is very important (best socialization/exposure period is between 7 and 12 weeks for dogs and even earlier for cats).

The gradual exposure to each other - one has to go MUCH MORE gradually, especially with the cat.

But generally speaking, - no despair - a kitten WILL ADJUST eventually, especially because yours is not afraid of people (some kittens just have this genetic predisposition (because of bad breeding) to be fearful and not social).

Make sure, however that:
- kitten's nails are cut short (just off the quick - and if you don't know how, ask your vet or groomer to show you! not to scare the kitty) at least once a week;
- the kitten has a lot of vertical spaces to run away to and hide and NEVER feels "with his back to the wall";
- rub a cloth over a dog at least once a day and then rub on the kitten. The SMELL is extremely important for cats! Same smell = same family.
- GRADUALLY feed them closer to each other, slowly moving the dishes inches every day;
- EVERY TIME the dog is around, play and give treats to the kitty! He needs to feel that being around the dog is great. Don't play or give treats at other times'
- dogs are much more rumbanctious, so they scare gracefully moving cats. Try to keep the dog down around the cat for a while. Let cat do the investigations.

These are the most important ones. I breed both and they all live together and LOVE each other. Both my dog and my HUGE male cat were 3 years old when they first met. Usually, it is close to impossible for the cats, but these two are just the best friends and sleep together in one bed with me;-)

janinvan December 27th, 2012 03:27 PM

Takes Time
 
[QUOTE=Longblades;1050298]Yes, I'd give it more time yet as well. Your dog sounds wonderful and a good disposition for encouraging a kitten. In my experience kittens LOVE dogs and can get a little rough with an accommodating dog. Ditto the short claws and let them work it out.

Are you sure the kitten is not trying to entice the dog to play? Kittens play fight, even more realistically than dogs I think.[/QUOTE]

It'll take time for sure! When I first got my cat, I had an older dachshund that used to chase it and at first give it quite a fright. Over time, however, the two got to know each other better and would play frequently. :cat::dog:


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