Cat and dog

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00Kevin

War Child
Joined
Jun 17, 2005
Messages
707
Location
Chicago
We just got a cat, and she is terrified of our dog. We have to separate them at all times and it is really inconveniant. Getting rid of one of them is out of the question. Help!
 
Some animals will just never get along. If you absolutely can't get rid of one, you'll have to keep them separated.

Back home, Dad and I have three cats. We started noticing that my cat was suddenly having accidents, and we couldn't understand why...we thought mayhaps she was going senile, since she's really old. Then one day we saw her go to use the litterbox only to be scared away by one of the other cats. That cat was just playing, but my cat has just gotten too old to be able to play those games. Since she basically always stuck by me anyway, we confined her to my bedroom, and the problem got solved. Now that I don't live there anymore, she is still closed up in there, but Dad took down my bedroom door and replaced it with a screendoor so that my cat doesn't feel so cut off.

So...while it may come down to separation and one of them being confined, you can find creative ways to do it that aren't extremely inconvenient. Good luck!
 
00Kevin said:
We just got a cat, and she is terrified of our dog. We have to separate them at all times and it is really inconveniant. Getting rid of one of them is out of the question. Help!

That can be a problem (yes, I have a firm grasp of the obvious :rolleyes: ). Does the dog pester or chase the cat, or is the cat just afraid of the dog on sight?

What I try to do when I bring a new animal in the house is to give everyone more attention and I do often seperate the newbie for a while. That way the new animal can get really accustomed to me, so at least it knows I will protect it. Then it seems more capable of facing the rest of the animals.

And yeah I have cat that lives in the bedroom too. She's not even afraid of the dog -- she rather likes him -- it's some of the other cats she doesn't want to deal with. :huh:
 
Most cats can adapt to the sounds, sights and actions of dogs over time, especially if they have time to gradually get used to the dog, the dog is prevented from chasing the cat (barricade like a baby gate, or have the dog on leash) and the cat has enough places to perch, hide and escape.

You might also try using a product called Feliway or Comfort Zone, available at major pet stores. It comes in a spray or diffuser that can help the cat adapt (it tends to have a calming effect). Then try to have the cat approach for patting, food or treats while the dog is nearby but restrained (crate, barricade, leash). Ignore the dog if it is freaking out, barking, jumping around etc - scolding the dog doesn't help. If the dog is quiet and calm when the cat is nearby, pet it, praise it, give it a treat - you want to reward good quiet behavior around the cat. Over time the problem should improve as long as the exposure can be very gradually intensitifed. With a very fearful cat or an overly outgoing dog it can be a very difficult problem to resolve.

Ultimately both animals really should not have free run of the house when you are not around to supervise.

-Dr. BLS, Interference vet :angel:
 
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My two cents - whatever you do, DONT let the dog bug the cat while it's using the litter box! If a cat becomes scared of the litter box...well, see BC's post...the cat will find somewhere else to do business.
 
My friends labrador is shit scarred of his cat for some reason, so it actually works both ways for some reason:wink:
 
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