Need Help With The Kitty

[Guest Tabby]

Hello all! My name is Laura and one week ago I adopted a Grey and we just love her! Her name is Tabby and she is perfect in every way except the kitty. I have been reading up on former posts and I think there is hope I just need some guidance. A little back ground for you....I have always owned English Mastiffs and have experience with rescue but Greyhounds are definitly different! I was told Tabby was cat friendly and she attacked the cat. Now, let me say that was mostly my fault b/c I had the muzzle off. I back tracked after some research and she and the cat have seperate safe areas. I know not to let her show any "interest" in the cat with out a verbal correction but where do I go from here? What are my steps and how much time, approx., should I give between each step? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[GeorgeofNE]

Have you spoken to your adoption group?

 

I had three cats when I brought George home, and he never showed any interest in them. If she's already 'attacked' the cat, you probably need to speak to your group and get some real one-on-one help and maybe even have someone come observe Tabby to see what they think.

[OwnedBySummer]

Summer and our cat never worked out and I ultimately rehomed the cat. However, I do have one suggestion that I make to everyone who asks this question. Pull all your furniture out from the walls just a little bit -- enough for the cat to get behind but not enough for Tabby. Then the cat will have a multitude of safe escape places!

Edited June 10, 2011 by OwnedBySummer

[christinepi]

I'd leave the muzzle on her whenever she's in the same room with the cat. It took our cats SIX months to stop running from the dog, which helped to stop triggering him; apart from that he got whacked in the nose once through the muzzle which destroyed the last shred of delusional thinking of ever getting a grab of them (well, inside the house anyway). However, our cats had never had to suffer the indignity of living with a dog before, so understandably it took them a long time to stop their flight instinct. This should be hardly an issue for your cat, if she lived with your mastiffs before. Nowadays, dog and cats just ignore each other.

[Guest Tabby]

Thanks for the replies. I did "baby gate" the hall next to my bedroom for the cat to have his own area and Tabby will go to the gate, sniff, and walk away. I think it is the running that gets her going. I dont want to be negative but I dont get warm and fuzzy from the adoption place. the lady was nice and all but she is either very overwhelmed or once the dogs are gone she washes her hands. I have a friend that does training and Great Dane rescue and is giving me support but I wanted you guys' opinions on it too. We are very attached to her even after a week so giving up and taking her back is not an option. we are in it for the long haul. I guess I just need some support....lol...

[christinepi]

I hear you on the support thing...

 

We did the exact same thing in the beginning: we used a baby gate for months, and every day we'd muzzle Tracker, put his leash on him, and go for a loop in the "cat wing". We praised him when he was mellow, and just kept the leash tight when he wanted to surge towards one of them. He was so confused as to what to do with the cats--they weren't entirely behaving like prey, they'd scoot away, but then sat and hissed at him from a safe distance. He'd try a different tack and play bowed and barked at them, which didn't yield a particular result that would have made sense to him, either, since they still just sat there. So over time, he figured it was kind of hopeless to make sense of it all and resigned himself to their puzzling existence. Outside of the house, however, it's a totally different ball game. He'd go after them if given a chance.

 

(I sometimes wonder, when he's snoozing in the sun room, with the deck door open, and a cat walks by him non chalantly, and out the door--when would the cat that's safe with him indoors, cease to be safe because now she's turned into an outdoor cat? So far he's not bothered to get off the sofa.)

 

Just give them both time--I'm sure they'll eventually figure it out.

[3greytjoys]

Hi, and welcome to GreyTalk! I agree, the more escape routes the better. It's a good idea to install the baby gate about 5" up off the floor level. That allows for a quick floor escape for kitty. I definitely echo the use of the muzzle for as long as it takes (days/weeks or longer). Even a playful Greyhound can harm a cat with his/her legs and claws. If you have a crate, your Greyhound could have some safe and positive crate time in the busiest room while you are home to supervise her getting more used to seeing the cat walk (and run) around the room for several days/weeks. When the hound is outside the crate, the muzzle goes on. Every hound is different and if your hound is "cat workable" she may take longer to settle now having already caught your cat. (Sounds like she will be "cat workable" from her response to your cat behind the baby-gate in your hall. Higher prey sighthounds would do whatever they could to get to the cat.)

 

Unfortunately, a cat test (or two) is not fail safe. A hound can test fairly cat-friendly during one test, then not so much on a different day/different circumstance. I don't think you mentioned what happened before your Greyhound actually got your cat. I assume it was more play/chase mode vs. prey-focused intent to kill mode. (Cats rarely live through the latter.)

 

Please do NOT take any chances. Your cat is depending on you to keep him/her safe. Greyhounds are faster than cats. Start over with the introduction: while you're beginning to work to desensitize your muzzled and leashed Greyhound to the cat (hopefully your cat can be harnessed and leashed while sitting in a lap), try calling your hound's attention off the cat frequently. If she takes her eyes off the cat to engage with you, that's a good sign. Praise her only when she looks away from the cat. Tell her NO in no uncertain terms when she is too focused on the cat. (I teach "leave it" also, but "NO" is something most Greyhounds already understand.)

 

When hound is crated, over time, she will adjust to seeing the cat walking around on the floor, and seeing the cat being held and petted in your arms and lap. Hopefully, she will begin to relax sooner than later. Graduate in baby steps over time... Hound muzzled on short leash with you at first, then crate for several days (weeks if needed) as cat walks throughout the room. After you're more confident that she won't attack the cat the next step is muzzled in a baby-gated room. Muzzle stays on whenever the cat is roaming free in the house until you feel confident hound has proven that she will ignore the cat.

 

Most of our hounds do pretty well with our cats. Since we have a fairly young hound that was "cat workable," I keep a couple of baby-gates up. I don't leave the cats roaming throughout the house alone with the youngest hound. Good luck!

[Guest Happytails]

We had the same issue as you when it came to our kitty and Walli first coming home.

 

We had a cat wing and dog wing of the house for maybe a month and very strict supervision to make sure there wasn't even a "ooh look kitty" thought!

 

Part of it was also who sat where in the pecking order of the house and making sure that walli saw us giving affection to the cat.

[Guest june]

Good for you for being committed to your dog. Everyone has give you good advice; the best being to keep your cat safe. Even though cat tested at the adoption group they sometimes need more help to adjust to living with cats. Patience and time will help all of you.

june

[Guest Tabby]

Thank you so much! This is excatly what I needed. You guys are great and I looked forward to "getting to know" all of you and maybe I can get some pix posted on here of her!

 

I will keep you up to date on our progress.

 

 

Much love from Tabby!

[JoJo207]

Brooke came to me as cat workable. She had the desire to chase but could be distracted. I knew she would take work and vigilance on my part. More work than her brother Rex, who within 5 days was wandering around with Elmo. He's way too lazy to chase anything. Day one she got loose and attacked my 15 yr old cat and then again 2 weeks later. It was scary and I honestly didn't think they'd ever live somewhat peacefully together or that I was cut out to own a grey with any desires to chase. It took about 4-6 months before I felt comfortable letting them free roam the same room together. Even now I separate them if I'm not going to be home. That's more to protect Elmo from Brooke's play spells if I'm not home. Brooke trying to play with Elmo, I believe would just lead to unintentional heartbreak.

 

I probably did things the long way, but it worked for us. The best way to describe it was a gradual intermingling of spaces and freedoms. They would take turns being free to roam the the house. If I ever caught Brooke watching the cat, she was scolded. If a sharp no and clap of my hands didn't work, I pulled out the water bottle. There were a few time even that couldn't distract her and I would physically move her from where she was. Slowly Brooke lost interest in the cat on the other side of the gate and I'd change the set up. When Elmo was free to roam the house Brooke was either crated or leashed and muzzled. After things seemed to stabilize I's use an x-pen and divided the house in two. This way they both had some freedoms and gave Brooke the chance to be loose and see Elmo as being loose. Eventually, Elmo just became a part of house life. Now they can even share a chair together.

 

 

Elmo lived 14 yrs without dogs, so I felt it was important to give him dogfree areas. I have gates with little animal doors at the bottom, they work slick. Don't give up. It will take time and probably more time than you think, so be patient. Stay vigilant and be careful as other have said your cat depends on you to keep her safe. Best of luck to you and your furkids.

[lupe2121]

When we adopted Garnet we were told that she was cat and had lived with cats for 4 months. We have 3 cats and the adoption agency forgot to send her muzzle home with us. Well she did not care for the cats and continued to growl at them. So we called up the agency and he told us that every time she showed an interest in them to squirt her with a water bottle. I will tell you that worked wonders! She thought the water was coming from the cats and in about a day she was good to go. She did get a couple of paws to face from the cats which also helped. We went back for the muzzle the next day and she wore it till we were comfortable.