Help Needed - Grey And Cat Not Getting Along.

[Guest Elo]

Hi everyone! So this saturday I got a sweet greyhound, whom I named Luka.

 

Luka is 2 years old, and I plan to train to be my Service Dog.

 

He's not startled by loud noises, very friendly, and fine being around small dogs outside - just sniffs them and moves on.

 

 

 

But we've been having some trouble getting him and my cat, Neko

to get along.

 

Luka is the first dog we've had in the house - and so Neko is not familiar with it.

We've taken him to the vet before and he's met and been interested in meeting other bigger dogs - happily.

In fact, Neko isn't the one with the problem. It's Luka.

 

He's my first greyhound, (first real dog, really) and when his foster mother brought him over to meet our cat, I didn't realize that she was making the situation a lot worse.

 

She managed to overly excite him, pet him when he was targeting or lunging, jerked on his leash too much and made him excited.

 

We can take Luka on a walk and he'll see a cat dart - no problem. He looks, but when you tug a bit on his leash to let him know you're going forward, he comes along fine.

Dogs the size of or smaller than my cat, even outside, no problem. Sniffs, and walks away.

Squirrels even, he'll look but doesn't really lunge or try to get them.

 

The only exception - is my cat.

At first I think he just wanted to sniff Neko, but the foster mom didn't let him. And I guess that's where the problems started.

Now no matter what, if he sees the cat, he's on his feet, lunging, barking, barking barking.

Today we decided they needed to sort of figure things out, so we muzzled him and let him off leash in the house. He chased after the cat, got in his face, and barked and barked. They were behind a shelf so I couldn't see much - but I know the cat hit him, and he just barked more.

I don't know if Luka is just being aggressive, thinks he's playing, thinks he's doing something right, or what.

He never barks or really makes a sound except when the cat is around.

 

He loves treats but when the cat is out - he's not interested at all. Really doesn't care about them. I've tried kibble, kitty food, kitty treats, the normal treats he likes, hot dogs, and cheese. I'm going to get some chicken, maybe some liver too, and see if he's interested enough in those. For now i'm stuck though.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated; I'm at a major loss.

 

Thanks!

-elo

Edited September 19, 2012 by Elo

[Guest FrankieWylie]

Chad....trying to remember his forum name.....he helped us a TON with Magic and our cat!

[OwnedBySummer]

Here is a data sheet from our Canadian Camp Greyhound, as posted on one of our local greyhound adoption sites, GRA Canada:

 

We've had the pleasure of cat training greyhounds several times, as we have multiple cats and multiple dogs. Here's our process.

 

1. Muzzle your dogs. Give them time, they will calm down with the muzzles on, they are used to wearing muzzles at the track and at the adoption kennel, not just for racing either, so give them some time, and get those muzzles on. They are the key to your being able to relax a bit. That being said, it is possible for a dog to injure a cat even with a muzzle on, so you still need to be vigilant if the greyhounds and cats can get at each other.

 

2. Assess your greyhound's reaction to the cat. Signs of being unworkable include: panting, copious drooling, and persistence. Persistence means that the greyhound will follow the cat anywhere, if the cat walks down the hall and goes into a bedroom and you close the door, the greyhound will either stay at the door, or keep going back to check the door. If your greyhound shows all of these signs or even 2/3, it's possible that he may truly be a high prey greyhound (unusual) and not workable with cats.

 

If your greyhound shows one of these signs, or stares at the cat, or whimpers a bit, it's likely they are workable. You'll be able to reassess for change each day, and you should see a gradual relaxation of signs going on, rather than an increase in signs of high prey behavior.

 

3. Move all the furniture away from the walls enough that your cat can get back there if need be. In spite of all your efforts right now to keep them separate, there can be an escape very quickly, and you will need a safe area for the cat to get to where the greyhound can't follow. We had our couch pulled out from the wall for months, just in case.

 

4. If your hounds are food motivated, before working with them, have a ton of treats at the ready. If they prefer pets, then you can use praise and pets to reward them.

 

5. When you're ready to start, what you want to do is reward your greyhound every single time they give you the behavior you're looking for. What you're looking for is ignoring the cat. So if the cat comes into the room, on the other side of the baby gate, and your grey looks at him and then looks away, the second he looks away give him his reward. This is positive reinforcement, a popular method of dog training. You're marking that ignoring behavior with a treat and/or praise, and that's the most important thing you can do. Keep doing that as much as you can.

 

6. For some dogs, positive reinforcement doesn't kick in fast enough, and you have to also do a bit of aversive training. At Camp Greyhound, that's a squirt of cold water and the words "no kitty". Again, the second your hound obeys the "no Kitty" command, reward him.

 

7. Repeat, repeat and repeat.

 

These methods have worked for us at Camp Greyhound very well. The longest we ever had to keep it up was a month. There are a few other tricks you can try, they include reinforcing the cats as alpha, meaning feed the cats first in front of the dogs, but if your greyhound is getting excited around the cats at this point, it's best to wait for some of these other things, and stick to a simple method.

 

They need to learn to associate ignoring the cat with good things happening, and not ignoring the cat with no rewards whatsoever. Some would say that aversive training will give the reward of attention, even though it's negative attention, but with some hounds, just using postive reinforcement is simply not enough.

 

Also, don't force introductions, let them handle that in a natural way with their own timing, and try not to pick up the cat in front of the greyhound, that can start some jumping behavior that you don't want.

[Guest snowmo18]

We have 3 cats and 2 greyhounds and havnt really had to deal with this issue..they all got along right off the bat. Have you tried putting luka in a crate while the cat roams to him know that this is the cats place too...maybe he is just overstimulated out of the crate and needs some observation time to soak in his surroundings. I would also focus on keeping the dog on the leash when the cat is out and when he even looks at the cat in stare down mode give a quick "no"..or "shhh" (caesar millan style). and keep doing it over and over..dont even let Luka get away with one stare down or lunge or chase.

 

Its a very dangerous situation if you cant get them to coexist, so setting the rules early is important..but you may also have to take into consideration that you do not have a "cat friendly" dog here...

[robinw]

I know this problem well, as bridge angel Loca was determined to eat my cat. Try tethering him to your waist with a leash whenever you're home. Praise him for ignoring the cat with treats and verbal praise. Keep him separated from the cat when you're not home; tether him to your waist whenever you are there. Be consistent. It took 1.5 months for Loca to ignore the cat and she sas tethwred to me all that time but it was worth it. They became great friends.

[Guest Elo]

I know this problem well, as bridge angel Loca was determined to eat my cat. Try tethering him to your waist with a leash whenever you're home. Praise him for ignoring the cat with treats and verbal praise. Keep him separated from the cat when you're not home; tether him to your waist whenever you are there. Be consistent. It took 1.5 months for Loca to ignore the cat and she sas tethwred to me all that time but it was worth it. They became great friends.

 

Hey Robin Thanks for the response He's actually tethered to me at all times except when pottying, and sleeping in his crate.

 

 

snowmo18 -

 

I've tried "ssh", "tchh", "No." "No!" , " ah-ah-ah", "AHH!!!" growling at him, body blocking, staring at him, blocking his eye sight so he can't see, distracting with treats, nothing.

 

 

 

 

He is a cat safe dog - with every cat EXCEPT mine. He was cat tested before and had no problem - and as I stated, cats outside that dart or run he couldn't care less about.

[Guest PiagetsMom]

 

He is a cat safe dog - with every cat EXCEPT mine. He was cat tested before and had no problem - and as I stated, cats outside that dart or run he couldn't care less about.

 

I'm sorry you're having such a tough time. I can only tell you that my girl, Maya, is with me now because she initially tested cat safe, was originally adopted out to a home with cats, and turned out NOT to be cat safe. I don't know if it's possible that the problem could just be your cat, but your cat is the cat that Luka has to live with. Hopefully, someone here will have a solution for you and Luka.

[a_daerr]

He is a cat safe dog - with every cat EXCEPT mine. He was cat tested before and had no problem - and as I stated, cats outside that dart or run he couldn't care less about.

 

My foster dog is fine with my tuxedo cat, but very reactive with the others. Sometimes it's just something about particular cats that rub them the wrong way. First try to decide is Luka is workable with your cat. The first poster mentioned persistence, salivating, panting, fixed gaze and being unable to distract. If you're not able to distract him enough to actually do the cat training, then you may need to return him and try again with another dog. If this is the case, I encourage you to be honest, realistic, and safe. I let my guard down too soon, and my foster ended up killing my three-month old kitten. Muzzle and supervise at all times, keep them separated, and make sure the cat has safe areas to escape.

[Guest PhillyPups]

Some dogs have a higher prey drive than others. None of mine would be good around a cat, neither would I with my allergies . My group cat tests with a live cat that is a fiesty street cat. Sometimes you do have to rile the hound up to see the true reaction with the cat. I am readng a lot of blame for the foster mom, she may have been trying to see what your hound would do, and I would think she may have a little more experience wth hounds and cats than you do, as this is your first dog. That sait, it could be that he is not cat safe at all. You would not be able to "break" 4 of mie from their cat keeness, and woould probably lose lot of cats trying.

 

Have you talked to your group about the issues you are having, and if so, what was their response?

 

MarcR's Myun tested cat workable, she lives with Starbuck, a cat. She went to a home when she was a foster, and wthin the 3rd day had the chihuaha in her mouth, so she went home to Marc, which is where she will stay, and gets along wth Starbuck..

 

Your first obligation is for the safety of your cat.

[Guest limbrooke83]

Hey guys - Just wanted to throw in my 0.02 here. Elo has been in touch with me for about a year now researching various breeds and carefully finding just the right candidate to train as her service dog (for those who don't know, DeeDee is my service dog). I watched videos of Luka's introductions to Neko (his foster mom brought him over twice to try introductions). The very first meeting started out great. Elo's boyfriend set Neko down on the floor in front of Luka. Luka tried to sniff him but Neko turned away and gave clear "I don't like you" body language. Luka turned away from Neko *all on his own* to explore the room a bit. Later, however, he wanted to sniff Neko and the foster mom would not allow him to get close at all. She stood there talking and telling stories while Luka began to hyperfocus on Neko. He barked, and she yanked on the leash and gave a sharp "No," but when he continued to bark she actually began petting him, patting him, etc (rewarding the behavior). Luka pulled on the leash at times, but other times simply stood at the end of it staring and barking. This all took place over the course of about 10-15 minutes (of being allowed to build intensity). Eventually, however, even at this high level of excitement, he turned away and went to explore elsewhere *all on his own initiative.*

 

The second introduction went in a similar fashion, except Luka was more interested in the cat than the first time. Everyone was of course focused on the cat and nervous about the introduction, which didn't help I'm sure, and once again Luka's intensity towards Neko was not only allowed to build, but rewarded. He still turned away on his own at times, even though his foster mom was doing everything wrong so far as handling him during the introduction.

 

Because of what I saw in those videos (a lot of human error with a dog who initially had no prey drive whatsoever towards this cat), and because Luka shows no desire to chase other small furries, even when they dart past him outside, I would definitely never say he is not cat safe. I think right now he is not Neko safe, which is obviously a problem. I know others here have to have had similar experiences, and I'm glad Elo is posting here looking for feedback. Aside from the Neko issue, Luka is an extremely solid service dog candidate, so I'd hate for her to have to start all over looking for another dog to train. Thank you to everyone who is offering advice to Elo on this issue. It takes a village to raise a greyhound sometimes, right?

 

ETA: I also wanted to emphasize that Elo has only had Luka for four days, so this is still a somewhat new situation for all of them...

Edited September 19, 2012 by limbrooke83

[krissy]

I have 3 rabbits and a cat (we didn't have the cat when we adopted though) so low prey drive is an absolutely essential trait to me. If a dog I am interested in showed this amount of interest in my cat/rabbits he would never have been allowed back. To me the critters were here first and my first priority is to their safety and happiness. There are many dogs and many greyhounds out there that fit the bill and I'm not willing to take any chances with their safety.

 

And a dog that tests cat safe originally doesn't necessarily have to be cat safe. Dogs cheat on their tests all the time. It sometimes also depends on the personality of individual cats. A relatively bold cat with nails and an appropriate house set up with proper management might be do-able. There are lots of people on this board who have taken less than cat-safe dogs and made it work. Personally I'm not willing to take that risk. I would never, ever forgive myself if something happened to one of the critters, and although I wouldn't blame the dog I don't know if our bond would survive totally unscathed. I may be particularly cautious because I have rabbits which really have no defense except their cages, and my cat is declawed (though she's pretty fearless).

[Guest limbrooke83]

The thing is, Luka continues to show zero interest in other small furries, anywhere he goes. Even when they dart past him. And he showed zero prey drive at first with Neko, too. There was a lot of mis-handling of him that caused a huge issue to develop over the course of two visits. I still think it should be workable because he has so little prey drive in general, but it's a tricky situation... jmo.

[Guest PhillyPups]

I have 3 rabbits and a cat (we didn't have the cat when we adopted though) so low prey drive is an absolutely essential trait to me. If a dog I am interested in showed this amount of interest in my cat/rabbits he would never have been allowed back. To me the critters were here first and my first priority is to their safety and happiness. There are many dogs and many greyhounds out there that fit the bill and I'm not willing to take any chances with their safety.

 

And a dog that tests cat safe originally doesn't necessarily have to be cat safe. Dogs cheat on their tests all the time. It sometimes also depends on the personality of individual cats. A relatively bold cat with nails and an appropriate house set up with proper management might be do-able. There are lots of people on this board who have taken less than cat-safe dogs and made it work. Personally I'm not willing to take that risk. I would never, ever forgive myself if something happened to one of the critters, and although I wouldn't blame the dog I don't know if our bond would survive totally unscathed. I may be particularly cautious because I have rabbits which really have no defense except their cages, and my cat is declawed (though she's pretty fearless).

 

Well said.

 

Another issue is that Luka may just not like Neko, sometimes that happens. To point blame on anyone is not fair. It is what it is.. .There are many hounds that live successfully with housecats/small critters but will go for them outside, usually not the other way around. I would not risk my resident pet's safety for anything. Good luck.

[GeorgeofNE]

Sounds like your blaming the foster mother for doing something that has made your cat more interesting to the dog. I really doubt that's the case--perhaps what you're seeing is simply the dog wanting to get a closer look?

 

George lives with cats, and really doesn't care about them at all. But I recently adopted an older cat who is extremely over weight, and thus doesn't really look like the cats George knows (I mean he's REALLY overweight). George was VERY interested in him--the cat was scared to death--but once George got a good sniff, he realized that it's not in fact a seal pup or a Labrador puppy, it's a cat, and he has returned to his normal state of "Who cares."

 

Maybe your Luka just needs to meet the cat up close and personal?

 

If your cat has an escape route and a safe place to go, and you keep a leash on the dog so you can grab it, I'd give intereaction a shot and see how it works out.

[mychip1]

Brought my boys home right from the track - (and 1500 miles away) so we had no choice but to make it work. Turns out, JJ has a high prey drive.....and I have a cat. I have baby gates into certain areas lifted about six inches off the ground so the cat can get under to get away....and the boys are always muzzled in the house when I am not home. I think your idea of muzzling him and letting them interact isn't bad. It may be, as Susan said, that he needs a few good sniffs to get rid of the curiosity.

 

Two years later, I still would not trust JJ alone with the cat - and occassionally, even when I am there, he will go on chase, he now for the most part, lets Irwin lie down and hang out about five feet away with no problem, i.e. in the same room. I am always alert, though, as to where Irwin and JJ are in the house. At night, when sleeping, Irwin tends to pick parts of the house that are set off by the baby gates....he is no one's dummy!

 

Best of luck!

[krissy]

I think your idea of muzzling him and letting them interact isn't bad. It may be, as Susan said, that he needs a few good sniffs to get rid of the curiosity.

 

Yes, but I vote for keeping him on a leash as well this time. Last time her dog cornered her cat. A dog with interest in a cat should never be let loose to chase a cat (even if he's just curious and doesn't have any bad intentions... because you really can't know that until it's too late). Remember they can still kill or seriously injure with a muzzle on. Might give the cat a little bit more of a chance but it's not fool proof.

 

Anyway, everyone is different but personally I don't want to live on high alert constantly. I want to be able to trust that I'm going to come home to everyone alive. I want to be able to watch t.v. and not have a moment of panic thinking "where's the dog?" or "where's the cat?". I also don't really think it is fair to the rabbits or cat to have to live on alert or in fear. I don't care how much I like the dog. I know people who rehomed their cats because the dog they got wasn't safe, and there are obviously people who are willing to accept a life on alert. And then there are those of us who make prey drive the most important quality when searching for a new dog. The first thing I do before I get really invested in a dog is bring them into the house on leash and see the reaction to my rabbits. Only you know what you are willing to risk, just make sure you are really and truly able to accept the consequences if someone ends up injured or dead. And don't let Luka loose, muzzle or not, until you get the situation more under control. That's only fair to Neko.

[claudiav]

I think he wants to have a good sniff of the cat... Sounds like he's not been allowed to do so.... I would keep them separated but able to see each other for a good week to two weeks (baby gates 6 inches of the ground).... this way he can get used to the cat's scent, see him, and learn that they can co-exist... When not around, I would keep them apart in separate rooms so they can still sniff each other under the door... that's the general rule of thumb for cat and dog introductions.... I would also work on traingin the cat, not just the dog.... so the cat learns it's not ok to instigate....

 

Good luck

[Guest limbrooke83]

Sounds like your blaming the foster mother for doing something that has made your cat more interesting to the dog. I really doubt that's the case--perhaps what you're seeing is simply the dog wanting to get a closer look?

 

.....

 

Maybe your Luka just needs to meet the cat up close and personal?

 

If your cat has an escape route and a safe place to go, and you keep a leash on the dog so you can grab it, I'd give intereaction a shot and see how it works out.

 

The introductions of Luka to Neko - both visits - were videotaped and, along with other videos of him (testing, etc), were reviewed by both myself and another person who has experience choosing service dog candidates for a program down in Florida. We both immediately agreed that the foster mom made *major* and obvious mistakes in handling the introduction, and that Luka had zero prey drive interest in the cat to begin with. Any experienced greyhound handler (or dog trainer in general) who saw those videos would agree, trust me. So it's not just Elo blaming the foster mom. I love greyhound foster parents. They do amazing work. I will be forever grateful to DeeDee's foster parents for giving her the best start possible. But in Luka's case, his foster mom created an issue where one simply didn't exist. I do agree Luka simply needs a way to get close and sniff the cat a few times. But he needs to be able to do that without Neko bolting away and without everyone being stressed and on high alert about it all. Like I said in an earlier post, it's a tricky situation.

 

Regardless, the current situation is what it is, and Elo has to do her best to make it work (thus her post here). The option of simply returning Luka to the adoption group and getting another greyhound is made far more complicated by the fact that Elo needs a service dog candidate, and the vast majority of dogs, even greyhounds, simply aren't cut out for that job. Luka is a very strong candidate. Very strong. Even with the Neko issue, he continues to be fine with all other animals, big and small, which is why we are in agreement that Elo needs to try to fix this issue before looking for another candidate. It took Elo a year to find the right service dog candidate for her. A year. So this isn't just any dog. It's not a "pet" situation. If it were, I would have advised Elo to get another greyhound right away - and find someone who can do cat introductions properly. As it is, Elo needs to find ways to make this work if at all possible. Aside from (and despite) the Neko distraction, Luka is settling in as expected and learning quickly. He's everything we knew he would be temperament wise. We just need a way to help both Luka and Neko get along. They don't have to love each other. They just have to live together in peace.

 

As someone who initially had a dog with moderately high prey drive (hyperfocusing on small furries, both inside and outside buildings, lunging at anything small that moved while on walks, etc) who was trained to ignore that drive using treat distraction, and who eventually stepped up to the plate to learn to become a service dog when my health failed, I believe there should be a way to get Luka, who has far, far less prey drive than DeeDee did, to get along with Neko and continue with his training. Please try to understand - Elo needs ideas for training Luka and Neko to get along. Not lectures on why she should return him. It's just not that simple. If all else fails, of course she'll go that route. She is a very responsible pet owner, and cares for her cat's safety more than anyone. She'll do what she has to do, but right now she's looking for help getting Luka and Neko past this hurdle. Thank you to everyone who has shared ideas so far. I believe Luka is doing a bit better, but more ideas for solutions are always welcome... Thanks!

Edited September 23, 2012 by limbrooke83

[TwiggysMom]

Elo and Limbrooke83, you have both made good, clear explanations of just how difficult this situation is. It also sounds like you are quite knowledgeable of the techniques that work under "normal" circumstances.

 

I've used the treat conditioning with several fosters who showed higher than desired cat interest, and it did work in all cases; but this case is obviously different.

 

This may be an odd and inconvenient idea, but I wonder if it would be possible to "reset" things by moving Luka to a different foster home (not the one he was at) for a week or two, then re-doing the cat introductions properly. Or even re-introducing Neko to Luka in a different environment. I know that cats can be pretty traumatized in unfamiliar circumstances (I have to former-feral cats myself, and they completely shut down if other people are here or if they are taken elsewhere), so bringing Luka to a "neutral" location for a re-introduce might not be an option.

 

I realize my suggestion is similar to what happened between the first and second introductions, but since those meetings weren't handled optimally, maybe if the re-introduction was handled very carefully and consciously it might go better?

 

I know this is just grasping at straws, but I thought I'd toss it out there. I certainly hope you find something that makes this work for all of you.

[Guest limbrooke83]

That's an idea. I hadn't thought of that. If nothing else is working, that may be something to try at least before beginning the search for a different candidate. Thanks!

[Guest Kaila]

What if Neko was put in the crate so that he couldn't bolt but was still safe? You can push the crate up against the wall and cover half of it so that Neko doesn't feel too over-exposed. Luka could be on-leash outside of the crate, and taken out of the room as soon as he started to hyper-focus or bark. Treats for being around the cat quietly and looking away. I don't know what level he's at right now, but if you can teach a Watch Me command WITHOUT Neko around, you could use that to your benefit when the cat IS around.. but it sounds like for now you'll have to start with clicking/treating for looking away from the cat, even if it's not to look at you. Maybe designate a room for Neko with his litter box and food/water, only bringing him out around Luka to work on training so that he can't run around the house and excite him more. Having Neko in the crate will give Luka enough visual stimulation without having all of the fleeing prey behavior going on (running, hiding, etc.), and Neko would still be safe. It seems unfair to Neko, though, I guess. But it might help, and then it would only benefit him in the end. I'd only bring Neko out for short training sessions, maybe 10-15 minutes once or twice a day.

 

Have you been using the clicker consistently, not just a marker word? I know that research shows that dogs pick up commands in half the time when a clicker is used versus when only a marker word is used. It might be worth trying if you're not doing it already!

 

I hope this helps!

Edited September 23, 2012 by Kaila

[Batmom]

We both immediately agreed that the foster mom made *major* and obvious mistakes in handling the introduction, and that Luka had zero prey drive interest in the cat to begin with. Any experienced greyhound handler (or dog trainer in general) who saw those videos would agree, trust me.

 

Well, I wouldn't agree. In fact, I'd disagree rather strongly. Stop blaming the foster mom for something she didn't do. You're not going to -- and she didn't -- turn a dog with no prey drive into a cat zapping maniac in a few short minutes. Initial lack of interest in cats and other exciting (or scary) things is common when a dog is brought to a new place. There's a lot to process, and they don't process it all at once. Basic dog behavior.

 

That he doesn't react to small animals while outdoors doesn't mean he won't react to them indoors.

 

If Luka can't be distracted from the cat at this point, you have two choices: Follow robinw's advice for a week or two and see if you make progress in desensitizing him to the indoor cat, or return him to the group and pick a different dog.

[robinw]

this is the first time that i've revisited this thread since my post. the foster mom couldn't have been responsible for taking a dog with no prey drive and making it into a dog with a high prey drive. not only do i believe that it can't be done, i think that it is unfair to blame the foster mom for the dog's behaviour. keep it up and you'll have difficulty finding anybody to foster dogs for your group.

 

tethering worked for me. try it or don't try it, but do not leave the dog unleashed around the cat.

Edited September 24, 2012 by robinw

[Guest Elo]

It is entirely possible to train an animal to be aggressive towards other animals.

Take fighting pit bulls for example. They aren't born with that aggression and hatred. It is learned.

It is also entirely possible that the foster mom did teach some aggression towards a specific animal - my cat.

I love my foster mom - she was very sweet and met my every need and then some. It just seems that she wasn't very skilled in introducing greyhounds and cats to eachother. I'm not either. It's not her fault - we just both need to learn.

I was just explaining the facts bringing us to this situation.

 

For future reference - telling someone to get rid of their dog instead of actually helping them with the problem - isn't helpful at all.

I am not in a place to get rid of this dog - i can't magically get a new one. I'm glad you can deal with animals in such a materialistic manner as to if it doesn't work, buy a new one, instead of fixing it, but i am not in that place and cannot, will not do this.

The LAST thing i ever desire is my cat being hurt, and i will do everything in my power to prevent that.

This situation is more than fixable and i was just asking for ideas on how to help me to get there.

 

If I could delete this thread, i would, because i'm quite frankly sickened.

[Batmom]

Your foster mom didn't cause this problem. She didn't make your dog interested in the cat or do anything to increase his interest. I'm flabbergasted that people keep blaming her for that.

 

Nobody (including me) told you categorically to "get rid of" the dog. I told you to follow a plan like Robin's, involving vigilance, training, and observation, or return him to the group.

 

There's a difference between "getting rid of" a pet for mere convenience and rehoming a dog to save the life and comfort of that dog or of another animal (or person) in a home.