Anyone With Cats?

[Acadianarose]

Payton has space aggression issues and everyone leaves him alone when he is lying down – except the cats. If he is up and about, he is absolutely terrified of the cats and will just stand there whining if one comes near him. But if he is in his bed, he will growl and they do not take a hint.

 

The cats and dogs are separated when I am not at home, but I let the cats out of my room when we are home. When I hear him growl at them, I rush to move the cat away from him, but I am worried that I might not get there quickly enough one day and he snap at them.

 

Does anyone have this issue? How do you handle it?

 

Thanks so much (again)!

[Guest BlueCrab]

I'm sure you'll get a lot of good feedback on this. My situation was a low prey-drive, cat friendly grey (Trixie) and a cat who owned the place and wouldn't take no for an answer (Opel).

 

On the day we had our adoption home-visit, Opel marched into the room and laid down right next to the visiting grey who came for the interview / visit. The interviewer exclaimed "that's a VERY forward cat!" The day Trixie came home she was confined to and slept/ate in her crate. Opel walked in the first time we opened the door, laid down next to Trixie and made herself at home. Thank goodness Trixie didn't go anything to take her apart. Opel went on to sleep next to / on top of Trixie whenever she felt like it in the years after. Trixie would growl at her, with the occasional irritated snap, but Opel didn't care. I left them to their own devices to figure it out amonst themselves, which may be what you have to do, depending on how much your cat thinks s/he runs things. Opel showed that she was running the show and there wasn't anything I could do to change it. If I wanted her to leave Trixie alone, it wouldn't have mattered. I don't think Trixie ever connected with her when she snapped, but Opel did start to show a fair amount of caution about the pointy, sharp end of Trixie as she (Opel) got older. But Opel slept on top of Trixie or else wrapped around her neck or head until she (Opel) passed away this year.

[JJNg]

Depends on your comfort level and how well you know your dog (as well as the cats), but one option is to just let them work it out on their own. If they ignore the growl and push him to the point of snapping, they may be more likely to learn to leave him alone. Most dogs snap as a warning with no intent to injure, and cats have fast reactions. This may not be a good idea if you have reason to believe that Payton will make a serious attempt to hurt the cat, or if you think the cat is one who won't learn.

[a_daerr]

I have a Siamese cat who is very dog-centered. One of my hounds is okay with that, the other prefers his space. I let them work it out amongst themselves. Henry had to growl/snap several times before the cat took the hint.

 

I should also say, the cat was by no means traumatized from being on the receiving end of a snap. He still cuddles and hangs out with the other dog. In the end, he ended up learning which dog to pester and which one to leave alone.

[GeorgeofNE]

Sounds like you're on track--not leaving them unsupervised alone.

 

I also have a very "forward" cat, Mister Bigglesworth (an Oriental Shorthair--same personality as a Siamese, only more active), whose other names include YLB (You Little Bastard) and Da Ebil Won. No amount of growling or snapping bothers him. He simply isn't afraid of George because he has been with us since I got him as a 14 week old. George was the only household animal member who accepted him at first (my other two cats wanted nothing to do with him) so he thinks he is a tiny Greyhound.

 

My other cat, a Siamese I adopted at 11 years of age, was TERRIFIED of dogs when he arrived. He now knows George is no threat and will sunbath on George's bed with George on it.

 

If George intended to hurt Mister Bigglesworth, he would already be dead. George will go at it with any type of dog (except Greyhounds)--he is pretty aggressive for a Greyhound. But he understands that the cat is part of the "pack" and I do not believe he would EVER hurt him. I do keep a water squirt bottle in the house for those times when George seems extra grumpy. I use it on the CAT, not the dog!

 

I often remove Mister Bigglesworth from George's space since the growling doesn't work. The problem is that Mister B. actually uses his claws on George's tummy when he does that "making biscuits" thing so many cats (particularly Oriental types) do. I'd growl too!

Edited October 8, 2013 by GeorgeofNE

[duncan41]

I have a similar situation: dog is fine with the cats when she's up on all 4's, but will growl and give a warning snap if anyone comes too close when she's fully reclined. Lately, she has zeroed in on the friendliest of the three felines - he really likes her, but she has now taken to warning him off with a snap when she's up on all 4s and if he's on the furniture, which puts him closer to her eye level. In her defense, the little bustard is a real tease and seems to be purposely antagonizing her by walking past her head when he could have taken an alternate route.

 

If you have a cat who won't take the hint, I would at the very least muzzle the dog when you're not around to supervise or preferably separate them.

[Acadianarose]

I also have a very "forward" cat, Mister Bigglesworth (an Oriental Shorthair--same personality as a Siamese, only more active), whose other names include YLB (You Little Bastard) and Da Ebil Won.

 

This is so funny! Sounds like our cat, Annabella. And the squirt bottle is a great idea!

 

We call the cats the b!tches. They go out of their way to harass the dogs. They are sisters and we adopted them both at the same time when they were 12 weeks old. One is more outgoing and daring. The other is much more timid. Both will creep up on the dogs while they are sleeping. The lab will get up and run once he realizes one of the cats is near. Payton growls at anyone or animal near him while he is lying down (except me).

 

I really don’t know what Payton would do if the cat did not back off. He has jumped up 3 times really barking and growling (twice at DD and I when we first adopted him and once at the lab) – and he did not give a warning growl first. He has never bitten anyone and it does not seem that he really has any intention of doing so. But when he growls, everyone leaves him alone, so I have not actually tested that theory. I move the cats.

 

He is learning to trust me and I noticed that now if I tell him “it’s ok”, he instantly relaxes. (Funny story – DH was trying to check his paw. Payton pulled away from him, hid behind me and laid his head on my leg and stared at DH from behind me).

 

Because of Payton’s space issues, I watch his body language closely. He is pushy and does not like to share. And it is also very clear when he does not want to be approached. But he is getting better every day and in general, I do not see any aggression in him. For the most part, he loves attention.

 

So, based on everyone’s responses, it seems like things are progressing normally. I never leave the cats out unsupervised.

 

You guys are great! Thanks so much!

[GeorgeofNE]

The squirt bottle is your best bet, I think. You need to try training the cats, 'cause the dog isn't doing anything "wrong," per se. Growling is his only means of communicating, and the cats are obviously like mine and just don't care. But we know they HATE the squirt bottle! So fill 'er up and keep it by your chair!

 

Since your new, you probably haven't seen any of these pictures.

 

I call this one "Tiny Jockey"

 

 

What can you even say about this?

 

 

Rated R!

 

 

Cracking a joke?

 

 

Ticking his feet!

 

 

Brothers!

 

Edited October 9, 2013 by GeorgeofNE

[Guest Branna]

The squirt bottle is your best bet, I think. You need to try training the cats, 'cause the dog isn't doing anything "wrong," per se. Growling is his only means of communicating, and the cats are obviously like mine and just don't care. But we know they HATE the squirt bottle! So fill 'er up and keep it by your chair!

 

Since your new, you probably haven't seen any of these pictures.

 

I call this one "Tiny Jockey"

 

 

What can you even say about this?

 

 

Rated R!

 

 

Cracking a joke?

 

 

Ticking his feet!

 

 

Brothers!

 

 

These are the cutest pictures I have ever seen... "tickling his feet"!! Too funny.

[Acadianarose]

The squirt bottle is your best bet, I think. You need to try training the cats, 'cause the dog isn't doing anything "wrong," per se. Growling is his only means of communicating, and the cats are obviously like mine and just don't care. But we know they HATE the squirt bottle! So fill 'er up and keep it by your chair!

 

Since your new, you probably haven't seen any of these pictures.

 

I call this one "Tiny Jockey"

 

 

What can you even say about this?

 

 

Rated R!

 

 

Cracking a joke?

 

 

Ticking his feet!

 

 

Brothers!

 

 

I love these pictures! So funny! I am keeping my fingers crossed.

 

I will pull out the squirt bottle and keep it handy. The poor dog is just trying to sleep!

[Guest k9soul]

No kitties here but those pictures are so adorable!

 

I will say that Rudy has gradually gotten more tolerant of my two mixed breed girls walking close to his space. He still gives grumpy growls at times and doesn't want to be touched when he's sleeping but he's a lot more relaxed about it all now than a few months ago. If he jerks awake with a startled snarl I just murmur "it's okay" and he seems to immediately calm and relax again. I think Payton's tensions will gradually ease the longer he has been there and settles in.