Help With Cat And Keiva

[MachosMom]

Hi everyone! Hoping for some expert tips. We have had Macho's littermate for just over a month. We have a few issues we are working on. The biggest is the cat.

 

We have progressed to just a muzzle , no leash.

 

Where we are stuck is... Keiva can lay five feet from the cat and not care..or let the cat walk right past her. However, if Keiva is in an excited or otherwise heightened mood, AND the cat walks or runs thru the room...the chase is on.

 

This is new for us as the other girls and Macho broke interest of the cat 100% within a week.

 

Any tips on how to progress past this? We muzzle everyone when we are gone and the cat is out in her own play room (completely with kitty tree , beds and window sills) at the same time so there are no mishaps.

 

I dont know what to try, what not to, well, you get the idea!

 

Thanks in advance.

[Brandiandwe]

No advice, just wishing you lots of luck!

[greysmom]

My completely cat safe greyhounds will still chase the cat if she runs. So, after several years, I`m not sure what to do either. I stop and re-direct them mostly. It has gotten a lot better over time. I think I'm not that worried because I feel like I can guage their intent well enough - they just see a moving object and want to chase it, not necessarily catch and kill it. If the cat stops moving, so do they, and they get bored and go lay down again. My cat is also quite capable of swatting a dog right across the nose if it gets too fresh.

 

You may not feel this trusting with your new girl quite yet, so muzzles and separating are probably the best way to go for now. I don`t want to make it seem like I;m unaware of the danger, I just have a fairly high tolerance for dog-cat interactions. If there was the slightest uncertainty in my mind, I would leave them together.

[brianamac]

I think that since Keiva can be near the cats when they aren't running, she's still trainable. I think you just need more time.

We had a foster that did this and the only thing that solved it was time, time, time. And supervision, always.

[a_daerr]

I agree with Chris. My dogs still chase the kitties when they run, but that's all they do. When the cat stops, they stop. They aren't fixated, they don't try to nip or grab. They just see something moving, and their instinct is to run after it. And usually it's the Meezer who's running- same cat that also cuddles with the dogs and pals around with them.

 

If Keiva is okay with the cat at close proximity and ignores them when they're not running, chances are that she's 'safe.' A grey who was set on killing the cat would more than likely be obsessed and unable to exhibit impulse control at other times. I wouldn't be too worried about it at this point. Just give her some more time, and muzzle if you have any feelings of doubt.

[MachosMom]

Thanks everyone! This is helpful and gives us hope we are going to be ok

[3greytjoys]

Congratulations on adopting Macho's littermate, Keiva!

 

Hopefully, Keiva is still improving nicely. It's still early in Keiva's transition learning to live with a cat.

 

I'd suggest teaching "leave it". Reward Keiva for calm behavior around the cat. Try to ensure the cat is viewed as a loved and valued family member.

 

I'd suggest installing a tall, baby-gate about 5" - 6" above floor level in the most used family room area (where dogs spend most time). This gives a cat a full doorway wide escape route. Since Greyhounds are faster than cats, the easier the cat escape routes are the better. An indoor baby-gate usually stops a hound's chase quickly, at least while humans are supervising.

 

Helpful to pull large/long furniture (sofa, etc.) slightly away from walls to create cat-safe hiding places where a dog can't reach a cat. (Give kitty enough room to turn around.)

 

The cat should be behind a solid closed door whenever you leave the house. Muzzles are helpful for hounds, but a hound can still kill a cat by pouncing on it, and/or biting through a muzzle.

 

Even if dogs are acting playful with cats, precautions should be taken to keep cats safe. Only takes an instant for play to turn to prey.

 

(This may not relate to your circumstance, but we're careful to select dog toys that don't resemble cats. We like "Tuffie Toys" for their durability and unique shapes.)

 

 

 

If there was the slightest uncertainty in my mind, I would leave them together.

 

Assuming this statement was meant to read that she would not leave them together.