Dog-cat relationship question

[Hector]

Our kitten Skiziks is now 15 weeks old, healthy, and full of life. Our two dogs are age 3 (Bailey -- BC-Sighthound-X) and age 10 (Sadie -- Sheltie-X).

 

Sadie doesn't want to be bothered by a rambunctious kitten, and she has let Skiziks know that by growling and occasionally snapping at him. Skiziks pretty much has learned that lesson and so he leaves Sadie alone.

 

Bailey is much more tolerant of Skiziks and Bailey has never growled or snapped at Skiziks. So the kitten thinks that Bailey is a big friendly playmate and Skiziks is always playfully jumping at and play-attacking Bailey. Sometimes they play together okay. Bailey weighs 75 pounds, Skiziks weighs 4 pounds, so Bailey can take care of himself if push comes to shove. But Bailey's usual means of dealing with the kitten is to just walk away.

 

What I don't like is that in the evening, when Bailey wants to lie around and rest quietly, Skiziks is always jumping on Bailey and bothering him. Poor Bailey is so kind and gentle that he doesn't discipline Skiziks. So Bailey is getting tormented by the kitten. I have used a squirt bottle to get Skiziks to stop doing stuff that he shouldn't do, like climb on the kitchen table and tear up the living room curtains.

 

Should I use the squirt bottle to discourage Skiziks from going after Bailey? I have been putting Skiziks into his crate when he is bothering Bailey too much, but I would rather that Skiziks learn to peacefully coexist in the same room without bothering Bailey.

 

Any advice on how to do that?

[Allie+Tess&Kipp]

I don't think I'd use the squirt bottle for this issue, since they do enjoy playing together sometimes and it's not something you want to discourage. I would be inclined to let Bailey handle it. Bailey will find a way to make his wishes clear eventually. It may be more effective coming from Bailey anyway.

 

Allie + Tess & Kipp

http://weebordercollie.com

[Lunar]

Yeah, I'd agree with Allie. If you squirted the cat I'd be afraid Skiziks would learn to not go near the dog at all, and that'd be sad. It would be harder with a kitten - our cat is about 3 or 4 and has an off-switch, haha - but even when Zoe's not in the mood she just ignores the cat (and drags him along, who is clinging to and biting her leg). I think Bailey will figure it out.

[D'Elle]

I have lived with dogs and cats in the same house all my life. Definitely I would say do *not* discipline the kitten for what he is doing. The two of them will work it out on their own. As long as there is no danger from the dog toward the cat, and it appears there is none here, then they will sort it all out. Once the kitten stage is over, they may learn to play beautifully together. I had a dog and cat who played together so magnificently that it was the most entertaining thing in the whole household, loved by all, and it started out with a puppy incessantly bothering the cat, and getting whacked for it with a cat paw. We did not intervene, and they developed their own lovely style.

[Tammy525]

What about distracting the kitten in the evenings and playing with her? Does she have any of the "feather on a stick" toys, etc., that are no fun without you? I am sure you are worn out by evening, too, but this is a very short stage with kittens. It is very different from dogs where this stage can last 3-4 years or more, before you know it your kitten will be a cat who couldn't care less about toys unless they are actually alive (as in a mouse).

 

We have had the best luck with the more expensive feather on a stick toy that twirls when you fly it through the air. If she is a treat conscious kitty, you might even treat for leaving Bailey alone in the evening. I am sure if you worked at it, you could be way more exciting than a sleeping dog!!

 

With Sparkle, our feistiest cat, sometimes her play got too rough for all of us, or we were done and she wasn't. That's when she got an extended time out in another room. She is 14 months old and LONG grown out of that stage. She was such an aggressive kitten, I didn't think it would ever be over, but it is over, she is a boring old cat already, well most of the time anyway.

[juliepoudrier]

Hi Hector,

Everyone has given great answers and I really don't have anything to add except that "this too shall pass." Enjoy the kitten antics while you can! I think Tammy's idea of distracting him from Bailey is a good one. You can *wear a kitten/cat out* (it doesn't take long to have them lying down panting, and the gymnastics they do in the meantime are priceless!) with one of those fluttering feather toys!

 

J.

[Hector]

Thanks, those are good answers -- just the kind of advice that I was seeking. I will apply your suggestions to my situation.

[Allie+Tess&Kipp]

Absolutely those toys are totally wonderful--get one if you don't have one. When a kitten grows up, it is not as playful but still needs exercise. If you use toys when they are little, they will always love to play with you as they grow older. My husband entertains the cats every evening while I brush my teeth. It is absolutely hysterical to watch.

 

If you get one of those laser toys, I recommend you keep them away from a BC or any dog that is capable becoming obsessive about something. We have one for our cats and the dogs have to be in their crates for the cats to play with us in another room. Tess saw the light one time and spent a week looking for it under the bed. We decided it was safer for her mental health if she never saw it again. The cats LOVE it, though. Big bonus about these toys on a stick/string and the laser--you can sit down and rest while you wear the cat out.

 

Allie + Tess & Kipp

http://weebordercollie.com

[Tammy525]

Oh, and don't leave the kitty alone with your new feather toy. There will be nothing left of it, and she might swallow something she shouldn't.

[Lunar]

.... or the dogs. *has lost quite a few cat toys by creedy dog mouths*

[Kitch]

Ah, I remember the feather toy well...it worked great until Dublin got a hold of it...

 

Yes, definitely play with the kitten - "cat fishing" is fun and relaxing and will keep your kitty in shape - mentally and physically. It is important for cats to get at least 20 mintues of exercise a day (not a problem for a frisky kitten, but as cats get older they don't play as much unless they were introduced to it as a kitten...)

[AWQH]

We have a cat who is now 1 y/o. His mother was a rottem mom and abandoned 1/2 the litter. They fell off a barn roof beam. Why she had them up there who knows. We took the 2 kittens who were abandoned and bottled raised them. 1 did not make it, but the other one did. He is the sweetest cat anyone could hope for. We had help though... Hondo and Chopper. The would clean the kitten after I had fed him. From nose to tip of tail.

 

When Atrayu( kitten) got a bit older and would perster the 2 dogs, we let them sort it out. I thought about intervening, but decided against it for the reason others have mentioned. Now...? This cat sleeps with a dog most nights. People watch in amazement as these 2 interact. The dogs helped bring the kitten up, and so he learned what to do and not to do, just as he would have from his mother. Yje only problem we have is that he prefers dog food over cat food lol.

 

 

Dianne

[Hector]

Here's an update on my dog-cat relationship situation.

 

Our older dog Sadie wants nothing to do with the playful Skiziks. On several occasions when he tried to start playing with her, Sadie growled and snapped at him. That more or less taught Skiziks to leave her alone. But as he has gotten older (he is now about 16 weeks old) he has gotten bolder. Now he shows a tendency to just plain harass Sadie. Last evening she was lying peaceably on the floor, and Skiziks came running at her at full speed, took a flying leap from three feet away, bounced off the top of her head, and then kept going to the other side of the room where he hid. I will not allow him to do that. I picked up a fly swatter and kept it in my hand. A little later when Skiziks looked like he was thinking about harassing Sadie again I gave him a swat with the fly swatter. I will continue doing that to teach him not to harass Sadie.

 

As for Bailey, he likes to play with Skiziks and Bailey can take care of himself. Skiziks is always the initiator of the play, but lately the play will escalate to the point that Skiziks decides he has had enough and he quits and hides. As I watched them this morning, Skiziks was on his back and Bailey had him pinned down with one of his forepaws. They were playfully tussling but Skiziks wasn't going anywhere with that dog-paw holding him down. Skiziks got rougher with Bailey, and then Bailey got to Skiziks with a bite that caused the cat to yelp just a little. That was the first time I had seen that happen. But I am sure that Skiziks got the message that a 70 pound dog can take care of himself against a 4 pound cat. So I am letting those two sort things out, except when the evening time comes and Bailey wants to rest, I take steps to not give Skiziks access to harass Bailey.

 

So overall the dog-cat relationships are okay, but I still am watching them and taking action that I deem appropriate.

[Tassie]

Sounds good, Hector. I'm smiling because when the dogs and I got home from work yesterday evening, the cats were waiting for 'their' dogs, and greeted them both.

 

My little 17 year old cat (who has never been dogless) likes the dogs being around, but tends to stay out of their way, except in the evening, when she sleeps on the back of the armchair that one of the dogs is sleeping on.

 

However, my 9 year old Border Collie cat (also never dogless) loves the dogs actively, and smooches up against them to greet them.

 

Most times the dogs are fine, although Kirra can get too excited and cause the cats to go under a chair to be safe - but every now and again, the two dogs will decide a moving cat is fair game for harassment - like you - I put a stop to that and remind the dogs about good manners round cats!

 

Sounds like Skiziks is growing into a lovely cat.