New cat hates dog

theoriginaled

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Hello all!

My fiance and I just got our first cat together a beautiful Tuxedo male kitten, a real sweetheart. Our current pet a 4yr old terrier male is a total pushover
. He is completely afraid of the 3 month old kitten because from the moment we got home the kitten has been actively stalking and attempting to attack our poor dog. I know its still early in their relationship but are there any suggestions for curbing this behavior? Thanks so much.
 

buzbyjlc10

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I'd use some usual intro techniques... keep the kitty confined to one room for a little while at first - remember, it was your dog's castle first, haha, so new members of the royal family will take time to be accepted and fit in... I've got Oliver and a 13 year old black lab, who until I got Ollie had the thought process of "cat = chase into tree, then bark and return home proud"... when I brought Oliver home, the dog turned into a big chicken haha (she could sit on Ollie and squash him, but she doesnt get it, lol)... I kept Ollie in my room at first and when the dog was outside playing, I'd bring him downstairs on his leash - he got to smell her smells and when she came back in, she could smell his... so they got used to each other somewhat - they also got to see each other occasionally through a baby gate, which resulted in some barking and cat growling, haha... another thing is Oliver's only 5 and wants to play and my dog is kind of past that stage - so he'll run by and swat her (claws in) on the bum or snoot and expect her to chase... she used to get real bothered and get up and move away, but now she just looks at him like "what's your problem, you monster?" He doesn't do it as often now and they actually co-habitate quite nicely... they can walk past each other and occasionally sniff right at each other, but it'll be a cold day in hell when they curl up together for a nap


So basically, be patient and don't let your dog feel overwhelmed - he's used to ruling the roost so give him (and the new kitty) time to realize they now co-rule the roost (or think they do, hehe)... just like with a new baby, ya gotta let the other kids know they're not loved any less or bein run out, haha
 
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