Cat Hates Dog! Dog Hates Cat!

Hello all! I have been battling a long time problem that I don't know will ever be solved. My cat and dog hate each other! I mean it is bad, real bad, like dogs eyes being scratched out bad! The history is this, The dog is about the same size as the cat, and was here first. She is old, 10yrs or so. The cat was a stray a little over a year ago and was already a mature adult female. Both animals were separated for a long time before any introduction was attempted. The closest they got to each other was catching each others scent from under the door, or some bedding that one of them slept on. Well when it was time to kinda meet, the cat was on guard right away, hissed and spit, and of course the dog was removed.

Now I did not just let the dog or cat just run into each other, I was there monitoring the whole event. It did not go well to say the least. As time went on the cat/dog hate never changed. As soon as the cat would hiss at the dog, the dog would growl/bark and sometimes lunge (very bad) and the cat would proceed to attempt to claw up the dogs face. Being successful once and ending up ulcerating the dogs eye. (Pricey at the vets but dogs eye healed).

Since then I keep them completely separate. I never take any chances anymore as I can't afford to have someone get hurt, and I'd feel like a horrible pet parent if any major damage happened to either one of them.

So in a few weeks I will be moving to my new place, and I really want to be able to have us all live in peace. I feel a little bummed out at the idea of having one of them confined to one area of the house all the time, but that may be the only option.

Have any of you had a situation like this? If so were you ever able to make things work? Suggestions ideas?

try separating them in different room with a mesh door, and feed them on either side. and maybe blocking a little their site so they will smell but not see each other. small dogs tend to be feisty, so I'm not sure if they will get along.

i got extremely lucky with the cat i adopted, i brought her home when she was 3 months old. my brother has a dog (an American bulldog) that once killed a cat, and my niece has a small dog that barks at everything. so i was terrified. i planned on separating the animals if they were a threat to her. i brought her home, and let them smell her, they got so excited, they slobbered all over me and tried to jump me to get to her, and then I took her to my room to sleep. i would let her out to play for a few hours everyday, always watched her in case the dog acted strangely. i just let them be around each other, and i showed lots of attention to the new cat, so the dogs will know she matters to me. and i would yell if they chased her, or scared her.

for a few days the AB would smell her and start salivating when she was near, i was worried he would be obsessed with her always, and i wouldn't be able to trust him.... now 7 months later, they act calmly around each other,  both dogs very quickly grew to love her. the small dog would get nervous when she was near. but now he defends her! Lol sometimes my cat gets a burst of energy and will leap with both paws and pounce on the dogs and run in the other direction, or use them as a ladder to get to high places. the dogs dont even slow down, they act like nothings happened! its hilarious.

i dont know what advice to give you, i took a chance and just introduced them, before learning that you are supposed to do a slow introduction, i just let the animals figure it out themselves, and now they all love each other. apparently what i did is considered a big NO NO when introducing animals. but strangely enough a vet assistant i met, told me she does the same thing. she lets the animals figure it out themselves, and scolds them when they are rough with each other.

by the way, are you making sure to clip the cats nails at least every 2 weeks? you can also put nail caps on her, to less the damage to the dog.

terestrife said:

by the way, are you making sure to clip the cats nails at least every 2 weeks? you can also put nail caps on her, to less the damage to the dog.

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YES! Totally agree. Clip the nails or put caps on them.

Then reintroduce them. I am thinking that your dog may have learned his lesson after being scratched in the eye, but you never really gave them another chance after that. I used to live in a house with three cats and a dog. The cats ruled and the dog drooled.

It sounds to me like you are being too worried. Animals have a way of working things out for themselves, but you have to give them time. You do not need to separate them every time they bark and hiss at each other. They will eventually figure out their own pecking order and live together.

You should also try to stay calm when they are in the room. Both cats and dogs pick up on your energy and you could be contributing to the anxiety because you are so worried that they will hurt each other. (It's 'cause you love them though so it's okay   ).

Once you start to reintroduce them you will have to pay close attention to their behavior to see how you can help them. If one of them starts running and hiding you should try to provide escape routes and safe rooms. Maybe you can distract them with toys somehow too. Redirect their energy.

Definitely clip or cap your cats claws before trying again though to avoid further injury.

Good luck!

Is the dog trained? We've always had dogs in a sit/stay or down/stay when introducing cats, and also the dog is on a lead to begin with. 

If crate trained you can also have the dog crated while in the same room as the cat. 

kumitekat said:

YES! Totally agree. Clip the nails or put caps on them.

Then reintroduce them. I am thinking that your dog may have learned his lesson after being scratched in the eye, but you never really gave them another chance after that. I used to live in a house with three cats and a dog. The cats ruled and the dog drooled.

It sounds to me like you are being too worried. Animals have a way of working things out for themselves, but you have to give them time. You do not need to separate them every time they bark and hiss at each other. They will eventually figure out their own pecking order and live together.

You should also try to stay calm when they are in the room. Both cats and dogs pick up on your energy and you could be contributing to the anxiety because you are so worried that they will hurt each other. (It's 'cause you love them though so it's okay

  ).

Once you start to reintroduce them you will have to pay close attention to their behavior to see how you can help them. If one of them starts running and hiding you should try to provide escape routes and safe rooms. Maybe you can distract them with toys somehow too. Redirect their energy.

Definitely clip or cap your cats claws before trying again though to avoid further injury.

Good luck!

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Well, it has been about a year since the cat came into the home. I did get very worried about injury and probably did send bad energy. Now I just keep the dog very confined (which is not what I want). The problem is, I don't think the dog did learn anything from getting hurt from the cat except that she didn't like it.

They get close to eachother, the cat goes to sniff the dog, the cat hisses, then the dog barks and lunges at her to attack. It happened just the other day, the cat was just looking at the dog and the dog barked then lunged. I just don't know why they just can't live in peace. Maybe it is me that is the problem...

terestrife said:

by the way, are you making sure to clip the cats nails at least every 2 weeks? you can also put nail caps on her, to less the damage to the dog.

Click to expand...

Yes I have the vet clip her nails about every 2-4 weeks, depending on how sharp they are. I have tried the nail caps, some of them do fall off, but it is a safer way to introduce with them on.

missymotus said:

Is the dog trained? We've always had dogs in a sit/stay or down/stay when introducing cats, and also the dog is on a lead to begin with. 

If crate trained you can also have the dog crated while in the same room as the cat. 

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Yes the dog is trained, for the most part. She will follow simple commands to sit, stay, come, heal, etc. I do keep the dog on a leash too so I can have control. Maybe the crate idea would be a good start. Put the dog in the crate and let the cat sniff around.

Oakshimmer said:

Well, it has been about a year since the cat came into the home. I did get very worried about injury and probably did send bad energy. Now I just keep the dog very confined (which is not what I want). The problem is, I don't think the dog did learn anything from getting hurt from the cat except that she didn't like it.

They get close to eachother, the cat goes to sniff the dog, the cat hisses, then the dog barks and lunges at her to attack. It happened just the other day, the cat was just looking at the dog and the dog barked then lunged. I just don't know why they just can't live in peace. Maybe it is me that is the problem...

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Hmm.. See I am just learning to be a dog person. We have them at the office, and I lived with someone who had one once,  but otherwise I have never had one of my own. However, when I walk the dogs at the office, I always get nervous when they meet other dogs outside. I don't know what they are going to do. But, I have been told to just let them work it out themselves so many times by dog owners that I am inclined to just let it happen. Sometimes they bark, sometimes they "lunge" and sometimes they just sniff each other. Sometimes they bark and fight, and I have seen owners break them up. I understand that it could be very dangerous for the animals, so it makes me nervous.

I think fighting to be an alpha dog is more or a dog thing. When cats fight, yeah, they want to be alpha I suppose sometimes, but I think it's pretty quick. Like they don't tear each other to shreds. One usually just hides. They figure it out pretty quickly usually. But I think more often, cats will bully each other if given the chance. Each cat would prefer to stake out its own territory to have as its own. It doesn't need to rule the entire roost like a dog. A confident cat can more easily keep its own territory. One that acts like prey and runs away will likely keep being bullied. So most of the time behaviorists work with cats owners on how to help give them confidence and territory in the house.

Dogs are completely different. If your dog is the one who is lunging at the cat, them maybe you need a dog trainer to help you. The cat hissing is not dangerous. It is just a warning sign from him to the dog to stay away, but when the dog doesn't, he has to defend himself. Since I am not as adept at dog training, I am hesitant to provide advice. But perhaps using treats and commands and feeding together like others have suggested would work. You want the dog to associate the cat (and vice versa) with positive things, like meals. Try feeding the dog first, then bring the cat and its food into the dogs view through a screen door if possible, or a baby gate or something. With lots of distance between them, just so they can see each other eat and attempt to change that first reaction, which is fearful aggression.

For the cat, I think if you can get the dog to let him be, he will find some territory and be fine. They both sound like they are confident animals, and the same thing happens when two confident humans try to live together.

I've had a situation like this when I was dog sitting my friend's dog. I have a cat and we brought the dog over for just and hour and there were problems. The dog was lurching and pulling away from us and my cat was hissing, swatting, and meowing. My cat eventually ran away but the dog was still barking and trying to get away. I suggest trying to let them work it out themselves but seeing that you said it hasn't worked I suggest a dog or cat trainer. I have seen other instances where a trainer has helped significantly and the dog and cat were able to live in peace. Good luck! I hope everything works out!

I agree with Sarahb123, training may be a good idea for the dog. It seems that the cat is trying to sniff the dog to get to know him but then the dog becomes a little aggressive and of course the cat reacts in defense. They may never be "best friends" but teaching the dog to co-exist with the cat would be the best idea. I've had both cats and dogs growing up and once the cat gave the dog a swipe, the dog kept her distance from the cat. I'm more of a cat person and my experience is that cats don't generally seek out confrontation, they seem to try and avoid it if possible. So if the dog can be taught to keep the aggression in check, the cat would not have any need to be defensive.