Very mean cat

O.k., I have a four year old male cat, who can be very mean. He usually is not mean to everyone, I think it is just when he gets jealous, like with my boyfriend. I also have another cat, and he's fine with her, she is older,and she was there first. I recently added a new addition to the family, in the form of a puppy. It's been a month now, and the cat hasn't budged in his nastiness towards the new puppy. The puppy has tried to be friends with him, but he just hisses, and swats at her. Every once in awhile, I think he's letting up, but he proves me wrong. I love my cat very much, and really didn't think it would cause him this much anxiety, but it is. I don't know what to do. I have tried to not be any different towards him, but I know it's a big change, and there is a difference. The puppy follows me everywhere, so the cat has been keeping his distance to some extent. Help.

Your cat may be acting mean b/c he is afraid of the new puppy and doesn't want the puppy to bother him. He is hissing at the puppy to warn it to keep its distance. I would just give him time to adjust.

My cat Lucy acts the same way. She is not really being mean, but she is afraid and is letting everyone know she doesn't want to be bothered.

You might want to try letting only your boyfriend give your cat a special treat, like tuna. I'm sure your cat will come around.

-safron

It is really all right for a cat to swat and hiss at an exuberant puppy. The dog needs to know that the cat is off limits and it would help immensely if you could put the puppy into obedience training. Teach the command, "Leave It" as one of the first commands so that if the puppy starts to chase the cat, the command will stop the behaviour.

Make sure the cat's food and water is up high, and clear some spots on some counters or shelves where the cat can go and feel safe. Say the cat's name to the dog and vice versa to help get them used to each other, and also swap bedding around so they can get used to each other's scent. Don't discipline or scold the cat when she swats at the dog, because that is her personal space and the pup must respect it. The pup will back off when it knows that it can't win. Watch for the curling of the lip on the puppy or low growls or tail laid low, those are signs of immenient attack. Good luck

"The dog needs to know that the cat is off limits and it would help immensely if you could put the puppy into obedience training. Teach the command, "Leave It" as one of the first commands so that if the puppy starts to chase the cat, the command will stop the behaviour."
She starts puppy classes May 7th. So, that may be covered.

"Make sure the cat's food and water is up high, and clear some spots on some counters or shelves where the cat can go and feel safe." I'm doing this currently, and it seems to help a little. The dog really doesn't chase him. I think she's afraid of the cat. But she barks at him occassionally, and I read it as her trying to get him to play with her. It's not a mean bark, very playful. "Don't discipline or scold the cat when she swats at the dog, because that is her personal space and the pup must respect it." What should I do? Do I ignore it? Act as referee? While I understand the importance of not punishing him for swatting, and hissing at the puppy, I don't want him to hurt the puppy. He has some pretty sharp claws. But I don't want him to feel betrayed by me either.

Try distracting the pup when this is happening. Keep a ball or something you can roll to get the pup's attention. Trust me, if the pup gets hurt by the cat one time, he will stay away until he can figure out how not to get hurt and still interact with the cat.