When I am not around to supervise, I keep a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs to keep the dog and cat separated. But, when I am home, they both have free run of the house. The cat has her own safe room, which used to have a gate on it, but now the dog knows to just stand in front of the doorway
even if I am in the cat's room.
The 2 of them love to chase each other. Dog chases cat into cat's room, cat chases dog into my room, dog chases cat down stairs, cat chases dog upstairs. When the dog is ready to chase, she will playbow with her tail wagging, so I am not worried about it being a prey-driven chase.
They never have contact when they are playing chase. One of them will jump onto something (bed, couch, etc) and then the "game" is over.
I watch them very carefully when this is all going on and see no reason to worry about either getting hurt.
I was just wondering if anyone else has a cat that chases the dog...and vice versa.
Also, unrelated to the chase games, the cat also loves to block the dog on the stairs and in doorways. When the dog comes near her she WILL swipe at the dog. I have never hear the dog yelp in pain or anything, so I'm trying not to worry about the swiping. Do I just let them work it out themselves? Or do I try to stop the swiping?
Sometimes the cat even backs the dog into a corner and swipes at her. Nothing that would make me jump up and worry that someone got hurt....it seems to me that the dog just takes it and that it does not hurt her (swiping without claws?)
Is there such a thing as "playful swiping?" Or is it her being mean and trying to hurt the dog?
even if I am in the cat's room.
The 2 of them love to chase each other. Dog chases cat into cat's room, cat chases dog into my room, dog chases cat down stairs, cat chases dog upstairs. When the dog is ready to chase, she will playbow with her tail wagging, so I am not worried about it being a prey-driven chase.
They never have contact when they are playing chase. One of them will jump onto something (bed, couch, etc) and then the "game" is over.
I watch them very carefully when this is all going on and see no reason to worry about either getting hurt.
I was just wondering if anyone else has a cat that chases the dog...and vice versa.
Also, unrelated to the chase games, the cat also loves to block the dog on the stairs and in doorways. When the dog comes near her she WILL swipe at the dog. I have never hear the dog yelp in pain or anything, so I'm trying not to worry about the swiping. Do I just let them work it out themselves? Or do I try to stop the swiping?
Sometimes the cat even backs the dog into a corner and swipes at her. Nothing that would make me jump up and worry that someone got hurt....it seems to me that the dog just takes it and that it does not hurt her (swiping without claws?)
Is there such a thing as "playful swiping?" Or is it her being mean and trying to hurt the dog?