Little Kitty BIG Cattitude!

[bigfluffy]

Hi all...

I adopted a kitten from a stray Mom that a friend of mine took in. Smokey is 5 months old and while she and my older cat and my small dog get along fine, she is really scared/mean to our larger dog. This dog is interested in smelling her - (he and the large cat have no problem) - but Smokey hisses, growls and scratches leaving the dog and anyone around bloody. I think it may be important to note that this is not only when the dog comes up to smell her but she comes over to the dog and she will almost taunt the dog at times. I am worried for all involved. I've thought about finding Smokey a new home without big dogs but I know the rescues all have many cats (especially black shorthaired kittens) and I don't know anyone who is willing to take another cat. Any advice is appreciated - I am more than willing to work to work this out if it's possible... but I also want what's best for Smokey. Smaller issue is that Smokey has been ruining my curtains, cuckoo clock and some furniture... I've dismissed a lot of this because she's a kitten - however, if this is something I can curb or stop, please help - if I've not already given it away - this is my first kitten - I've always adopted older cats so I probably need some coaching or to find this kitty a loving home.

 

[gunblade]

Congratulations on taking care of your little big bundle of joy.

I'm sure others will give you much better advise, but here are my thoughts. Trim the nails on your kitten regularly so neither you or the dog gets bloody, and/or buy some nail caps. These will save your curtains but wont address the aggressive root problem.

I would recommend pulling the curtains off the ground so kitten cant reach it. Does he/she have a cat tree that he can climb? When you feed your furry friends, do you feed them at the same time/same room? Since your dog isn't the aggressor, there's a good chance you can train kitty to not be scared and therefore attack the dog with food.

 

[Columbine]

Definitely get claw covers (such as Softpaws) fitted after trimming her claws. If you've never done this before get a vet tech or groomer who's used to handling cats (as opposed to dogs) to help you the first time or two.

I'd also suggest getting Feliway diffusers going - in the whole house if possible. Spirit Essences are also worth considering, as is Composure.

How long have you had Smokey? She might still be feeling unsure of himself, and the bigger dog will feel like the largest threat. I don't think she's actually taunting him...it's more likely that she's trying to pluck up the courage to investigate, and the the dog moves slightly and she panics. Definitely keep them separated unless supervised for now. It will really help if the dog is well trained, and has a really solid sit-stay or down-stay. A thorough understanding of 'no' or 'leave' is helpful too - if you can stop the dog trying to sniff 'hello' it could be really helpful at this stage.

Another thing that might be worth trying is rubbing Smokey's scent all over the dog, and giving the dog plenty of chance to get to know her scent while she's not around. Giving Smokey something of the dog's to get to know is worth a go too.

As far as the home goes, make sure that there is plenty of vertical space available, and try as far as possible to remove any dead ends. Hopefully, if Smokey always has 'up' as an escape route, she'll be less likely to hit out. My new girl would growl, hiss and hit out at my dogs (greyhound and labrador) every time they came near her...or sometimes if they just entered the room! She'd cross the room to take a swipe too. I was lucky in that she wasn't actually using her claws, but it's not that far off Smokey's behaviour. It will calm down in time.

For all cats, daily interactive playtime is important, and this is especially the case with kittens. If you're able to drain her energy in a constructive way she'll have less energy for 'taunting'.

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