Keeping Winston away from the cat!

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Keeping Winston away from the cat!

Posted : 8/30/2006 2:19:01 PM

So allow me to provide some background first . . . we have a 17 year old cat named Andrew. Andrew is not just any cat though . . . to be blunt, he's retarded (literally). He can't run or jump, and has extremely poor coordination. (knows where his litter box is and how to use it though thank goodness!).

Well, our new pup winston REALLY wants to play with Andrew and that just won't work . . . the cat cannot handle it at all. So far, we've just been isolating the two which has worked just fine, but the cat is starting to get annoyed with being shut in the bedroom all the time (we've also had to move his food in there because senior blend cat food is apparently just as appetizing as puppy food!) and its getting difficult for us, especially when only one person is around.

The two have met several times and the dog will sniff and then try and pounce (only playing though, no aggression). At that point the cat gets pissed, hisses and spits, and may even try to swing at the dog (he can't use his claws though so it doesn't inflict any harm) and we then separate the two.

Its been three weeks now, and no progress has been made . . . does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

Terri

Posted : 8/30/2006 2:57:59 PM

Hmm, that's a tough one. When we brought Loki home, our 14 year old cat (she acts much younger) was pretty good at training him to stay away from her. He was very interested and wanted to play with her, but she'd hiss and swat at him and he quickly learned that the kitty did not want to be his friend. Eventually they made their peace and would even lay on the floor next to each other (not cuddling, just tolerating each other). But your situation seems much more difficult, because your cat isn't as young and may not be able to "train" the puppy as easily.

I'd recommend starting with short sessions where someone holds the cat and someone holds the dog. Just get them used to being in the same room together. Reward Winston when he calms down, so he will start to learn that the cat is not a play thing and good things happen when he is calm around the cat. Just keep it short to begin with and end on a positive note with each of them. Hopefully as Winston gets older, he will be less exciteable around the cat and will have learned that he can't play with him.

jjsmom06

Posted : 8/30/2006 5:19:13 PM

My frst suggestion would be to make sure that you make it known right away that they dog is NOT to get excited about the cat. As soon as the dog acts interested I immediatly snap my fingers or say "Ah-ah!". That tells my greyhounds that I don't like the behavior they are showing. After couple of times they have learned and won't even look at the cats. It must be done though before the behavior progresses to the point of the cat hissing. I watch for tail wagging, puffing of cheeks, too much eye contact with the cat, following the cat, whining or barking at the cat or in the general direction of the cat.

Also, have the dog associate the cat with positive things (like food, treats, belly rubs, . . ..). Whenever I bring home a greyhound I give tasty peices of meat or whatever to both of them by hand so that they both get treated by me and learn that they are both important to me. This has helped me tremendously.

good luck!