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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,017
Registered: ‎03-20-2010

Re: HELP! NEW DOG CHASING OUR CAT!

Not all dogs get along with cats.  Find a reputable trainer and find out how to manage the situation.

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.
Super Contributor
Posts: 293
Registered: ‎02-06-2013

Re: HELP! NEW DOG CHASING OUR CAT!

@Tinkrbl44: Seek the advice of a trainer, first. If it doesn't work then look for a new home for the dog. For your kitty, your new dog is a menace.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 22,553
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: HELP! NEW DOG CHASING OUR CAT!

[ Edited ]

I won't tell you what you should do--that is your decision based on how bad you feel the situation is, or may get.  

 

But I will relate my own situation.  We also had a dog and a cat that got along.  (Actually the dog was rather afraid of the cat.)  They never played together but there was never any friction.  About a year after our dog died we got a puppy.  This dog is a breed that sometimes has been described as having herding instincts.  From the time this puppy came into our house, she has wanted to chase our cat.  She's been trained, crated, and disciplined time after time, and the end result is that two years afterwards the dog still chases the cat.  She doesn't want to hurt him, but she loves to chase him, which he hates.  She has been crated so often that now when the cat wants in the house, all I do is point to her crate and she goes in.  It is a major pain. I like the dog, but the cat was here first and I feel I did him a great disservice by bringing this trauma into his life.  Quite honestly, if I had to do it over again, I would not have gotten this dog.

 

ETA:  It all depends on the dog, not the breed.  My friend has a sister to my dog--same breed, same lineage, within two months of the same age.  Her dog not only lives with three cats, she loves them and plays gently with them and will guard them from other dogs that want to harm them.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,885
Registered: ‎09-15-2016

Re: HELP! NEW DOG CHASING OUR CAT!

Sorry for the situation you find yourself in. I think you already know you must return the dog...take a deep breath, do it & find another dog that's a better fit.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 73,819
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: HELP! NEW DOG CHASING OUR CAT!

I had a sheltie that had the strongest herding instinct I've ever seen in an animal.  He absolutely was incapable of leaving the cat alone.  It was sad because the cat loved dogs but the sheltie made his life miserable.  Had to rehome the cat.

 

Most places that find homes for dogs, "cat test" them before placement.  @Tinkrbl44  You should not be expected to subsidize another adoption for this animal.  If the dog has a strong prey drive as terriers often do or herding instinct, it's almost impossible to change them. 

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,973
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: HELP! NEW DOG CHASING OUR CAT!

Tinkrbl44, I agree with other posters, the shelter or rescue group that let you adopt this dog did a very poor job temperament testing him and fitting him in a home he was suited for.  As a Scottie owner of 32 years, I can tell you that most terriers will, if not properly socialized, chase and kill cats.  The European Wildcat was a target species of nearly all the terriers, along with fox and badger.  Norfolks and Norwich (originally the same breed with two varieties, now seperate breeds) were primarily ratters, but coming from the same basic wire-haired terrier stock, I am sure they would go after a cat, too. 

 

My first Scotties were raised in a home with our cats, and always loved and respected them, but as they aged and died, we did not adopt new cats, as they always learned to use the doggie doors and were in danger from coyotes, bears, bobcats, cougars and even racoons where we live.  However, ten years ago or so we were volunteering at a local feral cat spay/neuter event, and someone had a stray, not a feral, that they were trying to find a home for, since they were bottle feeding a litter of six kittens and feeding a feral colony of cats, as well as caring for their own 12 indoor cats.  I could tell the poor woman was beyond overwhelmed, so I took the little tuxedo girl, who was about 9 months old.  She had a white muzzle with two black moustaches and a black goatee, so we named her "Edwina" (the feminine of Edward, for Blackbeard) and set her up in our pantry with food, litter box and lots of soft bedding to let her recouperate from her spay.  We had four Scotties at that point, only the eldest of which had grown up with cats, and her three daughters were seriously KEEN to get to that cat, but we kept the pantry door closed, so all they could do was smell underneath it.  The first week, I would open the door, which also had a baby gate in the doorway, and I would step over the gate and feed, pet, hold and cuddle Edwina while the Scottie girls could see me do it.  I told them she was MY KITTY and they were to be NICE to her!  I kept emphasing "MY KITTY" in their sight, and let them smell my hands and clothing so they got used to her scent.  The second week I carried Edwina around the house with me, so she could get used to and see her new home, and the girls followed me, but they didn't jump or snap, they knew better.  Again, I told them over and over that Edwina was MY KITTY.  By the third week we left the pantry door open when we were home, so Edwina could come and go around the house with a safe place to retreat to and while we were there to call the girls off if they got too pushy.  By the fourth week, Edwina was safe anywhere in the house whether we were home or not, and often slept on the couch cuddled up with the girls.  She made a habit of laying between Molly and Peggy most often, and would regularly groom them, always licking their coats on their backs or sides against the lay of the hair.  I got many long-suffering looks of "Mom, she's doing it AGAIN!" from Molly, but she never complained physically, she'd just get up and hop off the couch if Edwina got too bothersome.  It often sounded like a herd of elephants around here, you'd see Edwina racing across the house, from the doggie door out to the deck, across the living room and family room, and out the doggie door to the patio, with the three Scottie girls racing after her in a line, and a few seconds later, flip flop would go the doggie door, and the line would race back the other way, the formerly trailing Scottie in the lead with Edwina bring up the rear, "chasing" the Scotties and they had "chased" her.  One of those times you wish you had a video camera on your forehead, I assure you!

 

So the gist of this story is that yes, it is possible to acclimate a cat-keen dog to your cat, IF (that's a deliberate BIG IF) the dog is strongly bonded to you and wants to please you.  Since you just adopted this dog, I don't know if he will respect your wishes, and if he doesn't, he may well go in for the kill on your poor kitty before you can stop him.  Only you can assess the situation on the ground, so if you think there's any hope and you want to give it a try, I'd suggest calling in a good trainer or behaviourist to do an assessment, too, and then use judiciously placed baby gates to make sure your kitty is safely protected from your new dog when you aren't there to monitor their interactions.  If your instincts are screaming at you that this dog for sure wants to kill your cat, then by all means return him to the rescue group with the information that he is indeed cat-keen and should NOT go to a home with cats.  Good luck!

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,331
Registered: ‎05-21-2010

Re: HELP! NEW DOG CHASING OUR CAT!

I think that you probably know what is best for all concerned. The rescue shelter should have asked you if you had any animals at home. They are not supposed to place a dog who does not get along with cats in a home wiht cats. I have a friend who had this same situation and sadly she decided to return the dog. They tried for several weeks and the cat was misserable. You may also find that your cat starts up with some not so nice habits like spraying and not using his litter box.  You sound like a very kind and sensitive person so don't beat yourself up about this. The shelter need to find a home for this dog that does not have cats. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,017
Registered: ‎03-20-2010

Re: HELP! NEW DOG CHASING OUR CAT!

Some shelters/rescues will temperment, cat, dog and kid test dogs, others do not.  It is still no guarantee.  It is up to the person to ask the questions that pertain to their situation. Making impulsive decisions when adopting a new pet is usually to the deferment of the pet.

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,789
Registered: ‎06-26-2014

Re: HELP! NEW DOG CHASING OUR CAT!

Hi Tink. Whenever we've adopted a new dog or cat, we look on the description to see if there is any notation about "good with other cats / dogs" or "needs to be the only animal", etc.

 

Sometimes the shelters know, sometimes they don't.

 

I don't think Teddy sounds like a good fit for your household and certainly not for Bogey. I think you should return him (although I don't know why you have to then sponsor a new adoption for him).

 

A few months ago we adopted a 6 year old Mini Pin. She was brough over with a group of other dogs from Mexico so not much about was known. We have 3 cats and we took a chance because a friend of mine had a Mini Pin and cats just loved him. It has turned out quite well for us! She loves the cats (cleans their heads) and the cats like her; they all hang out together.

 

The right fit is out there for you Tink, and it's wonderful of you to adopt a shelter pet!

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,407
Registered: ‎07-07-2010

Re: HELP! NEW DOG CHASING OUR CAT!

@Tinkrbl44, we had a similar experience when we fostered Happy, an older puggle.  She had never lived with any other pet, and had never seen a cat.  She took a fancy to our Cassie, and Happy was what I considered a stalker.  She would stare at Cassie for hours.  Eventually, probably six months, things quieted down and the stalking stopped.  She does occasionally chase Cassie, but other than that, no problems.  It just takes time and patience and everything will settle down.

 

We also now have a young cat that walked in the door and never left.  He and Happy are the best of friends.  You just never know how things will work out.

 

Very sorry for your loss of Skippy.

The next time that I hear salt and ice together, it better be in a margarita!