Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/cat attacks dog

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 3/26/2009


Question
My male cat is one year old now, I got him as a kitten, he fell in love with my brothers dog right away. But now he attacks the dog for no reason, for what I can see. How do I correct this problem?

Answer
Jonathan,

Are both animals neutered? That corrects a LOT of behavior problems.

Is your brother's dog an elderly dog? If he is, it's morbid, but it has been proven that cats can sense when something is wrong with another animal, or an impending death, and will attack that animal.

The cat may also be reacting to a smell that is on the dog. Cats go by smell and not by sight, so if the dog smells different than he used to, the cat may think that he is another dog and is defending his territory from this new 'intruder'. If that is it, then the dog will replace his scent as he grooms. Or your brother may want to try giving the dog a bath and see if that helps your cat's issue with him.

Tabbi  

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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