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About Ali
Expertise
I am currently owned by 3 mixed breed cats ranging from 4 to 10 years old. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats in different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on feral cat colonies, help rehabilitate strays and find them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there is a significant difference. New cat/kitten introductions can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because they are territorial and don't like change. There is a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a house with one or more resident cats. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am not a veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience
I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am the proud pet guardian of three wonderful cats. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up.

Education/Credentials
No related education.

You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Cats > Cats > Cat

Cats - Cat

Expert: Ali - 10/31/2009

Question
Hi, i have a question about my cats behavior. He was rescued as a kitten on the streets and I got him from a shelter. He is an orange tabby cat and he just turned 2. He has extremely bad gingivitis that he got genetically. He is very affectionate and constantly chases me trying to play. However, he does not like to be held. He lets me carry him upstairs at night and he lets me carry him around. If I hold him while sitting he squirms away after a few seconds and runs away, and then shies away if I try to pick him up again, but not if I pet him. Today I held onto him when he squirmed so my dog wouldnt hurt him, and he hissed and growled at me. I held my dog and released him and he raced up into his cat condo out of reach of the dogs. When I came to pet him, he scratched me and hissed. A few hours later he was fine again. Is he ok? hes been to the vet because we thought he had a urinary tract infection, but he doesnt. Why does he not like to be held? He is my only cat and my german shepherd dog beats him up but they are just playing, and he has claws so he can defend himself. Is something wrong with him?

Answer
Jeff,

Honestly I think that your cat is fearful of the dog, stray cats and dogs tend to have a love-hate relationship, they love to hate each other. It's quite possible that your dog has caused injuries like bruising that are causing this kitty some degree of discomfort - this wouldn't necessarily be apparent on physical exam because cats have thick fur which makes it difficult to see all the way down to their skin without shaving them (which I don't advise unless absolutely necessary). Unfortunately if the cat is afraid of the dog this is likely compounded by the fact that some dog guardians derive considerable amusement from allowing/encouraging their dog to chase and/or attack stray or indoor/outdoor cats in the area without considering the possibility that their dog could seriously injure a cat if s/he caught the kitty s/he was chasing. Some cats simply don't like being restrained, but it's also possible that a lack of proper early socialization or a bad experience early in this kitty's life play a role in his anxiety over being held or restrained. This kitty certainly sounds like he's not terribly comfortable with the dog and I think it's important to be sensitive to that, otherwise your relationship with the cat and the relationship between the cat and dog will suffer significantly. Since you do have a dog and a cat in the same household it's not a bad idea to provide dog proof escape routes for kitty so he feels safe around the dog. It's safest to keep your dog and cat separate when you aren't able to supervise their interactions to avoid accidental injury to either pet - it doesn't matter that kitty has his claws, dogs are predators and they are fully capable of killing or seriously injuring cats if their prey drive is aroused (often accomplished by a fearful cat running from a dog instinctively trying to get away causing the dog to respond by chasing their prey). It's very important that you NEVER underestimate the power of instincts in your pets, what you see as play between the cat and dog may in fact lead to serious injuries for either pet because in this situation your kitty is the prey and your dog is the predator by nature.

It's quite possible that your kitty's behavior is a result of anxiety - although you were trying to protect your kitty from the dog when you restrained him the cat may have thought that you were attempting to restrain him so the dog could get to him and he might have responded defensively by hissing and scratching you. It really is in everyone's best interests - cat, dog and human caregivers - if you create dog free zones by using baby gates or installing a cat door with a magnetic key that allows your kitty to take time away from the dog where he'll feel safest - behind a closed door. This kitty needs time, patience, understanding and a peaceful place he can go to escape the dog when things get out of hand. The dog needs to be trained not to chase or harass the cat, if the dog pushes things the cat could potentially cause serious injuries to his eyes, face or skin with claws or teeth that are being used by a fearful cat to defend himself. Ideally I wouldn't want to see either pet get hurt, this means that you'll have to work on training the dog to be calm around the cat and not to see that cat as a live interactive toy that he can chase, nip at or harass whenever the urge strikes him.

You may want to seriously consider a consultation with a holistic veterinarian and/or a behaviorist with experience working with cats - a holistic vet trained in the use of homeopathy may be able to provide safe, effective, gentle remedies that would help calm the cat and dog and improve their relationship with each other. Bach flower remedies are homeopathic remedies made from flower essences that I've spent over 10 years using in my home with cats in a variety of situations. In my experience I'd have to say that these remedies would likely be quite useful in helping your kitty with his fears provided that the dog was trained and he had safe places to retreat to. Rescue Remedy would be a good start for your kitty - you can administer 5-7 drops (in an area away from the dog, a quiet, dimly lit room would be perfect) by gently massaging a drop at a time into the cat's ear flap or the relatively fur free area in front of his ears. This will allow the remedy to gently enter the cat's system helping him to be less fearful and anxious, but do be careful not to get any of the remedy into the cat's ears as the flower essences are preserved in a grape alcohol base which will sting if your kitty gets it into his ears. Be patient with this kitty, he'll come around in time if you take the time to train your dog to be more respectful and polite from a cat's standpoint (meaning no more doggy in the cat's face, bounding around, chasing the kitty, etc) and provide him with a safe, quiet, private place to retreat to where the dog can't follow. His anxiety over being held/restrained just might settle down if he's not worried about the dog using him as a chew toy, if not patient work and proper handling away from the dog should help to improve matters. If you have any further questions, concerns or you'd like me to provide you with a general starter program for working with your kitty (dogs aren't my area of expertise, you'd have to contact a dog trainer, a behaviorist or a dog expert for help training the dog out of his predatory behavior with the cat)please feel free to contact me again, I'll be happy to help you out to the best of my ability.

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