New tenants have moved in and they have a dog...

[bespokeness]

The people who used to live opposite us, garden to garden. I believe have moved away and they never used to have any pets.
I believe the new owners have a dog. I haven't see the dog, but I have heard the owners speak to the dog where it is responding to them.

I have two cats, who are outdoor, just like all the cats in the neighbourhood.
My older cat is 8 and he is scared of dogs so he will run.
The younger one will be 6 years old in August.

I found out today that there was a dog because there is a small gap, that the dog was looking through to see my younger cat.
My young cat was trying to hit him and possibly was going to jump the fence to hit him.
We rent this house so we can’t really make permanent changes.

We also whistle to call our younger cat home and now we can't do that because the dog is responding to our whistle.

Can anyone offer some advice on how to approach this, so I can make it safe for my cats.

Please don't tell me to keep my cat indoors. It is meant to be a safe, animal friendly neighbourhood.

 

[Cat McCannon]

Keep your cats under your supervision any time they’re outside.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Can you build a cat enclosure?

 

[bespokeness]

Can you build a cat enclosure?

I am hoping so, right now we are thinking of blocking off the small gap and covering the small gap where the dog saw our cat.

 

[goingpostal]

Sounds like you need to secure your yard so your cats can't get out, screen up the fence, build a catio, put the on a harness/trolley system vs loose, supervise them.

 

[Kris107]

Does the dog seem aggressive towards your cats or just excited? You can try to start changing your call for your cat, but the dog may still be curious about it. From the cat point of view, the dog moved into their territory, their prowling space. The cat can change their territory boundaries. The most surefire way to prevent unwanted conflict is to keep your cat on your property.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Might be a good time to set up a (human) meet-'n-greet with your new neighbors, introduce yourselves, and see if either of you have specific concerns you can address together.