Cat chasing dog!!

maverick_kitten

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
3,933
Purraise
3
Location
London, uk
How can I stop Maverick from chasing the dog?

She's such a mean little beast.

I have tried to feed them treats together so they associate each other with good things and this has worked to the extent that shes no longer scared of him, she just merely hates him instead!

The dog is a 10 month old border collie cross, very soppy and affectionate. He loves the cats with a passion but its getting to the stage where he's too scared to leave the front room and wont walk past Mav!

She's sneaky and will follow him and sit blocking the doorway which makes him nervous as he has no escape!

This has only been happening for three days so want to nip it in the bud.

She's never been punished or told no in her life! How do I start?
 

KitEKats4Eva!

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 11, 2005
Messages
6,394
Purraise
17
Ooooh that's a tough one. It sounds like a little more socialising is in order - despite what you've done already. You have had success with the treats, and that was the right thing to do.

Now, what you need to do (and this won't be easy, logistically) is have your cat and dog together in a neutral place, with treats, and cuddles, and love, for half an hour or so every day. They need to interact and be with each other, with your supervision, somewhere where there are no territorial issues to get in the way, with lots of association with positives such as treats etc. You need to reward Mav when she doesn't chase your dog, and when she displays any kind of positive behaviour toward him.

I think Mav probably is asserting her dominance, and guarding her territory, and the dog lets her because he is wary of her. Ignoring Mav when she misbehaves, and praising and treating her when she doesn't, would be a good way to go. Also, time out is helpful. If she is intimidating or threatening, time out for a few minutes will calm her down.

Mostly, don't punish her when she does this. It will make her associate the dog with punishment, which is what you DON'T want. Ignore unwanted behaviour, reward desired behaviour. Not always easy with cats, but usually effective once you find which reward works.

Also, when she goes to chase or block off doorways etc, try redirecting her behaviour by distracting her. Try to anticipate when she's going to do it (if you can!) so that you can divert the unwanted behaviour before it happens.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

maverick_kitten

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
3,933
Purraise
3
Location
London, uk
Thanks for the advice


Every time she goes to chase him I've been standing in between them and saying "You dare" (not shouting, but she knows what my stern voice means!).

We've had the dog for 8 months now, from puppyhood. He's accepted that the cats are dominant to him and just wants to lick them and sniff their butts.

We pretty much do the 'give them love in the same room together' thing anyway.

The thing is, i can see Mav's point. She hates the dog and wants him to leave! But we have grown a tad attatched to him! lol.
 

momofmany

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
16,249
Purraise
70
Location
There's no place like home
Are you sure it is not a simple game of chase? Chase is a fun game for cats and I've seen our cats try to engage our dogs in the game.

My Stumpy, the alpha cat, used to correct the puppies all the time, including chasing them out of the room. He put a very healthy respect of cats in the dogs when they were young. Now that the pups have grown up, he grooms them and sleeps with them, as do a number of my cats. He was doing it when they were young to control their rowdy behavior.

If Mav really hated the dog, it would probably go beyond chase. Border collie pups are pretty rowdy and it sounds like Mav is just trying to control him.

Honestly, I let Stumpy and the puppies work it out and I did not correct Stumpy because I knew what he was trying to do. I would correct the puppies if they pushed back on Stumpy. A dog can kill a cat in a flash and it is probably more important for the dog to respect the cat than the cat to respect the dog.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

maverick_kitten

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
3,933
Purraise
3
Location
London, uk
No, it's definitly not a game. She will stallk him for a fair while before then chase him when he notices and runs. If she catches him she'll swipe at him.

Thinking about it, it could be a game albeit a rather mean one on her part. And it's leaving the dog a nervous wreck! The dog definitly doesnt find it fun and is petrified of her.

I'm hoping it's just a phase and when she realises that she gets treats when she is nicer she'll stop.
 

arlyn

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 9, 2005
Messages
9,306
Purraise
50
Location
Needles, CA
My best friend had this problem with her cocker/dachsund mix.
It never resolved itself.
The dog simply learned to live with it and approached all cats butt first to avoid claws to the face.
 

neely

May the purr be with you
Veteran
Joined
Dec 22, 2005
Messages
19,637
Purraise
47,805
You also might want to try a squirt bottle, just enough of a distraction to let her know back off but not a punishment. Maverick is probably one fiesty kitty who is just asserting herself. Our new addition, Neely, is similar in that she is not afraid of our dog, Sean, but different in that she likes to play with him. As I'm sure you already know cats can be finicky and definitely have their preferences.
 

katl8e

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
12,622
Purraise
3
Location
Movin' on up!
Originally Posted by Neely

You also might want to try a squirt bottle, just enough of a distraction to let her know back off but not a punishment. Maverick is probably one fiesty kitty who is just asserting herself. Our new addition, Neely, is similar in that she is not afraid of our dog, Sean, but different in that she likes to play with him. As I'm sure you already know cats can be finicky and definitely have their preferences.
NOT the squirt bottle. Put some pennies or small pebbles in a can and rattle them, when the cat does something unacceptable.

My dogs have no fear of cats. Rowdy plays with the dogs, Buddy refuses to be in the same room with them and Opie set the boundaries on Day One - he gave Ike a swipe across the nose. Ever since, Ike will merely lay there and give Opie interested looks.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

maverick_kitten

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
3,933
Purraise
3
Location
London, uk
The trouble with the noise thing is that being a Border Collie Snoop will react to the noise too and will become all skittish! So he will be being doubley punished.

She seems to have stopped doing it now (touch wood...). Maybe it was far too easy for her to terrorise him and she got bored?! She even let him sniff her head and brushed past him earlier.

I think when the dog just learns to stay out of her way life will be a lot easier.
 

KitEKats4Eva!

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 11, 2005
Messages
6,394
Purraise
17
I wish Ruby was terrified of our girls! It would make life a lot easier....lol

Hopefully Mav has got bored and stopped. She may have just decided she wanted to see if she could scare him, and now that she knows she can, she's backed off!! Little tyke.....lol

They'll probably end up best buddies and sleep together. That's usually the way. My GSDs used to lick the girls to absolute death, when they were pups. The kits used to come inside covered in goomy dog spit and looking like they wanted to cry. Here's a pic of them a few months later....

http://photobucket.com
 

neely

May the purr be with you
Veteran
Joined
Dec 22, 2005
Messages
19,637
Purraise
47,805
Originally Posted by KitEKats4Eva!

I wish Ruby was terrified of our girls! It would make life a lot easier....lol

Hopefully Mav has got bored and stopped. She may have just decided she wanted to see if she could scare him, and now that she knows she can, she's backed off!! Little tyke.....lol

They'll probably end up best buddies and sleep together. That's usually the way. My GSDs used to lick the girls to absolute death, when they were pups. The kits used to come inside covered in goomy dog spit and looking like they wanted to cry. Here's a pic of them a few months later....

http://photobucket.com
What an absolutely beautiful picture, they look so content together.

It's definitely nice to see that a dog as large as a GSD can have such a sweet, soft, sensitive side.
 

KitEKats4Eva!

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 11, 2005
Messages
6,394
Purraise
17
Oh they were the biggest sooks in the world. I was heartbroken when my ex-husband got custody.

I got the cats though.
 
Top