Cat Hates Dog but Is Laying in Dog Bed

[kendraterese]

I joined this forum just to ask my burning behavioral question: my boy dog hates my lady cats and vice versa. They'll sometimes snap at each other when they get too close. Otherwise they ignore eachother and the cats NEVER go near his bed cause they know it's his territory and that he'll attack them for touching it. SO: My dog's bed has two parts: a bottom pad with bumpers and a pillow top. He gets the pillow top stinky after a while so we threw it on the ground to remind us to discard it. The bottom part of the dog bed is still in its regular dog bed place and the pillow top is 2-3 feet away now next to the cat scratcher. One of my cat LOVES the pillow top. She is laying on it. She is getting his stinky scent on her and she doesn't seem to mind. The dog doesn't care and even though it smells like him and was the part he laid on for months, he walks right past without concern her while she is rolling around in the fluffy stinkiness, rubbing her face and body in it. WHY!?? Is it because it's next to her scratcher? Does she secretly love him and his smell? Does she simply like fluffy things to lay on? HELP!

 

[kendraterese]

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• kendraterese
• Mar 20, 2017

Here's a photo of his bed and the pillow top with her on it in case my explanation was confusing!

 

[katythekitten]

This is a normal scenario, cats like to occupy a wider space, reason why they love to steal and play in dog's bed. She's doing this not because your fur baby loves the dog and his smell but simply because she finds comfort in that place.
Your dog is too polite and halfhearted so he just allowed your lady cat to occupy his space.

 

[mizzely]

Sounds like your cat is claiming the pillow as hers and is rubbing her scent all over it so everyone knows it's her's now!

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Sounds like your cat is claiming the pillow as hers and is rubbing her scent all over it so everyone knows it's her's now!

  That's my take on it too. 

 

[foxxycat]

yep. Cats have scent glands in their cheeks and other areas. She's marking the cushion as hers now.

 

[Kat0121]

 

[neely]

Neely claimed our dog's crate as hers and why not, it was enclosed and cushy.  She would sit in the back of it and our dog would lay on the floor just outside of the crate.  He didn't bark or try to get her out.  On the other hand, when he was in the crate she never tried to go in it.  I wonder if your dog was on the bed whether kitty would go near it.