Cat keeps biting dog

[MonaLyssa33]

I have three cats and two dogs and there's never really been an issue with them tolerating/getting along with the each other. Maisie is always trying to rub up against the dogs which only confuses the hell out of them. Remy's relationship with the dogs is...confusing because it seems like he enjoys tormenting the dogs and they love tormenting him. The cat with the issue though is Flora.

Flora is definitely my sweetest cat and I've rarely seen her angry, but the last few days, she's been rolling around one of my dogs, Roo, and smelling him (something she has done in the past), then when he smells her back, she jumps up and bites his ear or face. It's not a painful bite because Roo isn't reacting like it's painful, he's more confused than anything.

This afternoon, Roo was laying on the floor by me and Flora walked by and then she turned around and again bit him. I didn't see him do anything to her, so I think it was unprovoked. I'm almost always around when those two interact, so I'm not sure why this is happening since it doesn't seem to be related to an event.

Has anyone else dealt with something similar? Is there a way I can tell if Flora is actually distressed with the dogs being around or if she's just being temperamental? The fact that she's rolling around next to Roo before she bites him, makes it seem like she isn't bothered by him.

 

[fionasmom]

This probably won't be a real answer but several years ago I had a tortie named Alix who was... well, the size of most cats, and GSD who was 126 pounds. She would routinely walk up to him and sucker punch him in the face several times and walk away. He was terrified of her and would cry like a baby for me to save him. She never hurt him, per se, but it seemed to be a dominance/attitude thing which definitely suited her personality. She was highly temperamental. The dog was apparently convinced that she wanted his treat bones as he would scrape them all into a pile and whimper as she walked by.

 

[neely]

Is it possible she's trying to get his attention because she wants to play? The reason I asked is because Neely loved dogs, not other cats, and was quite bold with our dog. She would go up and bat him on his muzzle but not extend her claws. She did this to entice him to chase her. The first few times we saw it we were worried but then we realized it was just her way of baiting him which he happily accepted.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

Is it possible she's trying to get his attention because she wants to play? The reason I asked is because Neely loved dogs, not other cats, and was quite bold with our dog. She would go up and bat him on his muzzle but not extend her claws. She did this to entice him to chase her. The first few times we saw it we were worried but then we realized it was just her way of baiting him which he happily accepted.

It's possible she's trying to play with him and my dog just doesn't know how to react to her. My cat Remy is SUPER protective of Flora and Maisie, so anytime he thinks one of the dogs is messing with her, he attacks them. I hope that if Flora and Roo do figure out how to play with each other, Remy won't think it's Flora in danger.

 

[ArtNJ]

If cat isn't growling or hissing and doesn't break the skin, I assume it is an attempt at play. Maybe you can facilitate some other way for them to actually play together.