We have had Dilbert for a few weeks now. We slowly introduced him to the dogs and he was unsure at first but now he seems comfortable around them. Maybe too comfortable now. We have 3 dogs a lab, a lab/pit mix and a pug mix. The cat, Dilbert, will come up to the dogs, rub against them and then smack them in the face with his paws. He will then turn around rub again and then smack again. He only does it with the big dogs. I thought at first they were following him too much and he was trying to get them to go away but after watching for awhile I realize he will go to them to smack them. Is this playing or is he just being nasty? How do I get him to stop? Thanks in advance!
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Cat playing with or harassing dogs?
- Thread starter dogsdirtbike24
- Start Date
My Stumpy (alpha) did that to our dogs when we first adopted them. Once the dogs understood their place in the house, Stumpy stopped doing the smacking part and only rubs against them now.
If Dilbert was being nasty, you would know it immediately. It looks like Dilbert is just finding his place in the household with the existing dog gang.
If Dilbert was being nasty, you would know it immediately. It looks like Dilbert is just finding his place in the household with the existing dog gang.
Puff does this to Kota to. I think it's just to asert dominance. Or maybe some psycho kitty fun. I really don't know...lol. If you figure out how to stop it let me know.
If I had a ...-pit mix of any kind in the house (but wouldn't) I sure as heck would never let my batty cat anywhere near it. Nothing may happen for weeks/months or even years, but one day a neuron will go off in the dog's brain and that'll be the end of your cat.
That is total hogwash.
AMEN to that.Originally Posted by SalemWitchChild
That is total hogwash.A pit is no less likely to go off than any other breed.
I'd guess it's a dominance issue. We had dogs and cats together in the past (large dogs), and somehow the cat always managed to be "top dog". My sister's medium-sized "ginger cat" has no trouble at all making a Great Dane (RB), Saint Bernhard, or Boxer stand around.
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- #8
That is your opinion. Every dog is different. I would be less likely to allow a sighthound or northern breed around my cat than a well behaved pit.
A pit IS more likely to chase than SOME breeds, they have a very high prey drive. However that is a risk that needs to be understood from the beginning. ANY high prey drive dog is a risk. sighthounds, herding breeds, terriers and virtually any breed poses some risk however pits need not be singled out. I realize there is alot of BSL bull going on in your area of the world, that doesnt mean it is right to lump all these dogs together like that.
Irresponsible owners are what give these dogs a bad name. Not everyone should own one, and you need to know what you are getting into. If you are not comfortable keeping a pit or pit mix in your house then dont. That is your choice. However dont assume that a pit will just "go off". That is the same stuff that fuels the BSL people.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #9
An article or 2 on dogs and cats
http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/catchasing.html
Last question on this site concerns cats:
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/myths.cfm
http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/catchasing.html
Last question on this site concerns cats:
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/myths.cfm
Sorry, didn't mean to step on so many toes here, but I want to be clear about my views - I have two big, boisterous Samoyeds who think training's for wimps, and I have 3 cats, but they're rarely in the same area at the same time - not because I worry about the cats so much as I worry that at least one of them will provoke a strong reaction in my dogs as he is very confrontational towards them and they are 'only canine', though really the biggest babies out there dog wise compared to others. However, even though I've heard all the stories about owners being the problem with pits, and have heard the stories with respect to Dobermans and Rotts, Pits are the one dog (apart from maybe Presa Canarios or others bred and trained ONLY for guard and attack duty) that I am afraid of myself, and would just not let my cats near. It's not a chasing issue, or even a dominance or pack thing as you might find with Rotts (or any dog) but I've heard just too many stories about the dogs being seemingly quiet and unconcerned in a neutral situation, but all of a sudden and truly unprovoked jumping at children (or other animals), clamping down and not letting go until it's just too late. They come across as going into some kind of mindless state like a shark, where there's no rhyme or reason behind the attacks and no saving the victim until the dogs are good and ready to back off. I DO believe the great majority are lovable pets that don't have problems, but I also think there's some genetic switch in SOME of them that while they might never go off, might also just get switched on once out of nowhere, and by the time you get over your utter shock, it's too late. So don't jump down my throat... it's just one opinion.
This is the kind of wrong judgemental behavior that has caused so many pit bulls to be put down. There is nothing in a pit bulls brain that tells them to kill unless someone has trained them that way. A spaniel would be more likely to snap one day than a pit bull because they were bread to hunt. Pit bulls were bread for their loyalty and dedication to their humans. Anyone who has owned a pitbull would know that. These kinds of comments and people's blind willingness to follow the crowd and not think for themselves is the reason that pitbulls are illegal in some places and are put down everyday. It is always sad that someone can't live somewhere because their dog isn't the right breed?
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1.) Out of 4 cats, I have one that does the rub and smack to my dog. She never uses her claws and I honestly think she is trying to get the dog to play with her. For the dog's part, she just ignores the cat. At feeding times the cat will rub on the dog a lot, sort of claiming her by scent marking her legs and chin with face and body rubbing.
So long as no one is getting hurt and the dogs are unperturbed I wouldn't worry too much. She is probably just letting them they belong to her now, and she is in charge. The moment one of the animals shows fear or aggression in the situation, I would intervene.
2.) Pit-myths infuriate me. People talk about how the friendly family dog 'just snapped" and bit down on the kid or pet and doing serious harm. Sure this happens. With German Shepards, Huskies, Golden retrievers, Labradors, mutts, you name it. What really happens is the kid (or other pet) pushed the dog too far one too many times and it finally retaliated. That is the 'switch' being flipped in the dog's head. The kid bapped his face while he was sleeping, tried to take his toy away, stepped on him again. People never want to take responsibility for their actions and so they blame the dog for what happened.
Every cat-mauled-by-dog I've seen at work that involved the family only were cases of poor training of both the animals coupled with lack of supervision by the humans.
Regardless of breed most dog bites happen to the family or friends, large breeds tend to be over reported because small breed dogs don't often do enough damage to warrant a visit to the local doctor.
Responsible dog ownership is the key here, for the safety of people and animals. Pits have the bad rap because for a very long time the people most likely to own them were the kind who wanted a fierce dog. They were chosen because they are powerfully built and have immensely strong bites coupled with tenacity and dedication to their owner so the owner of the dog could feel tough because he was walking with a beast. (over compensating, perhaps?) Thankfully this trend is reversing but the damage is done.
Be willing to look past breed and see the dog for who he is. Raised in a loving home, trained properly, guided correctly any dog is a great pet. Untrained, mistreated, leaderless dogs are the ones who bite.
As a side note- When I was looking to move recently a landlord refused my application because I could not certify that my dog didn't have any pit in her. She is a 45 pound mongrel of some kind of hound extraction but since I said I didn't know what went into the making of her genetics he decided she was "too big of a risk". The only thing at risk around this 15 year old mutt is my sofa and the dent she is putting in the middle of the cushions, but you never know, her great-great-great grand daddy might have been a pit. It makes me so mad I could spit.
So long as no one is getting hurt and the dogs are unperturbed I wouldn't worry too much. She is probably just letting them they belong to her now, and she is in charge. The moment one of the animals shows fear or aggression in the situation, I would intervene.
2.) Pit-myths infuriate me. People talk about how the friendly family dog 'just snapped" and bit down on the kid or pet and doing serious harm. Sure this happens. With German Shepards, Huskies, Golden retrievers, Labradors, mutts, you name it. What really happens is the kid (or other pet) pushed the dog too far one too many times and it finally retaliated. That is the 'switch' being flipped in the dog's head. The kid bapped his face while he was sleeping, tried to take his toy away, stepped on him again. People never want to take responsibility for their actions and so they blame the dog for what happened.
Every cat-mauled-by-dog I've seen at work that involved the family only were cases of poor training of both the animals coupled with lack of supervision by the humans.
Regardless of breed most dog bites happen to the family or friends, large breeds tend to be over reported because small breed dogs don't often do enough damage to warrant a visit to the local doctor.
Responsible dog ownership is the key here, for the safety of people and animals. Pits have the bad rap because for a very long time the people most likely to own them were the kind who wanted a fierce dog. They were chosen because they are powerfully built and have immensely strong bites coupled with tenacity and dedication to their owner so the owner of the dog could feel tough because he was walking with a beast. (over compensating, perhaps?) Thankfully this trend is reversing but the damage is done.
Be willing to look past breed and see the dog for who he is. Raised in a loving home, trained properly, guided correctly any dog is a great pet. Untrained, mistreated, leaderless dogs are the ones who bite.
As a side note- When I was looking to move recently a landlord refused my application because I could not certify that my dog didn't have any pit in her. She is a 45 pound mongrel of some kind of hound extraction but since I said I didn't know what went into the making of her genetics he decided she was "too big of a risk". The only thing at risk around this 15 year old mutt is my sofa and the dent she is putting in the middle of the cushions, but you never know, her great-great-great grand daddy might have been a pit. It makes me so mad I could spit.
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That's rude mate. Can you stop? Why are you saying that, a pit is nothing different then any other dog!
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Sorry didn't realize that this was SO long ago.
