Dog And Cat Playing Or Fighting?

[4veatquevale]

I have a 6 year old cocker spaniel and an 8 month old kitten (Mia). They've lived together ever since Mia arrived 6 months ago and even though they were not too happy with each other at the beginning they get along fine now. Sometimes they "play" and I'm not quite sure if it's a game or a fight. They are a little aggressive but no blood has been shed and when my dog cries, Mia usually stops . There is no barking or hissing and Mia doesn't run and hide to get away, she actually hides close from him so she can slap him. She also LOVES to chase his tail. My dog usually just kind of push her with his nose. I've only have dogs my whole life and I can tell that he is just playful, but I don't have much experience with cats and I'm worried Mia is not comfortable. They get along well, sometimes they even eat for the same bowl at the same time because she's loves to sneak and eat his food. Anyone has experience with cats and dogs playing? Should I be worried? Thank you

 

[MoochNNoodles]

That sounds like play to me. My mothers dog and one of her cats played often when the cat was a kitten. The cat groomed the dog like another cat too. I like to have tall cat trees and things for cats to get away if they feel the need.

 

[neely]

Our cat, Neely, also liked to chase our dog's tail. They would run side by side since he was a herding breed but he never harmed her in any way. It was a game they played and Neely, the cat, actually baited our dog.

Just a word of caution - one thing I would discourage is letting Mia eat out of the dog's bowl. It might be cute but it could be a recipe for disaster.

If you have a pic of Mia and your dog we would love to see them together.

 

[4veatquevale]

Our cat, Neely, also liked to chase our dog's tail. They would run side by side since he was a herding breed but he never harmed her in any way. It was a game they played and Neely, the cat, actually baited our dog.

Just a word of caution - one thing I would discourage is letting Mia eat out of the dog's bowl. It might be cute but it could be a recipe for disaster.

If you have a pic of Mia and your dog we would love to see them together.

Thank you!
Every time I see her eating from his bowl I take her out of the room, but I'm curious, is dog food bad for her? Or is it because of the dog? I've searched online and found that technically it's not bad for cats if they eat a little bit. But I don't know, I don't want her to eat something that's "technically not bad" for her. She sometimes drinks from his bowl of water too. The dog really couldn't care less about it because he's been trained for that (i have a younger brother who used to play with my dog's food when he was little) and he knows it not a big deal

 

[neely]

The 2 main reasons a cat should not eat dog food is that cats require taurine in their diet and more protein than is found in dog food. Here is an excellent article discussing this: Can Dogs Eat Cat Food? Can Cats Eat Dog Food? | petMD

The other reason it's not a good idea to let the cat eat out of the dog's bowl is because you wouldn't want the dog to accidentally snap or bite the cat for stealing his food. You mentioned your dog could not care less so this is up to you but better to be safe than sorry. Here is a TCS Article that lists some helpful ways to keep the cat away from the dog's bowl and visa versa: How To Keep The Dog Out Of The Cat’s Food And Vice Versa

Hope this helps answer your questions. Best of luck!