Kitten constantly pestering my elderly dog

calliekitten16 · Oct 30, 2016

My 7 month old calico kitten Callie will not stop bothering my older dog. My dog is a 12 year old female beagle/boxer mix that stresses out very easily and is not well in health. The kitten constantly wants to play to with my dog. She will stalk and try to pounce on my dog. Luckily my dog is very tolerant of this but it is stressing her out. My dog is used to cats but this has got to stop.

I cannot get the kitten a playmate at this time because my dog is suffering from an illness and all of our finances are basically tied up with that and the new kitten. I play with the kitten several times throughout the day and try to burn up her energy. She is most active at dusk and dawn. I don't want to compromise my dog's health with her being as old as she is. What can I do to make this less stressful for my dog?

di and bob · Oct 30, 2016

Your kitten is doing what kittens do, all play, all of the time! The good thing is that it IS a kitten and both are more tolerant of each other. The only thing to do is to make a place where your dog can go that is kitten free, a spare bedroom, etc. with food and water and a bed. This would be for time out only, because it is not fair to your dog to be 'banished' from the family. Maybe the kitten could swap places at times too. Another kitten would be ideal, it concentrates their energies on each other. I have found two to be just as cheap as one, only one office fee when both are brought to the vet, (and both should be always brought to avoid having different smells and causing the other to attack when arriving back home) Food can be bought when on sale, toys can be shared, (plus they have each other to play with) and most important of all peace for your dog. A male is much cheaper to have neutered, almost half, than spaying a female,which by the way have you had done? That would quiet her down for a week or so. My heart goes out to your dog, but on the bright side, it is also keeping her amused too, and when the kitten finally does quiet down, and she will, they can be companions. Time is on your side, just take one day at a time and it will work out. In the meantime give that old sweetheart special treats and love and that ornery kitten a new catnip toy, all the luck!