[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference misery::feline

Title:Meower Power - Where Differing Opinions are Respected
Notice:purrrrr...
Moderator:JULIET::CORDES_JA
Created:Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1079
Total number of notes:28858

598.0. "My cat is not accepting of our new puppy...." by STRATA::STOOKER () Wed Sep 08 1993 10:21

    My cat Shadow is not adjusting to the addition of our new puppy.  We
    have had Julie for 3 weeks now.   Julie is not doing anything to
    Shadow.  Shadow is actually in an attack mode now.   When we play ball
    with Julie, we will roll the ball and Julie will chase it.  At the same
    time Shadow will run over and strike at Julie.  Shadow will stand in
    the doorway of any room and if Julie goes to walk in, she will hiss and
    slap at Julie. The most Julie will do (and this is only occaisionally)
    is bark at Shadow. Shadow is 9 years old and we've never owned a dog
    during the time that we've owned her which is all of her life although
    we did adopt another cat whom Shadow never really like either.   Shadow
    still gets a lot of love and attention, but she just cannot seem to
    recognize the fact that Julie is not going to bother/hurt her.  
    Luckily, Shadow can not hurt Julie either since Shadow is an indoor
    only cat and we had her declawed at a very young age to prevent her
    from destroying our furniture.   
    
    Any suggestions on getting Shadow to at least except the puppy without
    the hissing/slapping/growling mode she gets in?
    
    Just curious how others have handled such a situation...
    
    Sarah
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
598.1She will learn to live with it.SALEM::SHAWWed Sep 08 1993 11:0219
    
    
    Sarah,  we had a cat like that, she was a stray that we adoubted and
    spent a few years at our house after having had to deal with street 
    life in San Francisco. When we brought home Sophie a our two month 
    old pup , she was very upset, to the point that she pooped on our 
    furniture, bed, pillow etc. to make her displeasure known. This went
    on for five or six years. She never ever got comfortable with the dog. 
    But they managed to live together. Quite often, Sophie would want to
    enter a room, but Silvey the cat would stand at the door way and hiss
    and slap and not let her enter. Sophie and i eventually moved away
    and Silvey stayed with my ex.  
    This story didn't help , did it? ;-)
    Well one thing we tried was to have both of them close and pet them 
    at the same time, feed them near each other. 
    Anyhow the cat will envetually realize that this is the way its going 
    to be. Whether or not she will accept the pooch is realy her decision. 
    
    Shaw
598.2Time (and size) did the trick for mePTPM06::TALCOTTThu Sep 09 1993 06:0013
I had a cat as an only pet for 5 years before getting a puppy. Went though a
hissing/hair-up-on-back stage. At one point Kip-the-dog was standing next to a
wall and the cat, wandering by, bopped him a good one right on the nose. Scared
him enough he let out a yip and pooped right on the wall. :-) We ended up with a
little stain about 5" up the wall that served as a reminder for many years until
we finally painted over it. Anyway, as the dog grew larger he got more mellow and
the cat became a lot more agreeable. The days of cat attacks faded as he passed
about 20 pounds on his way to 70. They seldom curled up together, but they did
end up getting along pretty well. As the years went by she'd still give him a
light smack every once in a while just to let him know who she thought was in
charge but it never phased him.

						Trace
598.3My way works for me..AIMHI::OFFENFri Sep 17 1993 11:537
    Letting the cat know that this is *not* acceptable behavior helps.  I
    scold my cat after the first week of introductions.  This way she knows
    mommy doesn't tolerate this type of behaviour.  I also give her lots of
    love when she is behaving.  It works for me...
    
    Sandi (mom to hellion cat..)