Puppy and cat

bmthmark

Hi

I have a 15 week cocker spaniel puppy who is lovely and very friendly. He loves to play and is generally very excitable around anything that moves.
We also have a grumpy 6 year old cat who to be fair likes to be on his own and relax near a radiator and watch the world go by.
The puppy does not understand this as he wants to play with it. I try to calm him down as it seems to freak the cat out when he runs around it at 100mph. A couple of times the cat has swiped his paw at the puppy.

Is there anything I can do to attempt to make them be friends? should I leave them to it and hope they start to like each other? should I keep them separated?
Has anyone had similar experiences?

I do feel sorry for the puppy as he doesn't mean any harm and I can see by his confused face that he doesn't understand why he has just been attacked by the cat. I also understand that the cat is probably annoyed that a puppy is now in his home.

There was a moment yesterday that they touched noses but then once again the puppy got excited and freaked the cat out :rotfl:

Poppy3008

I say leave them to it. They puppy will soon get the message. Our old Labrador who was 7 when we got him chased the cats till he got a swipe. Also one cat was just not that bothered so dog just ignored them in the end. On the other hand, our new rescue dog, about 2, loves to chase cats and would frequently chase our old cat who in the end just lived upstairs. But when staying with my sister her bold cat gave the new dog a punch in the face and she avoided cat like the plague after that! If they can actually be in the same room as each other then it's better than I ever got!

bmthmark

Poppy3008 wrote: »

I say leave them to it. They puppy will soon get the message. Our old Labrador who was 7 when we got him chased the cats till he got a swipe. Also one cat was just not that bothered so dog just ignored them in the end. On the other hand, our new rescue dog, about 2, loves to chase cats and would frequently chase our old cat who in the end just lived upstairs. But when staying with my sister her bold cat gave the new dog a punch in the face and she avoided cat like the plague after that! If they can actually be in the same room as each other then it's better than I ever got!

Thanks - they seem to look at each other for about 30 seconds and then the pup cannot control his excitement and does something. Which eventually makes the cat walk off.
I think I will leave them to it and try not to get involved.

sheramber

I would distract the puppy when he is annoying the cat.

Call him to you and instigate a short game with a toy. Do some short training with him.

It is not fair for the cat to have to put up with it.

iammumtoone

Does the cat have its own room where it can go to get away where the puppy is not allowed?

If not I would instigate this and then let them sort it out themselves.

gettingready

bmthmark wrote: »

Hi

grumpy 6 year old cat who to be fair likes to be on his own and relax near a radiator and watch the world go by.
......

I do feel sorry for the puppy

Really? And I do feel sorry for the cat actually.

It is your job to keep the puppy away from the cat so puppy does not annoy the cat and make sure the cat can enjoy what he enjoys (as above) without a nuisance of a puppy.

With time they may enjoy each other's company but allowing the puppy annoy the cat is not the right way to go about it.

Do not allow the puppy near the cat, distract the puppy so he/she learns to leave the cat alone.

SensibleSarah

100% with the posters who have advised you to not allow the puppy to mither the cat. Don't let it chase & provide 'safe' areas the cat can escape to. You can make it a lot less stressful for the cat by encouraging the pup to do something else positive rather than try to play with the unwilling feline. Definitely separate when you're not there. Stair gates on a few doorways can be a big help.

bmthmark

SensibleSarah wrote: »

100% with the posters who have advised you to not allow the puppy to mither the cat. Don't let it chase & provide 'safe' areas the cat can escape to. You can make it a lot less stressful for the cat by encouraging the pup to do something else positive rather than try to play with the unwilling feline. Definitely separate when you're not there. Stair gates on a few doorways can be a big help.

Thanks for your advice. The cat definitely has a its own safe area away from the puppy (half the house) which has been separated using stair gates.
We have had massive improvements over the weekend. The cat walked in past the puppy who was sat in his bed and sat within a meter of him, next to a warm radiator. They both just sat there.
I think the cat is starting to tolerate the puppy :T

bmthmark

iammumtoone wrote: »

Does the cat have its own room where it can go to get away where the puppy is not allowed?

If not I would instigate this and then let them sort it out themselves.

Yes cat has his own area which the puppy can't get in to

JP08

Back when I was a kid, when we moved house we were given a kitten as a moving in present. Poor little thing was barely weaned, one eye stuck shut and suffering from cat flu. She survived, but was always one of these little bitty delicate looking cats.

Anyhow over the next eighteen years she saw the arrival (and mostly outlived) the coming of many other dogs and cats - and the routine never altered. New kitten / pup arrives, Mitz walks up and twotts it one across the nose, thus establishing once and for all there was only one boss, and it was she.

It generally resulted in lifelong deference and respect, hence us having a retriever that, even when full grown, would share its food bowl, and three Jack Russells hurtling out the back door on hearing a cat fight outside, and three Jack Russells and a small grey tabby walking back in :O)

mellymoo74

Yep I frequently end up with a cat honour guard whilst walking my jacks lol.

Pickle likes to come and give the dogs kisses, tomcat walks behind with the occasional 'look how good I am at scratching trees' break.

Neighbours love it.