# Introducing puppy to aggressive cat - HELP!



## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

I keep losing posts today...sigh. Trying again.

First, you did exactly the right thing getting her checked by the vet. It's unusual for such a young cat to develop behavioral problems without a medical reason. Did they spend any real time with you trying to understand what's going on? Cat behavior is complex, there's no doubt, and if they're really not versed in it, then finding a cat-only practice or one that specializes in cat behavioral issues would be a good idea.

Have there been any major changes in her environment? Is she still using the litterbox appropriately? Eating/drinking the same? Is she seeking you out to be aggressive or is it just happening when you approach her? I assume she's spayed?

Did they suggest any anxiety meds or a Feliway pheromone diffuser?


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## Bwilson (Mar 25, 2014)

We just moved and our landlord said a stray cat came with our house. We didn't know how the cat was with dogs. Our dog he would swat at and would hiss and be nasty. After awhile she was fine with him and he can interact with her. When we brought the golden in she still hisses and try's to swat at her. The puppy read really quickly this cat doesn't want to play. River will keep her distance and the cat is fine. When River is excited and acting puppy the cat will get aggravated and the puppy will calm down around her and keep a safe distance. My older dog was raised around an older cat when he was a puppy. The cat would be fine one second then turn around and bite. He didn't pick up any of these behaviors. Both of my dogs have had no adverse reactions with the complex personality of cats. They are both very respectful to cats and all cats. The cats have accepted them but occasionally they will do a warning swat if they are in a mood. The cat maybe stressed for a few days. Give an escape route or somewhere for peace and quite. Perch up high that they can inspect. Introductions the cat will be curious but nervous. Make sure to encourage calm behavior from your puppy and little interactions here and there. Feeding time is a good time for cats to get a good smell. Just be patient and the cat will come around and should give plenty of warning before doing anything real harmful. Don't push the interaction curiosity killed the cat she will need to figure out this new puppy. You maybe dealing with some teenage phase with your cat also it should pass soon.


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## Lise123 (Jan 1, 2014)

Definitely get your kitty checked out by a cat-only vet, if that isn't where you started. They might have lots of ideas for you. Feliway can help a lot, and it's just a thing you plug into an outlet that emits calming cat phermones.

When does your cat bite? Is there a pattern to her behavior? Some cats get overstimulated from petting; they can lie in your lap for hours, but if you start touching them, they will bite. (I had a cat like this.) Does she bite you when startled? Or when you get too near a certain spot in your house? If you can figure out what's triggering her aggression, it's easier to work around it. 

When you bring the puppy home, keep her nails trimmed as short as you can. Cat claws can do a lot of damage to puppy noses. If you plan on confining the puppy to a certain part of your house, that might help; the house will still be "hers" and she can retreat from the puppy when she needs to get away. And your puppy won't be unsupervised for a while anyway, so you can keep puppy safe from kitty until he's been around for a while.

She will be in charge, no matter how big your puppy gets. It is hilarious to see my nine-pound cat guard Bailey's water bowl and keep him at bay with a look until she's finished with it.  Good luck with your kitty!


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## Aleksandrina (May 27, 2014)

My husband and I also have a cat (Olivia.) She's always been very friendly and gentle towards us... But when there was an extensive renovation going on in our home, she was distressed. One evening, she started freaking out, hissing, jumping, hiding, etc. We could barely get a hold of her to make sure that she's not hurt. The next morning we took her to the vet and he said that she's simply stressed because of all of the unknown people (painters, carpenters, bathroom remodelers, etc.) that have been entering the premises of our home. 

We did get her a Comfort Zone cat spray and it worked very well. We sprayed it for 3 days straight. And she came back to being her normal self. 

Comfort Zone with Feliway Cat Spray

Your cat could be biting you or hissing due to a variety of non-medical reasons, including: self-defense (for example if someone stepped on her tail by accident), aggression (when she's trying to be the Top Cat and dominate the household), stress (noise, unknown people or changes in your home), fear (if someone picks her up roughly, etc.) 

I'd get a second vet's opinion, just to rule out any sort of an illness. 

Make sure you trim the cat's nails prior to meeting the puppy. This way she won't be able to scratch him. If you can't do it on your own, any groomer in your area should be able to help you with this. 

Also - it might be a good idea to give the puppy 2 or 3 days prior to meeting the cat, so that he could get used to his new environment. If you see her acting aggressively towards him, try introducing them while the puppy is crated. This would allow for them to look at each other and explore the other one's actions without the ability to hurt each other. 

I wish you the best of luck once you introduce them. We're also getting a puppy in a few weeks, so I hope our cat welcomes him. But the breeder told us that sometimes these things take time...


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## teddyweb (May 30, 2014)

Thank you so much for your replies - I am feeling a bit better about the situation now! 

We tried some 'calming drops' on Dolly over the weekend and she seems no different (they are supposed to last a whole week!) She is a real Jekyll and Hyde character - sometimes so lovely and cuddly and other times she will jump on the sofa and bite us for no reason :-( 

In reply to Noreaster's comment: 

"Have there been any major changes in her environment? Is she still using the litterbox appropriately? Eating/drinking the same? Is she seeking you out to be aggressive or is it just happening when you approach her? I assume she's spayed?"

...There have been no major changed in her environment, she still uses the litterbox fine or goes outside, eating and drinking as much as always and she was spayed at 6 months. 

We have taken her to the vet again to see if they could trim her nails for us as we can't get near her with the clippers, but even the vet struggled and only managed three claws!! I think we will have to seek out a cat specialist vet as a few of you have suggested. 

The pup will be crate trained and we set up the crate this weekend so Dolly could get used to seeing it in the house. We are going to choose a puppy this coming Saturday and we are so excited, but still a bit nervous about the cat :-/ 

Thank you so much again for all your comments and suggestions, I think we will have to buy some feliway to try! xx


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

I've seen Feliway do some marvelous things--it does take time. I think the package says that it may take up to four weeks to work.

One other thought--do your neighbors have a cat that comes into your yard or maybe another creature, like a particularly obnoxious squirrel? I'm wondering about misdirected aggression, since she's actively seeking out someone to nip.

I just went through some behavioral problems with my 14-year-old cat who was bullying the other cats AND urinating/pooping on the furniture. What worked was Feliway, medicating him for a while and then weaning him off, and playing what I call The Stupid Mouse on a String Game for twenty minutes every day. He apparently needed to satisfy his prey drive and TSMSG seems to work for him, although it's quite tedious for his mom.

I've introduced a few dogs/cats to each other over the years, and it's crucial for the cats to be able to check out the interloper safely, so it's good that you have a crate for your puppy. The other thing is that the cats always need a safe escape route and up is their preferred direction, so if you have furniture tops she can navigate or you could even put up some shelves for her where she can glare down haughtily, many cats quite enjoy that .

ETA: I've seen this gentleman's television show occasionally and he's a little out there but he does seem to genuinely love cats and seems to have an affinity for them. You might want to check out his site here:

Learn | Jackson Galaxy


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