# Pup won't leave the cats alone!!!!



## Faith82 (Aug 25, 2011)

My 4 month old golden will not leave my 3 cats alone. He is just trying to play with them but they do not want to play so they get upset and hiss or smack at him. I am afraid of him scaring the cats so bad that they will NEVER want to go near him. How do I get him to be calm around the cats?


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## Jax's Mom (Oct 16, 2009)

It takes TIME. First, I would make sure the cats have "safe" places to be where your pup cannot get to them. I think that is important. Second, when the cats are around your pup, you should have him leashed and unable to run at them. Working on "leave it" can be helpful. This is how I dealt with my youngest who tends to run up to my cat, not to hurt him, but to interact. He is now a year old, and I can tell him to "leave it" sternly when he reacts to the cat walking in the room, BUT I still have to be right on top of the situation to reinforce my leabe it command. My cat prefers to stay in the basement or the living room where the dogs do not and cannot go (either door closed or gated.


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

I will second that it takes time. When he is a bit older they will probably tolerate him better. 

Our two cats HATED Jack initially. They just ran and hid upstairs (in their safety zone) for awhile. They were totally peeved that he was in the house. I felt it was definitely a danger to one of our cats since he would totally turn into a deer in the headlights when Jack approached, so we baby gated off most of our house until Jack could be trusted a bit more. We taught him "no" and "leave it" and started applying that to the cats if he tried to chase them. If Jack was persistent after we corrected him we would usually physically put ourselves between Jack and the cats and correct him again. If he continued he would go into a doggie "time out" where we would calmly put him in the laundry room or his crate. He eventually got it, although he still really really likes them. The cats tolerate him now, they'll even lay by him on occasion. 

Chloe never had a problem with going after the cats initially, but when she gets really excited and starts zooming all over the house sometimes she tries to chase one of them. We correct her as well, but a few times she has gotten popped and hissed at by both cats and she generally leaves them alone when they do that. They've gone on the offensive a bit with her, which they never did with Jack. I definitely wouldn't let a cat correct a puppy though, they could get a pretty severe eye injury from their claws. Obviously older dogs can be injured too, but once Chloe hears the hiss she runs the other way now.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Totally agree with the other two. It will take time and alot of patience. Make sure your kitty has a safe place. I use a baby gate with a kitty section. I got it at target. Plus make sure the litter box is safe from the dog. It is like a big treat to them.


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## Deb_Bayne (Mar 18, 2011)

Bayne is 8 months and just now are the cats not running away whenever they see him, but when he gets rambunctious and wants to play they'll either run away, stand their ground and hiss or swat at him. I do notice that their claws are not extended since I accidentally got in between them fearing of claw contact and not a scratch. I feel when Bayne is a lot more of a calm dog then the cats will trust him not to be the bouncy bouncy bow yippy puppy he is right now.


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## opie (Aug 31, 2011)

WE have a 4 1/2 month old golden and a 6 year old cat that hates everything. We have the upstairs gated off so Roxie our golden can't go up where the cat is. At first she stayed up there and we would not see the cat for days. Now she is venturing down and sleeping in our bed like she used to. Roxie sleeps in our room also.

Roxie has learned much quicker than the cat, she knows not to play with the cat. On the other hand the cat can't stand to be near Roxie. If Roxie comes close just to go around the bed, the cat hisses. We have been getting onto the cat more and more for being rude and praising Roxie for not messing with the cat.

The gate to go upstairs was at first tightly against the railings, but now we just have it propped up by the stairs, makes it easier to go upstairs. Expect your dog to learn quick and the cats not so much ;-)

--Keith


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## Discoverer (Feb 3, 2011)

Read this thread with some good advices.


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## Charlie's Mom NJ (Sep 22, 2011)

I separated my house in to two "zones", separated by a baby gate. The puppy was allowed in the living room, dining and kitchen (supervised) and then the cat had the hallway, bathroom, laundry room and three bedrooms blocked off by one baby gate. The cat would just jump over the gate to check out the puppy whenever he was sleeping or relaxed and she would just hide behind the gate when she needed to escape. They are the best of friends now and cuddle together ALL day. (See my avatar!)


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