My dog keeps chasing my cat and my cat is terrified – please help!

Hi everyone, I’m really worried because I’ve adopted a bit of a boisterous 1-year-old male dog. I’ve already had a cat for two years, who is now four and a half, and I thought it would work out because I have other pets at home that shouldn't really live together (hamster and cat, fish and cat) and it works perfectly. Unfortunately, my dog chases the cat and whines as soon as we hold him back from lunging at him. To top it all off, my cat is terrified and won’t even come into the house anymore 🤧 please help me, I’d die for my cat, I love him more than anything. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks for your replies, cheers Nimbus

Hi, I’m really struggling because I’ve adopted a 1-year-old male dog who’s quite boisterous. I’ve had my cat for two years now and he’s now four and a half. I thought it would work out because I’ve already got some pairings at home that shouldn't really get along (hamster and cat, fish and cat) and they get on fine. Unfortunately, my dog keeps chasing the cat and whines as soon as we hold him back from lunging at him. To top it all off, my cat is terrified and doesn't want to come into the house anymore 🤧 please help me, I’d die for my cat, I love him more than anything. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks for your replies, best regards, Nimbus Hi there, I’m in exactly the same boat. I’ve just adopted a 1-year-old dog who is also very bouncy. It’s been a week now and I already have a four-year-old cat. My dog keeps trying to chase my cat and my cat just bolts for the high ground. Since your post was from a year ago, do you have any solutions or advice you could give me? Thanks, bye.

There’s no magic fix; even now, after getting over how intimidating cats can be, my dog has realised they can actually be quite cool. To be honest, my cat doesn’t exactly help him learn how to behave with other cats or how to act properly; she lets him pounce on her and nibble her, and then she just plays right back—it’s just her nature. I’ve stopped worrying now because they both seem to get something out of their games of chase. However, she has definitely reinforced that side of him; now he thinks every cat is happy to be chased, sniffed, and pounced on, and he gets frustrated when he gets no reaction in return. I’d say that over time he’s learned to be a bit more “gentle”, but unfortunately, it’s often down to a chasing instinct that’s hard to keep in check. I think you just have to step in whenever you see the dog getting too worked up. With my own cat, since my dog used to bark at the start, I used a clicker—every time he was calm and settled, click and treat. If he was a bit too rough or started barking, I’d either ignore him or just step in to block his way to the cat. Then again, it’s always easier with a kitten.

I don’t have a magic fix, unfortunately, as I’m in a similar boat myself, but I really feel for you! :-) A dog can easily terrify a cat without actually having any ill will or prey drive towards them. Often, they just want to play! However, a dog's play cues are often seen as threats by a cat—it's like they're speaking two different languages. That’s why it’s usually easier to introduce a kitten to a home with dogs, rather than bringing a puppy into a house full of cats. I was brave enough to bring a puppy (a Boxer type) into a home with adult cats... and the adjustment period was a long one! Especially for my older female cat. I tried to interfere as little as possible, mostly just stopping my dog from crowding the cats too much to keep their stress levels down. We eventually reached a bit of a stalemate. I don’t think I’ll ever get one of those "calendar-perfect" photos where the cats are all curled up between the dog's paws ;-) Not a chance! But everyone has found their place and they manage to live together peacefully. The house rules help a bit: the cats have the whole of upstairs to themselves since my dog doesn't go up there. So, if they’ve had enough of her, they can go and have some quiet time whenever they like. For her part, my dog has stopped pestering them. If she does approach them now, she’s much gentler, usually just for a quick nose-to-nose sniff. In the end, the cats have forced her to learn some self-control, which isn't a bad thing at all! Mind you, it’s quite funny to see how a quick swipe from a cat can calm down an overexcited puppy in a split second. Good luck with everything!