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I have a Pomeranian, 3 years old, who got introduced to this house when my old cat was already 19 years old. My old cat was very docile and loved having her around, so my Pomeranian is used to cats. My old cat died a few months ago, and now we have a new kitten, who is now 2.5 months old. At first, the dog was very excited to have a new cat in the house but the cat was a bit standoffish and hissed at her. Recently they started playing around, but I'm not sure if it's not too rough and I don't know if they're both really having fun or if it could be dangerous or bad for the cat's development. Their "play" consists mostly of my dog sort of lunging occasionally at the cat, doing fake bites (not with her teeth showing or anything, just as if she was trying to catch a fly in her mouth) at the cat while the cat gets on his back and sort of punches her back and occasionally lunges at her too, he doesn't seem to be using his claws. They seem to be challenging each other and sometimes this develops into a little chase where the dog chases him under the couch and tries to scare him a bit. My dog is clearly enjoying this, she gets very into it and is smiling the whole time. Is this an okay way for them to play? So far they don't seem to be trying to hurt each other and I remember from my old cat that he really loved to be chased by me, but it's hard to read cats sometimes. The cat isn't really trying to avoid her and does participate in the game. Once or twice I told my dog off for chasing the cat under the couch but she looked at me with a very wronged expression, like I was being weird for telling her off for having some innocent fun or something. Should I let them keep doing this and hope they will learn from each other how they like to play or might it be dangerous?
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Sep 9, 2018 14:42
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| # ? Apr 18, 2024 13:56 |
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The only thing that concerns me is the dog chasing the kitten under the couch. Your dog doesn't mean any harm, but your kitten could feel cornered and lash out, and things could potentially escalate from there. I had a pom as a kid and he was constantly being beat up by our cat, and he never once tried to defend himself, but all dogs are different and you never know how they may react when in pain or under stress. My advice would be to redirect your dog when he chases the kitten under the couch - grab his favorite toy or a treat and take his attention away from the kitty for awhile so the kitty can escape if he feels the need to. Do the same if you think that the dog is playing too roughly or if the kitten seems distressed. Once the kitten gets bigger, I wouldn't worry, but at 8 1/2 wks kittens are tiny and delicate and injury is a lot more likely from rough play. As long as you supervise their interactions and separate them when you aren't home, you'll be fine.
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Sep 9, 2018 18:13
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