Why is my cat attacking my dog?
There are many reasons why your cat has started attacking your dog, such as feeling territorial, feeling threatened, or they might even have an underlying medical issue!
More often than not, your cat’s aggression isn’t related to your dog! Although this isn’t always comforting, there are plenty of solutions to your cat’s aggression that can return your home to a peaceful paradise for your pets. To help you diagnose your cat’s aggression and offer you solutions to fix their aggression.
Keep on reading for the main causes and fixes for your cat’s aggression!
Is it redirected aggression?
Another reason why your cat has attacked your dog could be redirected aggression. We touched on this briefly earlier, but let’s look at it in closer detail now. External stimuli such as other animals, noise, or smell can wind your cat up and build their aggression levels.
When your dog crosses their path, although it might not be doing anything, your cat can lash out and unleash its anger on the dog. In these instances, it’s a case of wrong place, wrong time, and apart from keeping your cat as calm as possible at home, there is little you can do to prevent redirected aggression.
If you know there will be disturbances that will distress your cat, such as building work, it might be worth keeping the cat and dog separate to avoid any unprovoked attacks.
Could it be fear?
Fear is another reason your cat can be lashing out and attacking your dog. Even if you can’t see the treat, or the cat perceives it, it can cause them to attack the dog, as though they are protecting themselves from a situation they cannot escape.
You don’t need us to tell you that cats are quite skittish animals and can feel threatened easily. If you have a quite energetic dog that tends to roughhouse with your cat, it’s easy to see how fear and intimidation can spring from this!
My CAT Keeps ATTACKING My DOG (Reasons & How to Stop It)
Does your dog walk through the house in terror and look around corners to check for the cat? Is your cat a bully that makes your dog’s life a nightmare? If your cat acts like the schoolyard ruffian, you are not alone! Cat aggression is a common behavior, and in fact, Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine says that up to 30% of cats surrendered to shelters are there because of aggression.
The term “fighting like cats and dogs” might be a cliche, but it exists for a reason. These two species have had problems since the beginning of their cohabitation. Even though there are many jokes surrounding canine and feline housemates, it is important to take action if the cat is bulling your puppy so badly that he is hurt or scared of the other animal.
Your team at Animal Medical Hospital & 24 Hour Urgent Care is here to help you get a handle on your cat bully problems so you can enjoy a peaceful home!
It is especially disheartening to see your once-sweet kitty treat your new pup like her own personal scratchpad. Unexpected aggressive behavior is scary, especially when it is directed at your beloved dog. Cats are very territorial creatures and, like dogs, they want to show their dominance over their territory, especially if they were there first.
Since puppies are physically smaller than cats, they are particularly susceptible to this feline aggression. With so much energy, puppies might unknowingly stress out a dominant cat.
Bullying cats have a tendency to scratch or bite unsuspecting puppies. If you can, intervene as soon as you can so you can start to show both animals how to coexist peacfully. Try not to leave the puppy and the cat alone if the feline has demonstrated agressive behavior in the past.
If your cat is targeting your puppy with aggression, we can help. With the right approach, we can find the root cause and minimize the behavior.
There are steps you can take to help a cat bully. Please contact us for a consultation. We also look forward to meeting your new puppy!