My cat is attacking my dog! Help please.

[Bess]

I have two dogs, both black labs aged 8 and 6. My cat has recently started attacking one, and only one, of the dogs. The cat was a rescue cat and is probably around 8 years old. Sox has lived happily with the two dogs for six years. But her behaviour has changed recently. She lies in wait and jumps out at Bess (the older of the two dogs).

Bess is a very gentle dog and just cowers while the cat jumps on her and hisses. The cat is not doing this in play, she's making a horrible meowing noise, the only other time I've heard her make this noise was when she and a fox were facing each other off in the garden.

I've just come back in from the garden where Sox had Bess pinned against the gate. Sox between times is quite friendly towards the dogs, rubs up against them etc. Her behaviour is very out of character. Obviously I will take her to the vet and get her checked over but just wondered if anyone had any advice.

 

[CAYLA]

Very odd

.......u are right to get her checked by the vet.....cats can display odd behaviour when harbouring an illness/in pain or discomfort just incase she is harbouring any underlying medical problems.
Does the cat go out.....could she have been chased or attacked by a dog outside.

I would keep them seperate when u cannot supervise, to stop the poor dog being subject to these attacks......u say she is gentle but she may well have a go at the cat in an extreme attack

When u get the all clear from the vet u need to deter the cat from this agression she is showing towards the dog.......I would do the same as I do when its the other way around and squirt the cat with a water pistol everytime u see her displaying this behaviour, hopefully she will lern to assosiate her bad behaviour with the soaking from the pistol

GOOD LUCK............nothing worse than a nowty cat

 

[CAYLA]

You can also apparently get deterant collars.....the same as in dogs i.e sound immiting collars controlled by you presumabley.....to sap her when displaying the behaviour.

Obviously this would be for continious/extreme cases, where everything else has been eliminatd as a problem.

I am also wondering wether a positive approach would help also......i.e allowing the cat to accept yummy treats from u....i.e chunks of cooked chicken and lovely cat type treats when she is sitting quietly around the dog in close proximity

 

[Bess]

Thanks Cala for your replies and advice. I have an appointment booked for tomorrow afternoon, I do think such an extreme change in behaviour must be related to poor health in some way - mental health possibly!

The cat does get out so she may have been attacked, I did see her facing up to a fox a few months ago but the fox ran away when I opened the window. I will buy a water pistol, and I do make sure the cat and dogs are separate when I go out. Sox's attacks just seem very random, but are happening more often.

 

[1588]

Is she 'in kitten' as ours go mental with the dog when they are or have had some??

 

[Bess]

The cat has been spayed, so no. I've had results back from the blood tests on Friday, only thing they noted was a slightly raised thyroid score, normal is up to 50 apparently, hers was 59.

I've to collect a pheromone spray tomorrow which might help and go back in 4-6 weeks to repeat the tests. Oh dear.