[XanderPaws]

Hi all!

We have an 11 month old male Golden Retriever (Xander). We have had him for approximately 9 months and he is usually fantastic!

We already had three cats when we got him and is great with the cats.
But... we recently adopted a kitten (Jasper) from a local shelter and Xander is obsessed with him!!!

Xander is never aggressive towards the kitten but he constantly follows the kitten around, licks him, and is generally a nuisance to the kitten. It would be sweet but the kitten is not not overly thrilled with this attention.

What suggestions do you have for calming the dog down or improving this relationship?

Thank you!

Sincerely,
The Dog and Cat lady

 

[seashoreduck]

Hi all!

We have an 11 month old male Golden Retriever (Xander). We have had him for approximately 9 months and he is usually fantastic!

We already had three cats when we got him and is great with the cats.
But... we recently adopted a kitten (Jasper) from a local shelter and Xander is obsessed with him!!!

Xander is never aggressive towards the kitten but he constantly follows the kitten around, licks him, and is generally a nuisance to the kitten. It would be sweet but the kitten is not not overly thrilled with this attention.

What suggestions do you have for calming the dog down or improving this relationship?

Thank you!

Sincerely,
The Dog and Cat lady

They are cats and dogs, they don't have a "relationship". Give the cat an area where the dog cannot borrow it, and be mindful of the dog when they are accessible to each-other. Your dog is understandably curious about this new thing, that's part of it's nature.

 

[Jeru]

They are cats and dogs, they don't have a "relationship". Give the cat an area where the dog cannot borrow it, and be mindful of the dog when they are accessible to each-other. Your dog is understandably curious about this new thing, that's part of it's nature.

Cats and dogs can have a relationship, where both like each other and enjoy each other's company. But in this case I think that separating the two is probably the smartest thing for the safety of both. The cat might get so annoyed it may swipe and there are other possibilities for trouble with this situation. Good luck.

 

[Artdog]

Could not resist--see my avi. Dynamo & Riker had a thing for each other. Riker used to demand & get grooming (ear & head licking) sessions.
But, do take suggest pre-cautions. Dynamo came into our house with full prey-drive. Had we "let them work it out themselves" she would have killed them if she caught them.
Jackson Galaxy's how to introduce a dog to a cat is a good read (just google).
Your dog sounds more curious than anything else, so just making sure your kitten has quality "dog free" time and space may do the trick and supervise all interactions.
My own house rule is "if it's not mutual, it's not play" or okay.

 

[XanderPaws]

Thank you all for your thoughts. Xander is good with the other three cats - it is just the kitten he just adores!
You are right, he is just curious. I completely agree that if it is not mutual it is not ok!

I am signing us up for some more home obedience training - I think that will also help as well. Also give him a chance to do even more socializing!
Maybe being around more dogs will remind him that he is a dog.... not a cat! lol

Thanks!

 

[XanderPaws]

Could not resist--see my avi. Dynamo & Riker had a thing for each other. Riker used to demand & get grooming (ear & head licking) sessions.
But, do take suggest pre-cautions. Dynamo came into our house with full prey-drive. Had we "let them work it out themselves" she would have killed them if she caught them.
Jackson Galaxy's how to introduce a dog to a cat is a good read (just google).
Your dog sounds more curious than anything else, so just making sure your kitten has quality "dog free" time and space may do the trick and supervise all interactions.
My own house rule is "if it's not mutual, it's not play" or okay.

That is an adorable picture of your animals! Beautiful!