Pet care: Cat chasing: Bad behavior or canine addition?

Sep. 8—Q: We recently adopted a cat, Lulu. Our two older dogs are OK with her, however, our young dog, Sparky, wants to chase her. He is just too eager and excited about Lulu. Is it possible to change his behavior or are we fighting doggie instincts here?

Dr. Nichol: We love our dogs and cats like family, but they are not little people in furry suits. They are members of different species who come genetically programmed as, well, dogs and cats. They are predators who may or may not engage their inner savages. Sparky is high-status and confident. He can't ignore Lulu. He may be dangerous for her.

Sparky's hostility would appear hard-wired, considering his predatory reactions toward your good kitty. But his brain is more than just a collection of DNA. Had he snuggled with friendly felines as a canine infant and toddler, his current attitude would be to accept them. That would have been an "epigenetic" shift. It's a safe bet that his early life was missing a BFF of Lulu's ilk.

Lulu is an irresistible temptation. She is small and moves quickly because she's scared to death, fully aware that she could be lunch. Repeated hostile interactions between her and Sparky have each of them associating a potentially life-ending scenario for Lulu. Sparky will keep trying, while Lulu will keep freaking out.

Worried pet parents often scold, swat, or even apply electric shock to jolt a dog out of his natural inclinations. This only works if you're on duty 24/7, meting out consistently strong, immediate consequences. Even when punishment reduces an undesirable behavior (it seldom does), there would still be nothing teaching Sparky what to do instead. Meanwhile, your relationship with this pupster would suffer while Lulu developed stress-related disorders of her own.

You can add feline safe space to your house. Shelving along the tops of your walls with openings to different rooms would allow Lulu access to heights where Sparky could never reach or even see her. A great book called "The Cats' House" by Bob Walker will show you how.

For help with behavior problems, you can sign up for a Zoom group conference at drjeffnichol.com

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