My CAT Keeps ATTACKING My DOG (Reasons & How to Stop It)

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay 

the phrase fighting like cats and dogs implies these two animals can never get along in truth if they're both happy and healthy they have every chance to be best friends this article explains more with these reasons why a cat may keep attacking a dog.

in the wild cats and dogs would have to compete for resources and even consider each other prey in the right circumstances thanks to domestication they have human guardians to provide them with the care and security they need with a competition element withdrawn they have the chance to coexist peacefully when they don't it may be due to the following.

1.poor socialization:

if a feline has never come in contact with a dog before it's possible they will attack them due to fear of the unknown the socialization process is so important for kittens if they are not socialized properly they can have problems relating to humans and other animals also. 

2.negative experiences:

even with good socialization with other animals and humans cats can have traumatic experiences which affect how they relate to others for example a cat which has been attacked by a dog in the past may attack other dogs out of fear these triggers could be highly stressful fo the cat.

3.dog crosses boundaries:

although a cat may not be scared of dogs individual dogs may cross their boundaries even if they're just being friendly a dog may try to play with a cat when they don't want to or disturb their peace the cat may scratch or bite them to show them a line has been crossed.

4.protecting resources:

although domestication has led to cats living in relatively safe environments they are still territorial animals they will defend their territory if they think it has been in any way threatened when a dog comes into the home they may eat the cat's food sleep in their favorite spot or even take away the affection from their human family a cat may attack if they feel their security is being compromised by the dog take a look at the article we share here about jealousy and cats to know more.

5.stress:

cats are animals of routine if a dog comes into the home it can be a major upset for them the result is stress and a resultant symptom may be aggression directed towards the dog even if the cat has well tolerated the dog before a secondary cause of stress may result in them attacking the dog.

6.do cats attack dogs for no reason:

although the above reasons can explain why your cat attacks a dog it's not always something we can determine all dogs and cats are individuals with their own personalities and preferences some cats will not get along with certain dogs even if they do so with other dogs cats are often sensitive animals and some dogs with too great a disruption to their life and well-being we should also be careful to ensure the cat is actually attacking the dog dogs which get on with cats will often want to play which can seem like fighting to the uninitiated.

tips to help cat and dog get along:

even if there is little tension to start most cats and dogs will become friends or at least tolerate each other's presence after some time however there are things we can do to help them along introduce them slowly if you are bringing a dog into the home of the cat keep them in separate areas to begin with let them feel comfortable on their own and slowly bring them together use pheromones synthetic pheromones can be sprayed in areas where the cat and dog are together so the cat associates their presence with something positive begin education although dogs can be more easily trained both cats and dogs need educated to respect each other's boundaries use positive reinforcement as scolding them will only make the situation worse see a professional if your dog and cat simply do not get along there may be something you are missing seek the help of a qualified pathologist to help assess your situation and see if there's a plan to help them.