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amanda_slamm

Civilizing a kitten - cheering up a dog

agmss15
10 years ago

So I was doing an all day event with my sister and 7 yr old niece about two weeks ago. My uhm adult nephew brought a gift for his little sister in the form of an adorable kitten. My niece was overjoyed, my sister annoyed and I was jealous. So I ended up with a sibling kitten.

My 1 yr old dog and the kitten have bonded and play well. But he seems a little depressed. I am trying to give him extra attention and space away from the kitten. My other concern is the kitten seems to be biting clawing too much. My puppy training instincts don't seem appropriate. Any cat training advice? She is litter trained, playful and sweet at other moments.

Comments (13)

  • agmss15
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Oops - cute photos..

  • agmss15
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hmmmm I can't figure how to post images..

  • christine1950
    10 years ago

    They are both adorable, get the kitty one of the trees that has compartments they love to play on them, the kitten is most likely scratching the dog so start now with cutting her talons LOL (thats what they feel like), also get the kitty lots of scratching posts. Spending extra time with your pup is great, as you know the kitty will grow up fast and will mellow out some. congrats on your new fur baby.
    Christine

  • sylviatexas1
    10 years ago

    Be sure that you do not cut into the pinkish area;
    that's the quick, it'll bleed, & you'll never get hold of that kitten's paws again in your life.

    Is your dog a Shih Tzu?

    My cousin's Shih Tzu, the only one I ever have known closely, is very possessive & jealous of her.
    If another animal appeared in the household, Charlie would probably get the vapors in a very bad way...
    but only until he got used to the animal.

    (They're both precious little critters!)

  • cat_mom
    10 years ago

    Cuties, both of them!

  • agmss15
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Joe is a shih tzu westie mutt. He is the friendliest dog I have ever had. To humans and dogs alike. He loves playing with kitten for the most part. I had been afraid he would play too hard. But he was scared of her at first. And still seems out of sorts some of the time. I took him to the dog park and he was less friendly than normal. The kitten is friendly sometimes. But she crawls onto my lap and bites and claws me in another mood. I say no and put her down. If it goes on she goes into the bathroom. I particularly dislike the biting though she doesn't do to much damage at this stage. I will look into a climbing tree.

  • trancegemini_wa
    10 years ago

    awww, they're both so cute. Joe will get used to the kitten so don't worry too much. Cats will put up with dogs to varying degrees, so they will work out the relationship in time, but I've found the cat usually has the upper hand and will let a dog know when they need to be put in their place with those dastardly claws :)

    They may never be the best of friends, but they will live side by side no problem as they learn to respect each other's boundaries (um, by that I mean joe will likely be the one respecting boundaries here).

    my rule is that nobody gets hurt, so if the cat gets too intimidating they get removed, if the dog becomes too pestering, they get pulled up on it, but for the most part they work it out themselves, usually with only some minimal intervention if one or the other is causing a problem, or if things look like they're getting serious.

  • kitten-dilema
    10 years ago

    Give extra attention to the dog. Dogs are more dependant than cats.
    My 4th months kitten is biting less so they might grow out of it, but biting is their thing, is what they do with brothers and sisters. I put plastic bottle caps, rubber toys, anything for her to exercise biting away from me.
    I agree that the cat usually has the upper hand and could bully the dog anytime. Give plus attention to the dog, take for walks, leave the cat sleeping. Cats don't mind alone time.

  • agmss15
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Momentary calm.....

    They are playing a lot and look for each other if they have been apart.

    The kitty had a moment and did her business in a pair of shoes - one shoe for each uh effluent. So she is now restricted to the bathroom or the porch unless I am paying attention. I felt bad the first night. Now she has taken over the bottom shelf in the bathroom and made it her towel throne. No more accidents.

    The dog is liking extra tlc and weekly trips to the dog park. He plays with the kitten then gets exasperated and avoids her.

  • murraysmom Zone 6a OH
    10 years ago

    That picture is adorable and so sweet.

    Because your pup is so hairy, it took me a moment to realize it needs to be rotated to see correctly.

    Adorable!!!

  • agmss15
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Sorry because of how my phone works I can't see when photos need to be rotated until it's too late.

  • trancegemini_wa
    10 years ago

    that pic is adorable. It looks like they've become firm friends and are getting along great. so cute.

  • socks
    10 years ago

    That is very sweet. My dog and cat would never do that, but they do have a relationship of sorts. Glad things are working out. It takes time.

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