Multi-Pet Homes: How to Stop My Dog From Chasing my Cat
The war between cats and dogs has been long documented, inspiring cartoons, movies, children’s books and more.
However, I’m here to tell you that cats and dogs CAN live in perfect harmony, but it takes patience, time and commitment.
Today, I want to address a common concern by sharing tips and tricks I used when determining how to stop my dog from chasing my cat.
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Whether you’ve recently brought a new pet into your home or are researching the possibility in the near future, it’s an exciting time!
The misconception that dogs and cats can’t live under the same roof is just that, a mistaken belief.
That being said, it’s not always going to be easy!
If you’re looking at the possibility of becoming a multi-pet household, you have to be prepared to put the work into actively creating balance and harmony.
If you are in the planning stages, you have a slight advantage. Why? You can actively try to match personalities to make the whole process easier.
Not only do some breeds naturally possess a higher prey drive, but some individual dogs are also more inclined to chase after your feline friend.
At the same time, not all cats are dog-friendly. Some cats will swat, hiss at or antagonize dogs, creating a less than ideal situation.
Are you planning on rescuing your new pet? Take advantage of the wealth of knowledge and experience of the shelter and rescue volunteers.
Don’t be afraid to ask about the temperament of the pet that you are considering.
When asked about other pets in your household, be honest. Take it a step further and share any concerns that you may have about adding to your existing household.
If a pet hasn’t been around other animals, volunteers may be able to do a trial run to give you a better idea of how they respond to other pets.
Not All Dogs Are Cat-Friendly
While you can often stop a dog from being obsessive over or aggressive towards cats, there are some dogs that simply aren’t going to adjust to a feline friend.
If a shelter or rescue organization labels a dog as needing to go to a home with no cats, they have done this for a reason.
As a cat owner, it is your responsibility to keep your feline family members safe.
Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you can ‘fix this dog’. It could lead to a very dangerous situation down the road.
Start Young, If Possible
The best-case scenario when it comes to introducing pets is to do so at a young age. Why? At this stage, they are still establishing their habits.
Young puppies are impressionable, making it the ideal time to teach them to respect their feline family members.
That being said, even introducing a puppy can lead to a serious situation if it isn’t done carefully.
Take your time, introduce your pets slowly and ensure that you are always in control of the situation in the event that things aren’t going to plan.
Introducing Your Puppy
When introducing your puppy (or full-grown dog), make sure that they are on a leash. Observe how they respond to the cat(s).
Start off this process in short time periods, giving them a break from one another frequently.
If you are concerned about what may happen, you can always use a basket muzzle to keep your cat(s) safe while you introduce everyone.
NOTE: If you are going to use a basket muzzle, make sure that you are fitting your dog with the correct size for comfort and functionality. Furthermore, you need to take the time to help adjust the dog to the muzzle through muzzle training.
Another great alternative is to use a carrier or to block off separate rooms with a pet gate, allowing them to see and smell one another without having access to one another in the beginning.
This will give your puppy the chance to get used to the idea of the cat being present.
During this time, carry out some basic training with your puppy such as the ‘sit’ or ‘lay’ command, as this will help to enforce the idea that the cat is just ‘there’ but not the focus of your puppy’s attention.
In the beginning, make sure that your puppy stays leashed until he/she has learned the limits.
During off-leash sessions, always be present and cautious of your puppy’s behaviour. Even if your puppy appears to be comfortable, it’s better to always be prepared!
Always keep your pets separated when unsupervised until you can confidently say that there will be no issues.
Make sure that your cat has plenty of places that he/she can ‘escape’ to when feeling uncomfortable such as a cat tree or a room where access has been limited for your dog using a pet gate with a small cat door.
They may choose to ‘hide out’ for a while, and that’s okay! In time, as your cat becomes comfortable with the situation, it will come out of hiding.
Let your pets determine how long these early sessions last, watching for signs that they are getting stressed or tired.
The same guidelines and recommendations listed above can also be used if you are introducing a cat into your home with an existing dog.
How to Stop My Dog From Chasing My Cat
If you already have a multi-pet household, you may find that you are no longer at the ‘introduction’ stage when you notice that things aren’t going as smoothly as you would like.
That takes us back to the discussion of tips and tricks that I used when determining how to stop my dog from chasing my cat.
Our boy Indiana had NO interest in our cats when we first adopted him, which was great given that we already had both Pippen and Jinx in the house.
However, as he built up confidence in himself and his surroundings, he started to develop a curiosity.
Suddenly, the cats were a fascination, and we knew that we had to do something to make sure that this didn’t develop into a problem.
Eliminate Boredom
While this wasn’t the situation with our pup, I do want to point out that cat chasing could simply be due to boredom.
If your dog has a lot of pent-up energy, he/she could be overexcited and taking it out on your cat(s).
Make sure that your dog is getting plenty of exercise along with providing mental challenges and stimulation, such as interactive dog toys.
Redirect Your Dog’s Focus
In order for this to work, you need to be keeping a watchful eye on your dog at all times when your whole household is together.
The moment that you notice your dog fixating on your cat, react by directing his/her attention back to you.
This can be done by clapping, calling your dog’s name, or using commands like ‘come’ or ‘leave it’.
When your dog responds, turning all attention to you and ignoring the presence of the cat, reward him/her with plenty of praise (and their favourite dog treat).
On the same note, if your cat enters the room and your dog remains calm, paying no attention to it, you want to reward that behaviour.
This will help to enforce the fact that this is the behaviour and response that you want to see.
In addition to reinforcing good behaviour, you want to react appropriately if your dog doesn’t behave properly.
If your dog ignores you and chases the cat, tell him/her ‘no’ and use a ‘time out’ approach.
This can be done by putting your dog in another room or simply attaching the leash and keeping your dog on a lay/stay while not giving him/her any of your attention.
There is no magical overnight solution, however, if you remain consistent with your training, most dogs will establish positive habits.
Go Back to the Beginning: Reintroduction
If the above approach isn’t working and your dog continues to obsess over your cat, you may want to scrap everything and go back to the beginning entirely.
This means separating your pets at all times unless you are providing them with a supervised, on-leash ‘meet and greet’ time.
Remember, as mentioned above, keep it short, be prepared to react and ensure that your cat has an option for escape if they decide that they need it.
Consult the Professionals
If you have been working hard to address your dog’s behaviour, but he/she still isn’t giving up their habit of chasing the cat, it’s time to call in the professionals.
Reach out to a dog trainer and discuss your options.
Never forget that this is, ultimately, more than just some ‘bad habit’.
Even if your dog doesn’t intend to hurt your cat in any way, this is a habit that can lead to serious injury or even death.
For this reason, I can’t stress the value of working with a professional enough.
There is no shame in needing professional assistance in addressing this problem. You’re doing what you need to in order to keep your whole family safe!
Have you ever had to address this problem? In your experience, what was the best answer to the question: ‘How do I stop my dog from chasing my cat?’
Feature Image Credit: chendongshan | Canva
Thanks for these tips! It sounds like it takes quite a lot of intention to have a calm and energetically loving home with multiple kinds of animals around. All vibrations need to be kept high and kept in check!
Yes, it definitely takes work and isn’t going to happen magically overnight. However, in most cases, once you have worked through the development of good habits for interacting, you’re good to go for the foreseeable future.
This is great info! We have two cats and my husband/kids would really love to get a dog so this will come in handy if we run into these issues.
It definitely can be a little frustrating or nerve-wracking at times, especially if you don’t have experience with it, but the end result is worth it! There is something truly heartwarming about watching my cats cleaning my dogs, curled up together on the floor lol
Luckily we dont have to deal with this- but I might have to share this with my brother. He’s looking at getting another animal!
We’ve been lucky in that our pets made the process far easier than it could have been. Not to say that there weren’t hiccups, as I shared in the post itself, but we were able to work through it pretty quickly and they learned to respect one another.
This is such great information! We just have a cat right now, but my hubby wants to get a dog soon too. So I will keep this post in mind! Thanks for sharing!
It’s not easy, but I love watching our dogs and cats interact with one another. They all love each other so much. The other day, one of the cats cried out like she was being hurt (she was getting her nails trimmed) and both dogs came running to protect her.
I definitely don’t have any experience here but it’s funny in my friend’s home the dogs were afraid of their cat, which the dogs like to rough play and the cat early on let them know I’m not cool with this leave me alone lol.
The one calling the shots in our house is one of the cats. We always joke here about the fact that Pippen’s in charge and the rest bow down to whatever she wants. When she walks up to the water dish, the dogs step back and give her space lol
This is Purrfect advice! My Husky Icy was a puppy when we brought her home. She was immediately thrilled & fascinated by our senior cat, Maggie. We had to do a lot of work to make her stop chasing our cat to play with her. It took time & patience but with advice from Icy’s trainer we taught her the Leave It command with the cat and it worked beautifully! I learned that Huskies apparently have quite a prey drive LOL! Excellent post.
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Yes, huskies are definitely one of the breeds that have a higher prey drive!
Great and detailed advice. Multiplet homes usually seem like such a breeze to me, probably because it takes a special kind of owner to be able to do all the behind-the-scenes work! That seems like a lot of effort but I am sure the rewards are multifold.
The work isn’t easy but it’s definitely worth it when you see your ‘pack’ all interacting together in a happy and loving way.
I am sending this to my in-laws! they have issues with adapting their new cat with the dogs
I hope it helps them to find a balance in their family. It’s not easy, but it’s worth the effort.
My husband and I have been contemplating moving in with a friend, so this is a perfect article for me to read right now. He has a 13 year old service dog, and I have a 13 year old cat who hates anything and everything, especially dogs and children that make any type of noise. Lol. Nothing is set in stone at this point, but this article will definitely come in handy if we decide to make the leap of all of us living together.
My best advice is to take it slow and let the pets guide when you move to the next step in the process. Some pets will click quickly and jump to off-leash time early on. Others will need more time in the early stages as they adjust to one another.
These are great tips! I’ve only ever known one house with a dog and cats and they were really lucky everyone got on so well. We had a guinea pig when we first got Hugo and we were really worried about them mixing but Hugo became the best brother. He’d bark if the pig’s food bowl was empty to let me know he needed a top up, he started eating his meals at the same time piggy was feeding. He’d occasionally lick him through the bars. Best buds all along. We’ve been talking about getting a new small furry but I’m a bit nervous about an introduction now Hugo is older x
That’s so sweet! My heart burst the other day when I watched our cat Pippen jump up onto one of the dining room chairs so that she could reach Dav’s ears to clean them. She was purring away the whole time she did it too.
Some really great tips. I recently did the topic of pets with one of my young German students and the textbook said that their body language prevents cats and dogs from being friends (dogs wag their tails when happy, cats when aggressive). The book also said that starting young is key.
Dogs wag their tails for a number of reasons, from happiness to nervousness. It’s a whole language! That being said, they don’t always pick up on one another’s cues which is why you have to train them to have respect for one another.
Great post and so informative, as always! I think the idea of getting a kitten and puppy together is SO cute. But it doesn’t really matter how cute it is, it takes a lot of work
It does take a lot of work, but it’s so rewarding to see them cuddling together. For example, Pippen often comes up to Dav purring away, rubbing against her for attention. It makes me smile every time.
I have 3 dogs but unfortunately no cats. My friend recently rescued a dog and during the day the cat and dog chase each other but at night time they are best friends. I will have to share this post with her.
Helen
In most cases, the dog doesn’t actually MEAN to hurt the cat. They just forget that their idea of playing could cause injury or even just destress for the cat. That’s why it’s important to stay on top of it, even in situations like this where they are best friends at night time!
Such great advice here! Most of the time they get along great, sometimes it takes time and a lot of work, and then some just can’t. Thankfully my dogs and cats all get along, they’re all actually very bonded. I love the keeping separated with a gate idea. Let them meet through the barrier with supervision and give it time. It is definitely possible, but like you said, there are some that just will never be ok together.
Exactly, ours are all incredibly bonded as well, but not without hiccups in the beginning (as I shared). I hope by being honest about the fact that we did experience those struggles and had to work through them, that I can inspire others to take the necessary steps to address problems in their own households before they become a bigger issue!
Great post! Sadly my partner is allergic to cats so I doubt I’ll ever be able to introduce one into our pack. I have had success, through, with other types of multi-pet households. I have two dogs and over the years have also kept various smaller animals. My dogs are amazingly well behaved around other animals, I think in part because they were raised around house rabbits. I’m still very careful, of course, with the dogs around small animals and don’t let them interact unsupervised, just in case.
Being raised around them is a HUGE plus! THey grow up knowing that other animals that don’t necessarily ‘look like them’ are also okay!
Luckily I have never had to deal with this issue however, this is a very helpful step by step plan. Thanks for sharing. Pinning.
Thank you!
This is a great post that is really informative and I know several people who need to read this. I do own a cat, but also want a dog down the line. So when I come to making that decision I am definitely going to have to think about what you talked about here. Lots to consider!
There definitely is a lot to consider, and quite a bit of work necessary to properly introduce pets and build a happy and well-adjusted ‘pack’. That being said, it’s totally worth it!
Wait, not all cats are dog-friendly either. I’ve heard horror stories about that; one of our neighbor had a cat who was perfectly able to injure a housemate Labrador Retriever!
Not all critters are meant to share a household, whether of the same species or different. Introducing them when they’re in the right development stage works best.
I loved Dr. Coren’s explanation why dogs and cats often suffer serious misunderstandings because their body language vocabulary in many cases means the opposite for each species.
We have been talking recently about the possibility of expanding our pack, but we know that it’s going to take a very specific pet to fit in with everyone that we have here. That being said, I am more than willing to wait and search for that right personality/temperament. Sure, I’ve seen many dogs and cats that looked adorable and sounded like GREAT pets but if they can’t get along with the dogs and cats here, it’s not going to work. Rescue volunteers know that adding a ‘no dogs’ or ‘no cats’ type tag to a pet’s adoption profile reduces their chances of being adopted, so they don’t take that lightly. If it’s there, it’s there for a reason.
We have neighbours who are misguided enough to think their miniature poodle wants to play with our cats. I get so angry I could spit. No, it doesn’t it’s a dog and it chases cats as prey. Me > head > wall.
I believe that 99.9% of people can’t be bothered with training their dogs for anything: chasing cats, being reactive, aggression, all of this requires effort from dog owners, effort they will not make. This is frustrating and disappointing.
There are a large number of dog owners that don’t put the time into proper obedience. Unfortunately, that gives a bad name to those of us who do put the time and effort in.
One of my favorite YouTube shows is an RV show with a couple and their dog and cat. If a dog and cat can travel together in a camper and get along, then we most certainly can ?
Definitely! We have taken our crew of 4 pets into the tent here to vacation together. I love that our ‘pack’ is all so closely bonded.
I love the idea of having multiple cats and/or dogs that are all best friends, but I agree it’s always a risky move to introduce a new pet to a household. I just have one cat and I would love to have more but I wouldn’t want to risk upsetting her x
It takes a little extra effort and care, but it can be done successfully! Our pack all loves one another, cuddling and playing together all the time!
So much effort has gone into this post and I really appreciate it as a reader. My sister’s cat and dog get on really well but the cat is meaner haha
Rosie
Our crew gets along really well now, although it wasn’t always that way. That being said, the one that rules over all the others happens to be one of the cats. Pippen is the Queen Bee in our house lol
Great tips! I’ve never had both dogs and cats together in my home. I do know there is also an adjustment when one brings a cat into a home that already has a cat.
Yes, anytime that you’re introducing a new member to the pack, it takes some adjustment. Doesn’t it?
When my family rescued our three cats, we’re lucky they were kittens and got along with our dog Luna right away, so they have no problem with her. However, Luna likes to play with them but can be a little too rough and the cats just sit there ?♀️
Also, one of our cats is also named Jinx 🙂
It’s always helpful when you can introduce them at a young age, isn’t it? The cats don’t really know much else at that point.
Thanks for the helpful tips, definitely trying this!