Is my new dog going to eat our 2 cats?

[myrocky]

Originally posted by matilda8255
Jing, you must be one heck of a brave kitty you go kitty:D

LMAO!!! She is pushing 18 so she isn't about to take any crap from a dog :p Really she adores doggies and has always been around them. She doesn't even get mad when Rocky starts poking her and cleaning out her ears. She just kind of looks at me like "well you brought him home mom!" Now cats are a different story. She hates hates other cats. Who would of thought! LOL LOL

 

[PawPrintBoxers]

I have no experience with Bostons and kitties. But I had Smokey with me before and during all 3 of my Boxers. All it took was one "lesson" on the Boxers and they learned to respect the kitty. My two older Boxers came to me as puppies so that was easier. But Penny came as a 4 month old with no experience at all with kitties. Surprisingly she just walked right up to Smokey and gave her a BIG kiss. Poor Smokey was so confused. I think she was dying to give another "lesson". :D

__________________
Christina Ghimenti
PawPrint Boxers

Sunny Northern California
Boxer Champions and Loving Pets

 

[ssleighter]

Originally posted by myrocky
In my expierence cat agressive dogs don't waste time sniffing or staring. They see a cat and they just go for it, lunging and growling like no tomorrow.

Thanks! That is so encouraging!! We've had several encounters where Ginger will walk up to Merlin (when he's laying down) and she just sniffs him and nudges him with her nose before losing interest and moving on. They've sat in Damon's lap and licked each other even. Our problems arise when they run! That just automatically makes Ginger go into chase mode. Morgan, the evil cat, doesn't take to kindly to this and instead of getting on something high, under a couch or going thru a cat door, she lets Ginger corner her and goes into defense mode. The two times this has happened Ginger has attempted to pin her and boxed her, but has made no attempt to bite yet. We always intervene at this point because we don't want it to get worse.

So maybe since she shows no serious aggression we'll be fine sometime down the road. We're looking to buy a ceiling to floor cat tree with lots of hiding places so we can put it in the living area. We hope this will help the cats come out more, since they'll have a place up high, and maybe observing each other in the same room more often will eventually lead to a harmonious house! If they stay in the bedroom 90% of the time, it makes them extra enticing when they do make an appearance!

If you make any breakthroughs let me know and I'll do the same!

 

[bustermom]

Originally posted by matilda8255
He was a good boy and did not try to lunge, and did not bark but couldn't take his eyes off her. This is partly what really concerns me, we cannot get his attention when he sees either cat, not even with treats

Been there done that! BT's aren't usually food motivated to begin with (at least none that I've known!) and once that "intensely focused stare" kicks in, nothing short of an atomic blast will get their attention. When Maggie does it (to a squirrel, to the ball that rolled under the couch, to the drawer which holds a ball I put away 5 days ago :rolleyes: ), I can stand in front of her (she'll look around me), pick her up and put her in another room (hightails it back to same spot)... persistence persistence persistence. [Sidenote - this is actually a good time to clip her nails since she's completely oblivious to anything outside the "stare zone" :p ]

The only immediately effective deterrent I have ever found for truly unacceptable behavior is a squirt bottle of water. If Maggie ignores a stern "leave it" and continues to eyeball something without walking away, and there's potential danger involved either to her or a furry critter, then she gets a quick squirt in the face. She positively abhors water, and this will always break her concentration and when she walks off shaking her head she gets praised. I keep a spray bottle by the back door in case she tries to go after the monster groundhog (I swear he's the size of a sofa! :eek: ) that has moved into our backyard - he might be too much even for her tenacious little self. Although, she did save our elderly chihuahua from a groundhog many years ago, so I know she can handle smaller ones. :D

 

[matilda8255]

update

Well, our local SPCA does not do cat testing nor did they even know what it was. Things have unfortunately not gotten any better but have gotten worse. Cutie pie is now lunging alot to get through the kitty door (even though it is blocked) and has started growling at the door. It seems like when the cats hiss it gets him even more riled up, it makes him nuts. I am sad but have contacted our local BT rescue organization to see if they can help us to maybe find him a more suitable home where he might have doggie companions to play with (instead of kitty companions). We have decided to foster him until we can find him a new forever home for him. Good luck SSLeighter I will think good thoughts and hope that your situation is able to work out.

 

[bustermom]

Sorry to hear it's not working out with the BT. :(

Honestly, though, I'm not surprised. The hunting instinct / prey drive really can be strong in these guys, and if they're not raised around cats it's a tough issue to overcome.

Peace will reign again once Cutie Pie (is that really his name? How adorable!) finds a new home without any kitties. He sounds like a great BT and I'm sorry you have to rehome him, but I'd say it's the right choice for all of you. Much as I love cats, I know that they would lead far from stress-free lives in our house, and Maggie would constantly be stalking them. Such is life... :o

I'd say that Sharon and Ginger will have an easier time - most boxers I've known, even if never around cats, were more interested in playing with cats than hunting them. Granted, they could play a bit rough, but the intention of harm usually wasn't there.

 

[myrocky]

Bummer! But it does sound like the BT is indeed cat agressive, so you did the right thing by contacting rescue. When we pull from the shelter I always ask one of the workers if they have walked the dog in the cat area to check reactions. Some of them do but I usually have to ask them to do it. It is one of the first things that enter my mind because we have a kitty. I am sure he will find a very good home. Is BT rescue going to come over and evaluate him?

 

[ssleighter]

I too am sorry that things aren't working out for Cutie Pie, but I also have heard that once cat aggressive, always cat aggressive! I am soooo thankful that Ginger doesn't really seem to be cat aggressive, she acts more like she wants to play. And like I mentioned, she'll lick Merlin if he's sitting still, or ignore him. It's just the cat's movement that makes her chase. We are working hard with the Sit/Stay command with her so we're hoping that works for us!

 

[matilda8255]

Hello, it's my sisters BT we have been discussing. (I have been posting for her.) His name is actually Auggie but he is a cutie pie! It seems the SPCA in PA. is a little lacking in procedure. It was mentioned that he was not especially good with small children but nothing was mentioned to her about him being cat aggressive. Plus her cats are very spoiled and used to being the ONLY animals requesting love from mommy and daddy.

Being that the SPCA had never heard of a cat test I guess they aren't too good at placing pets forever. It makes me sad to think of the number of returned pets they must have. Jennifer (my sister) will be fostering Auggie until rescue can place him. She was very upset to think that she might have to return him to the SPCA but once again rescue saves the day!

Stephanie

 

[myrocky]

MMMMM depending on where she lives in PA I would not be surprised they have never heard of cat testing :rolleyes:

I have lived all over PA whereabouts is your Sis? I love the name Auggie BTW :D