In need of kitten advice...

[erik316wttn]

As I posted here over the weekend, my wife and I have a new kitten. He is a normal kitten. He just hates our dog. The dog doesn't mind him, though.

He was a shelter cat and he's 4-5 months old. We think he may have had a bad experience with a dog before we got him. He growls and hisses whenever the dog gets near. We thought it was getting better, as he'd at least let Abby (the dog) smell him for about two seconds. This happened several times. However, he swatted and hissed and then Abby started barking. We put her outside to cool down. Abby came back in, tried to sniff him again, then he swatted and hissed again. We put him upstairs in his safe room, where he is now. We'll leave him there for about another half hour yet.

Don't worry, he's fine in there. He's got a pile of old, soft sheets as his bed, toys, food, water, and a litterbox.

How can we make him not hiss and growl at the dog? I don't really care if they'll never be friends, but how can we at least get him to be civil toward the dog? Any advice is much appreciated.

[Sandman]

Do this.... get some old clothes.. and rub your dog with them so they gain his smell.

Put that in the safe room with the kitten, and put it near his food. After a while.. put a little bit more articles of clothing in the room, then bring the dog in for a little bit.

After a while.. your kitten will get comfy with the dog.

[The Gatekeeper]

Time. When introducing a new cat into a house hold you should keep them isolated in a nice comfy room, like you have him in now, for 3-4 days. Then you can let him out.

He is hissing at the dog because he's scared of the dog. They will work it out. By isolating him now he learns that if he doesn't want to deal with dog, then he just has to do that, and he gets to go "his room". If you let them work it out (watch that neither takes it too far) they will find their place.

It can take a few weeks or longer.

In case you are wondering I have 8 cats, my step-sis has one (yes that is 9 cats), and we foster rescue cats so I do know what I'm talking about.

[LewisLegion]

This is normal. Every single one of my cats hissed and swatted my dogs when they came in. Now, they are all best buds...in fact, some of the cats prefer my dog Red to me :)

I have seven cats so I too know that of which I speak :D

[BookstoreEscapee]

When I got my cats I still had the dog in the house. We kept the cats separate anyway for the first few weeks, and the dog was gone home by the time they had the run of the house. He came back to visit for a couple weeks before Christmas, and by then he was invading the cats' territory. They hissed and even growled at first, but they gradually got used to him. It only took a week or so. Then they just wanted to play with him (he wasn't interested). Just be careful of claws. My cats are declawed (don't crucify me, I didn't have any say in the matter) so at least I didn't have to worry about them hurting the dog.

[myswtghst]

The upthread posters pretty much have it. Don't let them take it too far, and make sure the cat can get away from the dog if he feels he needs to. They'll both have to adjust, and it will take time. The idea about clothes or other linens scented like the dog might help as well, if he can get used to the scent in a non-threatening manner.

Good luck! :)

*P.S. I'm the proud mother of two cats, who've lived with several different dogs in their lifetime. I've also fostered kitties, and worked in various zoos, vet hospitals and shelters.