Kitty eating foster dog!

[ruckusluvr]

My new foster dog is determined to eat my cat :(

he was cat tested before coming to me. they said that he does like to stare at the cats, but did not feel he was a threat. (hes 10yrs old, mostly deaf and blind, moves slow)
I agreed to foster him. Well we transported him 300 miles for me to foster. I get him home, and three days later he has ATTACKED my cat twice. on the floor, shaking the poor guy.

I am devastated because all of this work getting him to me and it looks like this is not a suitable foster home for him. he is sooo loving, sweet, and such a great dog. but I cannot risk my cat!

I have been keeping my foster dog gated in my bedroom, and the poor guy wants back out here with them family :(
I dont feel like it is fair to him, or my cat. But I hate the fact that all of this hard work and planning to get him to me is not working out.

He is constantly staring at the cat, or looking for the cat!

[spookychick13]

Oh no, what a nightmare!! :(

I'm sorry for you (and the cat!)

At least you tried, right?

[JayJayisme]

If the dog wasn't cat aggressive in the first environment, something changed that has nothing to do with the way the dog "feels" about cats in general. It's probably a pack order thing, which is different in your house than it was wherever you "tested" him.

You need to take ownership of the cat, and everything else in your household, and the dog needs to understand that clearly. Seems like the dog is looking to assume the leadership position from the cat, which is the position the human should have in the hierarchy. Your pack order is likely backwards.

You need to think like a pack animal and not blame the dog. It's his nature and I'm sure between his handicaps and his new environment he's confused to the point where he is looking to "restore order" the best way he knows how. Work with him, don't give up. Never give up on a dog if you can avoid it.

[ruckusluvr]

sorry Jay, I dont believe much of that pack stuff.

Thanks though! I do agree about him being confused, and something had to change to make him cat aggressive in his new environment.

[g00dgirl]

Sorry it's not working out right now :(
Maybe they didn't have him with a cat for an extended period, just showed him one? Maybe the other cat was more mellow or didn't run away or act scared, if yours does this.

[whiteleo]

I don't quite get how your cat can't get away from a dog. I have bull terriers and they are small prey driven
. My female was raised with my cats and the last two that I rescued just wanted to eat my older cat who is 14, she can always get away from them, she jumps up on the high bar stools or table and after awhile the dogs get used to her. They really don't bother my male cat as he thinks he's a dog. I don't clip my older cats nails as often so she has them to use for self defense, and the newest one "Mackenzie's" nose is proof of it.
Is your cat really old?

[RawFedDogs]

I was wondering the same thing. In my house it's the cat's responsibility to avoid the dogs. Cats can easily and quickly get to places the dogs can't reach. Even the Great Danes I have.

They know how to read the dogs. They can tell when its ok to go up and touch noses with a dog or lay beside them or they can tell when a dog is in an "I'm gonna kill me a cat" mode. Sometimes my dogs attack cats, sometimes my cats attack dogs. It's real funny to watch a cat sneak up behind a Great Dane walking through a room, swipe his hind leg with his claws then run under the couch where the dog can't get him. I too have had dogs with bloody noses.

[ruckusluvr]

thanks for the advice guys. my cat is not old. he is actually stupid... i guess.
he will sort of tease the dogs. my foster dog was in kill the cat mode, and my cat came right up to him and got in his face.

so i know its not all the new foster dogs fault. i just have never dealt with anything quite like this before. in the past if a foster stalked the cat, my cat stayed up high and everything was fine. I have no idea why my cat is not behaving this way around my new foster.

my foster has arthritis, he is mostly deaf AND blind. I know the cat can get away...
but its almost like he was teasing my new foster dog by coming up to him.

[ruckusluvr]

also, i forgot to mention. If my new foster dog DOES go after my cat... my normally cat friendly forever dogs will go after it too!

4 dogs VS 1 cat!

I am sure we can make this work some how. i just need to get more educated in how to deal with a dog that does not like cats. and a cat that will tease that dog!

[xxshaelxx]

I would assume that the cat most likely senses the dog's weaknesses and looks to pick on him for them. I would get a squirt bottle and squirt the cat anytime he goes near the dog, because at least, even if the dog is in "kill cat mode," then you squirt the cat before he can get near the dog's face, then the cat will run away, out of harm's reach.

As for the three other dogs going after the cat, it's a pack thing. If one dog gets riled up, all of them will. I've known people with cat loving dogs that have turned on the cat when one un-cat-friendly dog suddenly goes after the cat.