How To Tell If A Dog Is Aggressive Towards Cats and MAY HURT Them? All dog owners who want a cat need to know a simple answer to a mandatory question. How to tell if a dog is aggressive towards cats is that question. You will need to look at the signs and determine the answer. Do not let a cat and a dog in a small area as soon as you can. If he is aggressive toward cats, he will injure it. Below we will discuss those signs and all the rest you may want to know, that is related to the topic.
Most common signs that a dog is aggressive toward cats
Yes, you can release your dog or your cat in front of a dog and get the answer within 2 seconds. This is not safe nor recommended. Usually, the cat will be injured or even worse and you will have to live with your mistake! How to tell if a dog is aggressive towards cats is therefore a mandatory question to ask. In a nutshell, you need to look at the symptoms and determine the answer before you connect the two.
There are many signs you can see and determine is a dog dangerous for a cat. However, these ones are the most common and will give you the answer is 99% cases. Try to remember that each dog is different so he may display just one sign, a couple of them, or all of the ones we are going to see. Anyway, the signs are:
- A dog is staring at the cat
- He stands stiff and tall every single time when he sees a cat
- He growls at all cats
- Biting
- He will block the path of the cat
- A dog will become aggressive when close to the sleeping area of a cat or the food or both
- He chases cats, obviously
Even if your dog shows just one sign, it means that he is aggressive towards cats and your cat is in danger. Some people say that all dogs hate cats. This isn’t true. The two can even become best friends. On the other side, most of these friendships start at a young age and if you are late, there is no way to help them become friends.
Why your dog bark, growls and chases a cat?
The simplest answer is the most obvious. Your dog doesn’t like cats and he doesn’t want them nearby. But, there is a deeper part of the story. Both cats and dogs have their own territory and they don’t want other animals on it. Yes, a cat doesn’t want to see a dog on her territory, period. This means that the two won’t get along and they will try to scare away the other. Because dogs are generally bigger than cats and stronger, usually the cat is the one who must leave.
In some cases, your dog may see a cat as prey and he will chase it. This doesn’t happen all the time but it is possible. A cat can escape most of the time but not always. That’s why it is important to help her and make sure there is no aggression present.
Did you know that cats and dogs will pee and poop on their territory (your floor usually) in order to mark the territory and scare away the other animal? Although extremely different species, these two do have some similarities. Another one is that some cats may see certain dogs as prey!
What you can do if your dog is aggressive towards cats?
There are only two things you can do. The first one is to make sure he doesn’t see cats at all. This is almost impossible and even harder if you decide to adopt a cat at some point. The second option is to end the aggressive behavior. This is a time-consuming and complicated process but manageable. Here are a few things you need to do.
- Every single time you notice that a dog is staring at a cat, say loud NO or STOP. The idea here is to show your strength and tell him that this isn’t acceptable. You can do this at any given moment and even while walking him. If your dog is trained, he will usually obey you and stop staring at the cat.
- Keep both, a cat and a dog in the same room. Your dog must be on the leash. A cat should be free to move around the room. Keep the dog on the leash all the time and make sure he is watching the cat but he can’t reach her. Repeat this process as many times as you can and you will see the result within days. Of course, in some cases, you may need more time.
- This should be used as the next step. Your dog still doesn’t like cats but he isn’t very aggressive towards them. Play with both of them and give them treats. This should help you create a safe and sound environment in which both are feeling safe and should play with each other.
- If you are introducing the two, make sure you are doing that in a large area where a cat can easily escape or find protection. Take your time and do it slowly. Eventually, the two will get used to each other and they may even become friends.
This process may take up to 3 weeks but usually, it is completed within 2 weeks. You must repeat all the points we have explained to you as long as you think they are needed.
Conclusion
How to tell if a dog is aggressive towards cats is something all dog and cat owners need to know. Failing to tell the difference is a severe problem that can end up badly. Luckily there are plenty of signs and a lot of things you can do in order to get the answer and even introduce the two. They can become best friends.
You can check out my other articles here:
Discussion about this post