Nipped the kitty

[kiya]

I feel like I am missing something somewhere. It's been just over 2 weeks since we brought the new kitty home and the dogs just don't seem to want to cooperate. Every morning each dog gets about 10 minutes of treats with the kitty in close proximaty. The kitty likes to walk the kitchen counter (yes its gross but it's safe for kitty). Lots of praise & treats for being good.
Lakota just wants to play but she's so ruff and as soon as the kitty gets active, she kicks into high gear. No aggression so I'm really not too worried about her. Apache my almost 9yr old male is ok but doesn't like when the kitty is very active or if I hold the kitty, he can be snappy so I don't trust him yet.
My biggest problem is Kiya, my 7-1/2 yr old female. She's on meds for seizures, she's like dealing with a mentally challenged child. Last night she nipped the kitty's paw thru the crate, hard enough the kitten meowed. I was right next to her and although I do not hit my dogs I gave her a immediate correction with my fist to her shoulder and yelled out NO. Didn't seem to phase her in the least and she proceeded to nose the crate, I kept my hand by her mouth (stupid, I know) and didn't allow her to get too close to the kitty but she wanted to. I put her on the leash and kept her by my side.
By the time I was done with dinner, got showered and sat down to relax before bed, everyone was laying quietly in the livingroom, including Kiya and the kitty in the crate. All within inches of each other.
I feel bad for kitty, Mr Magoo, having to spend the evenings in the crate. Here's his schedule 4:30am - 7:45am free, 7:45am-5:00pm bedroom and 5:00pm-4:30am crate. Of course weekends is more free time. I keep the dogs in the sunroom or outside when kitty is free. I keep telling myself its better than the town pound (its not a shelter in my book).
I can't let the kitty have toys in the crate, he gets too active and the dogs start in.
I want to make sure I am not doing anything wrong, I'll speak to my trainer too. All of my dogs have grown up with cats. Even our 11yr old cat Misty still doesn't like the kitty.
Hubby is starting to loose his patience, specially with all the claw marks on the sunroom doors. To top it all off Kiya had a seizure this morning at 4:20am, so it's going to be a long day. I refuse to give into Kiya, I will keep the kitty safe.
Anyone ever deal with a dog nipping a cat and eventually work thru it?
To make matters worse, my husband says that before I get home from work, Kiya goes and lays down in the bedroom, doesn't mess with the kitty at all, not a peep out of her till I walk thru the door. I told him since I may be the problem get rid of me.

[krystyne73]

wow I actually just added 2 small kittens to our home. I kept them in the crate at first then let them out. now its been a month and the kittens are climbing over the dogs and chewing on their tails.
Macy, our special ed shelter dog, did nip at the kittens thru the crate but once I let them roam free she slowly calmed down. I really thought she would eat them since she was literally drooling while watching them in the crate.
The other 2 dogs have a low prey drive so they only growl when the kittens chew on their paws then the kittens run away.
When the kittens dart around the 2 female dogs leap up to chase them but I correct them right away to break their focus. It's been pretty good.
If Sasha was still here, I don't think there would be any way to have a cat.

[Caledon]

You have only been doing this for two weeks.

Dakota is three and I would say for the last year she has become good friends with my tabby. It took two years for them to warm up to each other and it had more to do with the attitude of the cat that my dog. We came home from a camping weeking and there was kitty sleeping in her dog kennel. He didn't move, he just looked at her and she accepted him. Now he rules the house. LOL.

If my cat would run, she would chase. If he runs and she chases, I correct, or more times than not, the cat stops running, gives the dog "that cat look" and she backs off.

My other cat, forget it. He is not the right temperment for the dog. He is too timid and unsure of her. My solution and I did this from day one when we got the dog was to never allow her upstairs. Upstairs is for the cats. At night when she is in her kennel, the cats will come downstairs. Cats are nocturnal anyway. So while the dog sleeps the cats like to play and when the dog is out and about the cats mostly sleep.

Anyway it took a long time to get to this stage.

[kiya]

OK so you give me hope!! Both my girls have very high prey drive, my male doesn't. I think he's being an idiot becuase of the girls. None of my dogs are vicious & mean they are just being difficult. I know I can get thru this.
Hopefully by the time a month is up I will be telling about the kitty climbing on the dogs (I hope)! I've been keeping my eyes on the dogs so taking pictures hasn't been a priority. I'll try to get some tonight if everyone behaves.

[krystyne73]

Yes, it can be a slow process. I might add: make sure to give your dogs lots of attention/exercise and work on the "leave it" command, just in case you need them to stop on a dime.
Meika and Max respond immediately to recall and, well, Macy...umm... not so much.

[kiya]

Heres some pics of the new kitty. He has a bad eye from herpes. I've been putting ointment in his eyes, the vet said it may get better, he has no problem seeing thats for sure.

[Suka]

At my house, I have a GSD, a Beagle, 2 cats and a parrot. The dogs are not allowed to look at the cats or the parrot.

Of course a passing look is normal, but when it's a stare like I see your dogs doing in a couple of the pictures, I don't allow it at all, no matter the body language because this just starts it up and leads to no good. When the cat darts away or off the counter or a paw through the bars under that stare, it's going to incite prey drive (nipping). You also just want to set the bar for your dogs. No lookie at zee cat!

You may want to consider breaking that focus as well as the other things.

[kiya]

We've really made a lot of progress with Lakota & Apache. Both can be free in the house with the new kitty (supervised of course).
However, Kiya is still being obstinate. Keeping in mind the damage that the combination of meds & seizures over the years have left her playing with less than a full deck of cards. There have been moments where she can be calm, relaxing without fixating on the kitty. Most of the time in the morning, during the day (if were home all day) or when I am not home. My husband says when he comes home, she will go lay in the bedroom until I come home from work, thats when she begins to bark at the crate, pace. It seems that every night I can't get her to settle down from fixating on the kitty. Mind you that my other cat, Misty is loving life right now the dogs totally ignore her. Last night we gave Kiya a little freedom, I'm afraid were building fustration by keeping her from touching the kitty. Misty was on the couch & the kitty was higher up on the back of the couch. Kiya walks by Misty and nudges her (abruptly) with her nose, while walking by. Misty stood up & wacked Kiya back. She continued being obnoxious so I took treats out, everyone in a down stay while kitty walked about.
Every morning I sit with her & keep her in a down stay, the kitten can be inches away (on the floor with me or on my lap) and she won't break. I let the kitty walk the counter "usually" she leaves him be, today I let her be to see what she would do, she tried to pull the kitty to her, he didn't cry and I was right there so I corrected her (verbally & grabbed her to pull away).
If she hadn't "nipped" him as hard as I think she did in the very begining, she got his paw thru the crate, I would trust her more. She's usually a brute so to speak. Hubby nick named her "Tank". I think she could have gotten him by now, I don't know if the mouthyness is just too ruff or is it leading up to breaking skin. She can be gentle taking treats or sometimes you feel those teeth. I really can't read this dog. I have seen Lakota get inbetween her & kitty clearly giving calming signals. Apache just goes somewhere else to laydown, he doesn't like stress.
I know it could take a long time to get over this, I think I am doing things right. Hubby is clearly running out of patience with Kiya. He thinks I should just be able to make her comply. Unfortunately she doesn't seem to what to, at least not right now.

[pets4life]

suka really good advice i do not like staring either

[Stella's Mom]

Originally Posted by kiya

Heres some pics of the new kitty. He has a bad eye from herpes. I've been putting ointment in his eyes, the vet said it may get better, he has no problem seeing thats for sure.

He looks like my tuxedo cat Figgy. He is adorable.
My girl loves the tuxedo cat, and is leary of my tabby cat as he can be kind of intimidating when he wants to be. We call him Mafia Cat. He will bite if you stop petting him .

Stella loves Figgy , but I have to keep an eye on her with him because she gets so excited around him and wants to paw at him.

You can see her on the left hanging by the door, my neighbors cat loves to hang out and look in...lol.