Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi,
My partner and I just (last Tuesday, exactly 1 week ago) adopted a 10-week old kitten. She was very cuddly last week and slept with us every night. On Sunday our friends came over with their very good-natured miniature schnauzer. The kitten and dog sniffed each other little bottoms and seemed fine with each other. Of course the kitty hissed at first and puffed up but she hid under the table and we called her out to play, and she did so and seemed to not mind the dog. But, since then, the kitten has been puffing up now at random things - like if I walk in on her unexpectedly. And worst of all she is not as cuddly! It was like we caused an immediate change by having the dog over. And she hasn’t slept in the bed with us since the night before the dog came over.
Is my cat mad at me? Will she be cuddly again? She’s now 11 weeks old. Did I ruin the trust between me and my kitty?

Hi and welcome

Oh dear. Not a happy camper at the moment then?

It occurs to me that to Kitten, the house now smells of dog, to her, you probably smell of dog, so she's likely to be wary that the dog may reappear at any moment. However, she's very young, so she will come round eventually; time is the remedy, and you can do a few things like talking to her and telling her what a good girl she is, and specialling her with a few hand-held titbits such as chicken and tuna - oh and fish from the fish shop - my lot would sell their souls for that. They won't look at Dreamies!

But if you have any more visits from people or dogs, where she hides or leaves the room, that's the cat's privilege. I'm afraid you can't tell a cat to come and socialise like a child or a dog - but a cat who has a secure hideaway is far more likely to emerge and investigate, just to make sure it's not missing anything.

Just be patient with her; she's very young and still learning about life, and she will get over this and start coming to you again - and perhaps even make friends with Dog by herself - although watch out for any claw-swatting; a cat can injure a dog badly. Hissing and fluffing up are common reactions when something's unfamiliar - the cat's not necessarily being aggressive, just telling you she's Not Sure Yet.

All the best and hope you have many happy years ahead together

it's a shame that just as she was getting used to her new home an interloper came into it - an interloper to her, anyway

personally I would always shut my two away if they were likely to meet a dog, just to be on the safe side, though they are well past their kittenhood

there is a chance of a kitten becoming used to a dog - but they are not, despite all the aaahhh photos on the web, natural friends, so I really wouldn't ask it of her