Cat on Dog Aggression

GoldenPeaches

My cat has recently been attacking my dog. She just walks up and starts smacking him in the face or on his back. He is very submissive and gets very scared and just sits there shaking. 

I am thinking it may be re-directed aggression since it often happens after watching the birds outdoors (she is indoor only). Any tips on keeping her away from the windows? When I pull the blinds shut she sticks her foot through then puts the rest of her body through so she can get through anyway. 

Background: both were rescues and both are fixed. We've had the cat about 18 months and the dog about 12 months. The cat wears a pheromone "calming collar" which definitely helps the situation but doesn't completely get rid of it. She has a toy (she only likes one certain kind) she plays with often. The cat also has short nails as we trim them often and she has 2 different posts to scratch on.

 

Any other thoughts on how to stop this or what may be causing it would be appreciated. Thank you! 

SparrowGreen

I have no cat experience, so take this with a grain of salt, but I would try to interrupt the cat when she starts doing this.  Clap your hands or do something else that distracts her and gets her attention and then redirect her to her toy or a different room or something.  Also, can you baby gate/crate/separate in different rooms so they get plenty of time apart so your dog can relax and the cat doesn't have the chance to attack him as often.  Especially when she's watching the birds, for example, you could have the dog in another room since you say that's when it often occurs. 

mrs.jacinthe

Our Cat will attack Dot (our dog) for any variety of reasons.  It started about a month ago as a result of pain and redirected aggression towards our neighbors dog, and has just progressed along since.  As it turns out, because our dog is also timid, her running and hiding makes her a "victim" and as per our vet, this victimized behavior makes Cat more likely to be aggressive toward her.  If she'd stand her ground, he'd be more likely to back down.

Two things I've discovered: Loud noises do NOT help.  Clapping or yelling has made it worse.  Use a squirt bottle with water.  In our case, it usually happens after we return from the vet, so I've taken to keeping the bottle near the front door so I can stop the aggressive behavior as it begins, instead of being reactive.  I will also use my body between the dog and Cat.  This makes Dot feel safer and she's less likely to run and hide, which sets Cat off again.  Finally, I make sure to reward Dot and not Cat for this behavior - I will pet her and speak to her, but until Cat is calm again (per the ears and tail) I will not even acknowedge him.