I brought home a new puppy about 4 days ago. The cats have lived together and are super affectionate with each other for the last 3 years or so. They sleep together and spend almost all their time right next to each other. The puppy is about 7 weeks old, so she is curious. The cats have lived around dogs before and have always been just fine. They don’t particularly like the puppy yet; the male cat hisses at her if she gets too close. They’ve been slowly acclimating and have gotten more comfortable the last couple of days. Today, the puppy got a little too close, and the male cat hit her. I’m not sure if the puppy bit him, but I checked him out all over, and he seemed okay—didn’t cry or anything. Tonight, the cats are non-stop fighting. They’re hissing at each other, screaming and swinging at each other, and have gotten into two cat fights I had to break up. They aren’t hurting each other from what I can tell. They aren’t trying to fight the dog; they’re fighting each other. I’m not sure why but I’m afraid to go to sleep and they might hurt each other. I’m not sure what to do or why they suddenly started doing this.
You just brought home a new puppy 4 days ago and are wondering why the cats are aggressive? They’re terrified and angry there’s an annoying creature with no personal space understanding in THEIR territory. Dogs are a main predator of cats, one of the only predators of cats actually. You just brought what they see as a threat into your home.
When you can’t defeat the dog, turn on each other? I dunno, really. It could be an attention thing, trying to be the boss cat to get more of your now divided attention. New additions almost always come with some conflict, even new human babies.
Sounds like they’re just adjusting to the new environment. It can be tough for them. Have you tried giving them some separate space or time away from the puppy?
Lyle said:
Sounds like they’re just adjusting to the new environment. It can be tough for them. Have you tried giving them some separate space or time away from the puppy?
I’ve been trying to give them some alone time. I just worry that they might hurt each other during these fights.
It might help to give them some vertical space like cat trees or shelves. Cats often feel safer when they can observe from above.
Gerald said:
It might help to give them some vertical space like cat trees or shelves. Cats often feel safer when they can observe from above.
That’s a good idea! I’ll see if I can set something up for them.
Just be patient with them. It can take time for pets to adjust to changes in their environment. Keep an eye on them and intervene if it gets too rough.