Cat vs Yorkie advice

[maggiepie]

I know I have seen everyone talking about this before, but I still need help. Niiki really acts like she wants to attack my cat. It just frightens me. I keep them apart and am trying to introduce slowy. Nikki has been with us a little over a month. I put the cat in the spare room with a baby gate, so the yorkies can run around the house and the cat wouldn't feel so closed in. At night, Nikki sleeps in the spare bathroom (also babygated) and I take the gate off the spare room so the cat can roam. Our new Yorkie is totally fine with the cat. Anyway, now the cat is jumping over the baby gate in the DAYTIME when Nikki monster is out! Scares me to death that they are going to end up in a bloody entaglement!!! Am I over paranoid? I don't want either one to get hurt. By the way, my cat's claws are kept trimmed...

[chachi]

I have a cat and the encounters never get too much out of hand. My yorkies do chase the cats which get them annoyed but at the worst they swat at them.

[Jeniferlee]

I have just the opposite problem my male cat wants to bounce on Macy. And Macy does laps wanting to play with him but he just swats at her! (he has claws-ouch)

[BeanSprout]

BeanSprout chases Leroy & Henry-Francis ( my two ragdoll cats) around the house. He has recently taken to jumping on Leroys back, and riding him--- while biting him!!

He mangles his fur, and he tears it out.... What a monster. No bloodshed or carnage,yet! It is intense.

[SoCalyorkiLvr]

When my yorkies were iny I was petrified that my cat would mistake them for a rat and try to kill them so I kept her away from them and intrduced them very slowly. I used to panic when I would see her crouching like she was ready to attack. In hindsight I think she just wanted to play and now they are the best of freinds and her claws rarely come out at all. When they greeted here upon our return from vacation it was the cutest reunion!! Thry jumped all over her!! They had missed her.....

[Jennieliz14]

Lucky me, one of my cats loves to play with Olivia, and she loves it too! But if you're worried about a possible attack before you can get over to seperate them, I know you can buy cat claw covers, I think they're called Soft Paws. I doubt they'd be easy to put on unless your cat was sleepy or super calm or was used to having his paws played with like that.

Another option could be to give your cat feliway, its like an herbal cat "sedative." My vet told me to use it on my 2 yr old cat when I brought my kitten home last November, and it really did seem to calm her down.

Also, at food time, you might want to put them on opposite sides of a door so they can smell each other. Then they associate their yummy food with the not so happy smell of another animal, and the more you do this, they learn that the other animal is plesant, just like the food!

Hope this helps!

[LlamaFace]

My yorkie and cat get along really well. he attackes her a lot but its prett innocent. they sleep together and everything! its so cute. So im sure your baby will eventually get used to kitty and have a happy relationship with it

[maggiepie]

Thanks Jennifer for your ideas. I remember my sister in law used either feliway or a Bach remedy. Like rescue remedy. Hmm....good ideas! I'm going to go to the health food store and get some. Sometimes Nikki really gets wound up, especially when company comes. She just loves to see people so much, she runs around like a maniac for about ten minutes or so but then calms down. Littleman on the other hand is so clam, he makes her look like a holy terror!! Can't wait to try the herbs. Maybe I will take some too!

[Carolina girl]

They will never get used to each other if you don't let them spend time together. Whats the worst that could happen. A little scratch on the nose will tell your pup that kitty doesn't want to pay. My cat is this way but he would never hurt Bella because I would have a fit and he knows it.

[Stitches29]

I can tell you from experience, that it will only take one slap from the cat--and your Yorkie baby will know who's the boss. Years ago, I had a cocker and cat. After that one slap from the cat, the cocker would belly crawl to the cat for attention. They were the best of friends, but the cat was the boss.

[ingallsra]

My yorkie went after one of my cats the other day--he had tried it before. He got right up in her face and barked at her. Some won't agree with this, and I have no intention of getting into a discipline/correction debate, but he got a mild swat on the rear (I basically did what the cat didn't do) and a very harsh "no!". Well, that took care of it with that cat. He went up to the other cat, and she swatted him in the head with her still-clawed paw. He now leaves her alone too.
I've always been a stickler about my cats and dogs respecting each other, so 99% of the time it's a peaceful household, and they get along well. It's not likely a squabble would escalate into an all out fight, but I don't want to even take the risk.

[maggiepie]

I don't want a full scale fight either. A few times when I have been holding NIkki securely while she observes the cat, she has turned suddenly 'crazy' and growling as if she is saying, "Let me at her, I'll rip her face right off!" That's the behavior that scared me.
I found a trainer advice that said to have one hold the cat across the room and the other hold the dog on the other side of the room. The dog is supposed to be on leash. The one with the cat is to get closer and closer and if the dog remains good and calm you praise and praise and give a treat. Continue until there are no signs of agression. I'm going to try that method too. The trainer said they would soon associate the cat with good things.