Please Help with Toby and his Arch-Enemy Mali!!!!
 

Ok all,
I have brought this up before, but things haven't changed yet so I am going to ask again.
Toby has a cat named Mali. She is a full grown cat and she has been declawed on all 4 paws, so she cannot hurt Toby in anyway. Toby thinks that she is his chew toy. (to say the least) They start out by playing, play biting and jumping around one another, and then Toby will get really mad at her for holding him down and start growling and biting her with all his might. When he does this she literally SCREAMS. He has dragged her across the kitchen floor by her ear many times--and he is all of 4 pds, if that--. He is only this way with her, and he is an angel to everyone else. I have tried yelling, and the water bottle, and now I am trying a rolled up piece of printer paper. It's nothin that would hurt him or anything, but still he continues. Mali has ended up with sores all over her head from this, and I feel so bad for her. I really need for this to stop, because it is cruel for us to let her to be continually badgered all the time. If we cannot get this under control, we will have to make some hard decisions.

The only place that she can go that he cannot get up on is the bed. But I don't leave my bedroom door open when I go to work, because Toby is still potty training. If I leave her in there all day she will use the bathroom in there, because we have already tried this.

Please someone HELP!

Can you babygate part of the house or at least a room? That way, kitty could jump it for safety's sake and puppy couldn't get in. If need be, you could her litter box in that room. She definitely needs a place where she can get away from the dog!

I assume Toby is still a puppy. As a puppy he is young and gets carry away when he is playing and gets too rough and unfortunately Mali is taking the blunt of it. But you would think being a full grown cat that she knows better and is able to get away from Toby if she wanted to. If she doesn't have anywhere to run. Best if you find her some.

Anyway, I think you have to do is teach Toby he has to play nicely. If Toby starts to get too rough you have to stop the playing and let him know. Tell him "NO" or " Play nicely" in the firm voice. If you have to, pick Toby up or give him time out until he can calms down.

Good luck.

Thing is she gets him going so it is just as much her fault. My husband says she must be stupid not to run and get on the bed.

He could probably climb the babygate. Plus I wouldn't want to take the chance of him getting hurt by climbing to get to her.

Im so sorry Toby is having some behavior problems with Mali the cat. I agreed with the other posters, try to keep a room out of Toby's limit so mali can hide there. Also when you see this behavior tell him NO and separate him from Mali. I really hope Toby outgrows this behavior soon. Good luck.

so you all are saying that he should outgrow this?

I wonder if your cat would get on one of these window perches? That way kitty can play with Toby when she feels like it, but she can also get away if she needs to!

Looks cool. Maybe I can give that a Try. Only thing is that I would only be able to put it in the bedroom.... :D