My Cat Keeps Attacking My Dog - Reasons And How To Stop It

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The mere presence of a dog in a home does not have to create aggression in a cat. Cats and dogs can get along very well and even become the best of friends. This is due to the process of domestication. In the wild, they would see each other as rivals for resources and may even see each other as prey. Since we provide all of their food and security needs, such rivalry may not be present.

However, there are reasons why a cat may attack a dog. It is usually out of fear and insecurity, especially if they are the smaller animal. To know why the cat may be aggressive toward the dog, we need to look at the context of the situation. Reasons include:

Poor socialization: if your feline never came in contact with a dog when they were developing as a kitten, it is possible they will be scared of them as an adult. It is an understandable response to the danger of the unknown.
Negative experience: even cats which have been socialized may have a negative experience with a dog which sets them back. It can trigger a highly stressful situation which causes the cat to attack as a way to defend themselves from perceived aggression.
Dog does not respect boundaries: although a cat may not be scared of dogs, it is possible a friendly dog may not know a cat's limits. Even though a puppy or adult dog is only trying to play, the cat can feel bothered. As a response, the cat attacks with scratching and biting to stop the dog.
Protecting resources: although domestication helps a cat live in a safe environment, they are still territorial animals. They will feel the need to defend their territory if it is threatened. For this reason, a cat may attack the dog if they think they are a threat. This happens most commonly when a new dog enters a home where the cat was already ‘queen of the castle’. It can even happen when the newcomer is another cat or a different animal. They may not be happy to share their space and the attention of their human guardians, the latter being a precious resource as well.
Result of stress: if the cat is stressed for whatever reason, they may attack a dog out of frustration. Perhaps the presence of the dog is acting as the stressor. It could also be that some other problem is leading to the cat attacking the dog out of stress. Even a physical sickness could result in mental stress which causes the cat to attack.

My Cat Keeps Attacking My Dog - Why is my cat aggressive towards my dog?

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My Cat Keeps Attacking My Dog - Reasons And How To Stop It