[Lynnie]

I have the most beautiful long haired Chi named Leia who was 3 years old yesterday. She is the most loving, even tempered dog you could wish to meet and gets on well with our cat (who is just one month older than Leia). If she sees another cat in the garden though she will chase them off in quite an aggressive manner but I just assumed she was protecting our cat (Sukie) as Sukie is rather timid.

Anyway, today we bought two new kittens. We had them in Sukie's cat carrier and I thought it would be a good idea to allow Leia to sniff them before putting them into their 'safe room'. Leia went absolutely crazy, barking at them (she very rarely barks at anything) and giving the impression that if she could get to them she would kill them. I have never seen her like that.

So at the moment they are in my daughter's bedroom and Leia has not been allowed to enter. She is getting lots of fuss etc but I am really worried about this long term and whether she will ever adjust to them. I would hate to have to part company with them but also could obviously not see them hurt. My daughter brought one kitten out in her arms while I held Leia but she barked and snarled again (and of course, got hissed at by kitty)

Has anyone any advice or been in a similar situation? I haven't even started to worry about my older cat taking to them yet, she hasn't noticed anything has changed as she was out when they arrived and obviously hasn't heard them yet!

 

[Huly]

Have them in a room then remove them and let her in to smell. Keep it up until she is comfortable with the smell then slowly introduce them in a controlled environment (one holding one someone else holding another). Very slowly

 

[Lynnie]

Have them in a room then remove them and let her in to smell. Keep it up until she is comfortable with the smell then slowly introduce them in a controlled environment (one holding one someone else holding another). Very slowly

Thank you for your help, I will certainly give this a try

 

[Jennmay]

Yes it will take time you adding in members of the pack even though they are kittens. My dog Zoe is the same she lives with 2 cats that were here before her and she took awhile to warm up to the cats as well as the cats warming up to her and they are best of friends now but Zoe will chase stray cats in the yard as well.

 

[catz4m8z]

wow, thats a scary reaction! Usually its just terriers and sighthounds that are that intense around kittens. Hopefully if you take the introductions slowly and maybe feed Leia tasty treats when she is calm around the kittens she will associate them with good things.
Is she normally a brave, socialable girl or more timid?? (could it be that her barking is fear aggression?).

Sometimes though you have to accept that your dog isnt going to love every cat you bring home. Ive just had to rehome my 13 year old cat to my best friend as the dogs would bully him endlessly to the point of him escaping and not returning for weeks. No problems at all with my other 5 cats, just mutual hatred between Adam and Banjo cat!

 

[Rocky]

I would rub a blanket at both kittens and then take the blanket for Leia to smell.
Then I would put them in a plastic box (not a crate where Leia can see them straight away) and would reward her when looking at the box withouth barking, or remove her when she is naughty. Hopefully she will then realize that the kittens are nice (as she is getting treats when behaving good).
I would be careful though once you actually do take the kittens out. You wouldnt want Leia to chase them, the kittens not being able to find a save spot and maybe defending (scratching) themselves out of fear.