Why do my dog and cat fight?

by Caroline Crevier-Chabot

« Like cat and dog » is not an expression that we like when it’s applicable to our household. Because dogs and cats are not of the same species, they sometimes have trouble understanding one another and getting along. It, however, doesn’t mean that we can’t help them to change their opinion of one another and their relationship.

Predator and… prey?

Cats are a little « higher up » than dogs in the pyramid of preys and predators. What I mean by this is that dogs have fewer predators (typically) than cats do. Cats have for predators:

  • Big birds of prey (oh yes, if a big eagle can pick up a hare, it can pick up a cat),
  • Coyotes,
  • Humans,
  • DOGS!
  • , etc.

So even though they are themselves predators to mice, small birds, squirrels, rats, insects, small reptiles, etc., cats are also prey and have therefore evolved to be more reactive to their environment when a potential threat appears (they have a bigger tendency to fight and/or to flee rapidly).

This is important in a cat/dog household because we naturally need to constantly be conscious of the fact that there’s a possibility that the dog will see the cat as prey, with the unfortunate consequences that this could imply.

Separation and escape routes

If there is any indication that your cat and your dog are not the best of friends, it’s important to not let them together unattended. It only takes seconds for the irreparable to happen.

In some cases, we will want to keep the individuals completely separated, with a 2nd layer of safety. Each case is unique. When in doubt, you should take this route until you can get the help of a professional.

Never minimize things when the dog is chasing the cat. For your cat, it’s a terrifying experience to which they are subjected and they can’t escape it if they are forced to live in your house. It is not up to us to judge what should and should not feel threatening to another living being. If you’re scared of spiders, it doesn’t accomplish anything if I judge that it shouldn’t be the case. If you are scared of getting into a serious relationship, it’s not pertinent for me to think that it shouldn’t be the case. If you feel diminished when I associate you with a sports team, it’s not ok for me to continue to make that association. Your feeling is valid. Your discomfort is valid. If you communicate that discomfort to me, it’s not appropriate for me to disregard it with a wave of the hand. I should rather recognize it and adapt my way of interacting with you so as to avoid those discomforts. We don’t subject others to what we would not want others to impose on us. From the moment I recognize that your reality is as valid as mine, I can start to better help you. It’s the same thing with your dog and cat. Even if you think that they shouldn’t be scared of one another, it doesn’t change anything to their reality. By recognizing that their reality is valid, you are putting yourself in a much better state of mind to be able to help them overcome their fears.

Even if your cat and your dog are friends, it’s important to adapt the environment of your home so that your cat, and in some cases your dog, can have easy opportunities to escape one another. For a cat, this can take the form of perches that are easily accessible from multiple places, hideouts, tunnels, repositioned furniture that allows the cat to pass but not the dog (such as a sofa moved 10cm from the wall), a dedicated room with controlled access, etc. All this allows the cat to escape the dog SHOULD THE CAT FEEL THEY NEED TO. It’s not up to us to judge whether or not they should feel the need to. For our cat to feel like they are in control of their environment, they need to feel that if need be, they will be able to remove themselves from the proximity of the dog.

When we feel that we have control, we feel much better in our head.

Chat qui attaque Cat attacking

Needs and resources

You might have read about this in our article on inter-cat conflict: access to resources is primordial in order to avoid conflict. This includes calm, safe and comfortable rest areas for all.

We will also want to make sure that species-specific needs are met so that a calm, stable and polite emotional state is present. The needs of cats are not the same as the needs of dogs, although there are similarities. Our cat needs to be able to perch, climb, scratch surfaces, etc., whereas our dog needs to chew, use their nose, etc. We will therefore pay attention to both our doggy and our kitty to meet their respective needs and setup everyone in a state of wellbeing where they will be better able to learn to know one another.

That’s all?

Oh no! It’s only the basics. The rest is more specific to your particular dog and cat. During a consult, we look at:

  • The state of the relationship,
  • Possibilities for managing the environment,
  • Resources,
  • Reinforcers for each individual,
  • Escalation and de-escalation scales for each individual,
  • Activities that promote de-escalation for each individual,
  • Behavior modification exercises,
  • Exercises to develop the relationship,
  • , etc.

Ready for a less chaotic home? We’re here to help!

To book a consult, click here.

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