Animal Problems

Give the cats away and keep the dog. problem solved

how long have they been together? you actually have it good considering because the worse case scenario would be if the dog hated the cats. give it time, good luck.

The main issue here is the cats and their (in)ability to get along. The dog will eventually figure out his place in the pecking order (bottom) and the cats will establish a truce of sorts. They might never be close, but they'll grow to tolerate each other eventually.

Also? Loved the blog post. :)

We have three cats, and as valbee says, they establish their own pecking order. Of our three, Tyler is the alpha cat, a status he sometimes shares with Truman. Poor McKinley is the omega-man, always eating last and sometimes getting chased out of the litter box (which is why he is the only cat in the house who gets his own private bathroom).

Be patient, and give the lower-status animals lots of attention. Pumpkin can't have it ALL his way!

Valbee, thank you for your kind words.

All the animals get lots of attention. You'd think I was chopped liver or something. Rotten critters...

I think Ebony and Rachmaninoff will form some kind of working relationship, which leaves Pumpkin the entire second floor. What I expect is that Pumpkin will sneak down to the first floor and carry out a terrorist attack on Ebony.

If I could just get the dog to run for sheriff, I might have a working civilization. Sadly, it's an elected office and no one will vote for him except me.

I have some problems with the dynamics of my cats, too. They all get along with the dog, but each other is a completely different story.

What we did was provide each with their own area to claim, and some are traded often. Basically, by having enough perches off the ground they're allowed personal time without feeling the need to escape. Cat walks and perches help tremendously when dealing with bickering or fighting cats. The more space they have to roam and oversee, the better. It provides them a sense of confidence and security over the home, whereas cats on the floor can get a little snippy.

The addition of treats (especially if clicker trained - I'd click one and whistle for the other so as not to mix signals) decreases the stress/fear even more because it adds a positive note to the animal they hate.

But most importantly, you/she/whomever will want to start things off on a good foot by slowly integrating new cats versus letting a new one wander at their own risk. This can be done long after adoption even. Give the aggressor a few days alone in their own room, then begin the slow reintroductions with a lot of treats and praise for good behavior.

As for the dog, as long as he's not actively seeking them out, he shouldn't have many obstacles with gaining their trust aside from time.

Oh, and it helps to wear them out too.