My Dogs Will NEVER Accept a Cat…or Will They?
~ By Stephanie Janard
It was official: I had fallen in love with the stray orange and white cat that barged into our yard one day and insisted on living with us. I set up a comfy space for “Skipper” on the back porch, where I let him in every night so he’d have a safe place to sleep. I even kept the porch light on for him. And in the daytime, I gave him plenty of attention and love wherever he was hanging out outside.
But letting him inside was a different matter. In fact, I had decided he would need to be an outside cat. I was simply terrified my two dogs would tear him to pieces. They sure gave every indication of it. Both dogs barked furiously at him from the other side of the sliding glass doors off the back porch. And when I took them outside for walks, they lunged for Skipper as soon as they spotted them.
Skipper, however, was nowhere near as afraid as I was. He developed the alarming habit of running after us when we took our walks, dodging out of the way just in time before one of my dogs could get him. He also enjoyed giving himself long, luxurious cat baths right outside the sliding glass doors, in full view of my highly agitated dogs.
Realizing Skipper must be here to stay, my Australian cattle dog eventually stopped paying attention to him. But one day, my black Labrador dashed out on the back porch before we could stop him. He ran straight at Skipper. I screamed out loud.
But Skipper kept his cool. He just looked calmly up at the big dog towering over him. My dog was so taken aback by this, he paused for several seconds. Then he stretched both front legs out and put his behind up in the air – the universal doggy sign for “Let’s Play!”
Need help integrating your cats and dogs? It sometimes requires a little more work than Stephanie’s experience, but Rutherford County Humane Society can show you the way. Contact us with your questions
