Ripley hates Stola. <\/p>\n
Like, really<\/em> hates her. <\/p>\n To be fair, she hated Penny when Penny was new, too.<\/p>\n But this is a whole different level. Antagonistic and kind of aggressive. So, today, I\u2019m examining why it\u2019s so different and sharing what we\u2019re going to do about it.<\/p>\n As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Portrayed as adversaries in popular media, you know the trope: Dogs are always chasing cats. Cats are always swatting dogs. But is this real life or just cartoons?<\/p>\n Probably both. <\/p>\n In our experience with animals over the past two decades, John and I have seen it all. In fact, we\u2019ve already tackled this same issue but in reverse; Lucas hated Newt<\/a>.<\/p>\n Some dogs do love to chase cats. Others don\u2019t. Some cats hiss and swat if a dog dares look her way. Others don\u2019t.<\/p>\n Much of it is personality dependent. Then, you mix in a combination of environmental factors, sprinkled with a bit of training (or lack thereof), and a whole bunch of miscommunication. <\/p>\n A crystal clear example is in the tail. A cat swishing her tail is not happy. Not at all. She\u2019s trying to tell you she\u2019s irritated. A dog, though? Generally speaking, a low, swishing tail indicates a happy pup.<\/p>\n You can see how they might struggle to find common ground. <\/p>\n That said, cats and dogs can form a beautiful bond and a strong, trusting relationship. I suspect part of the reason Ripley had a hard time with Penny and a now even-harder time with Stole is because of the deep bond she shared with Cooper<\/a>.<\/p>\n The two were inseparable. They played and snuggled all day, and they slept curled around each other at night. I\u2019m sure she grieved Cooper as we did and then considered Penny an interloper. She came around to Penny\u2013not to the point of sleeping curled up with her but close. Now, rambunctious Stola has infiltrated her new-found peace.<\/p>\n That\u2019s my theory, anyway. <\/p>\n My<\/em> cat hates my<\/em> dog, but generally? No.<\/p>\n In fact, most people I know who live in a multi-species home, the vast majority share their pets have a great relationship. The next largest group reports the animals have a mutual respect for each other but keep their distance. Only a small few\u2013Ripley included\u2013have a hostile relationship.<\/p>\n Plus, both cats and dogs are super smart mammals. They can figure out pretty quickly how to act around another mammal, even of another species, and respond accordingly.<\/p>\n Part of our problem is that Ripley hisses and growls at Stola, which Stola\u2013since she is deaf\u2013can not hear. So, Stola ignores the hissing and growling (ignores, according to Ripley, but the reality is she\u2019s not hearing the warnings!) and that makes Ripley even angrier. Repeat a dozen times a day. <\/p>\n This, of course, is the boat we\u2019re floating right now. <\/p>\n Stola can be perfectly calm and Ripley still swats her. So, we have a bit of a challenge ahead of us. I\u2019m tackling this on two fronts: management and training.<\/p>\n I have an entire post coming up soon on the importance of utilizing management as a strategy, but for now, here\u2019s the gist: Management is the strategy to use to purposefully and proactively set up your environment to prevent the undesirable behavior.<\/strong> It\u2019s not dog training at all; it\u2019s used to prevent triggers in the first place.<\/p>\n So, what does that mean for us? <\/p>\n I\u2019m striving to prevent Stola from approaching Ripley while allowing Ripley space to approach (if she wants) and escape (if she doesn\u2019t). <\/p>\n What that looks like right now is a series of baby gates set up in the hallway to prevent Stola from reaching the stairs. Ripley has full reign upstairs for now. It also means a gate at the kitchen door to keep Stola from getting to the cat food and the cats\u2019 water dish. (I really, really like this gate<\/a>, btw, because it\u2019s easy to open but VERY secure. If you want a more affordable choice, this is a great option<\/a>, but you\u2019ll be stepping over it a million times a day, which can be a hassle.) <\/p>\n We also have an X-pen<\/a> set up in the corner of the living room. This is Stola\u2019s fun place. She gets bully sticks or puzzle games to play when she\u2019s closed in here. I bought an inexpensive machine-washable rug<\/a> for underneath to keep the pen from sliding, and I can wash it after she enjoys a bone or food puzzle. (More on this in the upcoming \u201cpuppy survival\u201d post!)<\/p>\n When Stola is in the X-pen doing her fun activities, it gives Ripley a chance to be out doing whatever she wants around the house without having to be hyper-vigilant. Plus, Stola get super excited for these special treats and even though she\u2019s in a pen, she\u2019s still among the family activities. <\/p>\n These two management strategies\u2013the gates and the X-pen\u2013keep everyone safe and secure without accidental interactions. <\/p>\n Management is not training. It just helps your dog not make a bunch of mistakes while<\/em> you are training. <\/p>\n Our training plan is simple. <\/p>\n First, we\u2019re setting up purposeful training sessions. This looks like the cats on one side of the kitchen baby gate and Stola on the other. We dole out squeeze cheese as long as everyone stays calm. It works beautifully. My goal is to reward them for being cool customers next to each other to change Ripley\u2019s response from \u201cGO AWAY STOLA I HATE YOU THEREFORE I SHALL SMACK YOU\u201d to \u201cI get lots of cheese when Stola is around, and I loooooove cheese.\u201d <\/p>\n Second, we\u2019re rewarding Stola every single time we see her make an appropriate choice around one of the cats, not just Ripley. She sees Newt on the kitchen counter and plops into a sit? Reward! She sees Ripley on the other side of the gate but turns her head away? Reward! She sees either cat on the cat tree in the living room and doesn\u2019t attempt to climb up it, too? Jackpot! <\/p>\n Yes, I always have my pockets stuffed full of treats all day every day, and yes, I always have to be vigilant, but it\u2019ll be worth it in the long run. <\/p>\n Maybe.<\/p>\n Maybe not.<\/p>\n It would be ideal if Ripley someday liked Stola. But my bar isn\u2019t set that high.<\/p>\n My goal is that they are tolerant and respectful of each other and each other\u2019s boundaries. That means Stola stops chasing the cats. That means Ripley stops swatting Stola for simply existing in her presence. <\/p>\n Would I absolutely LOVE for Ripley to snuggle either Penny or Stola? Of course! But it\u2019s unrealistic to set that as the end goal. Instead, we\u2019re aiming for peace. <\/p>\n I think this plan will get us there. <\/p>\n If you\u2019ve had a cat hate your dog, what steps did you take? How did you handle it? Please share in the comments so we can all learn from one another!<\/strong><\/p>\n Grab a free copy of the book Positive Reinforcement Training for Dogs of ALL Abilities when you join my email community! <\/p>\n Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ohmydogblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Help-My-cat-hates-my-dog.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nFirst, a word about cat-dog relationships:<\/h2>\n
Do cats really hate dogs?<\/h2>\n
What to do if your cat doesn\u2019t like your dog?<\/h2>\n
Management<\/h3>\n
Training<\/h3>\n
Will my cat eventually like my dog?<\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n