we have an ancient 3 leeged cat and at first max our 11 week old lab was fine looked at him watched what he was doing but was wary they just avoided each other which was fine by me. Last week hubby put cat at back door to encourage him outside to do his business as he is very lazy and would lay upstairs for a week if we left him the cat trotted out the back door and from nowhere max suddenly burst into life and ran at the cat and chased him out of the garden before we could grab either of them. Max just wanted to play but the cat was terrified and is now really wary and the dog is constantly trying to chase him. I dont know what to do. Max doesnt want to harm the cat but is now fascinated. Anybody got any good advice? We say no to Max in a stern a voice as we can muster but if he sees the cat he just doesnt hear us. The cat mainly stays upstairs and max is not allowed upstairs. The thing is I want the cat to be able to come downstais to eat and pee in peace?!!

Your best bet is to keep Max on a longish lead whenever the cat is brought downstairs, over time he will be less and less fascinating to the pup, and the cat will gain in confidence too.  This may take a few months or a year.

whatever you do don't let Max chase the cat even once, that will probably be it then - my dobe got away with it once, now he chases every cat he sees. he only wants to play, but he is 30kg!

Hi our lab was the same with our 2 rabbits, at first she was happy to watch them but then one day they got out of the run and she gave chase. If she had wanted to she could have caught them but she was just pushing them with her noise and when they ran agian she would give chase again.

My youngest son (3 years) thought it was funny and didnt see the dangerouse side to it all, so he then would let the rabbits out when ever no one was looking. Something had to be done, so i bought a flexilead and put Buffy (the dog) on a very short lead in the garden with the rabbits lose, she nearly pulled my arm off to get at them but after a while and with telling her 'no leave' she calmed down. It took a few days but she will now not chase them for about 5 mins if the boy lets them out, which gives me enough time to realise and put them back.

Also now that Buffy doesn't chase them my son has lost interest in letting them out.

New problem tho is my new bullmastiff pup has worked out how to open their hutch, so hubby is out there now putting a lock on it.

Debbie

Why not also feed your cat upstairs and then at least they can eat in peace and then come round in their own time rather than either starving or being stressed out while being fed.

I have two cats and now 2 dogs and the cats get fed on the stairs or the landing away from my greedy cockers. They hated the fact that the pups had arrived but eventually they came downstairs in their own time. I still feed the cats upstairs though as the cockers would also eat the cats food all the time if they could.