Hi We have just got a beautiful 8 week old staffordshire bull, the problem is that she wants to chase the cat around the house.
The cat has hissed at her, and he has been really good, but I am a little nervous the cat may harm her, should I leave them to get on with it?

Hi Swift,

So long as you ensure that you're cat is not cornered by the pup all should work out OK.  Make sure the cat has an "escape route" whether it be a high piece of furniture or a ledge that's outwith the pup's reach.  You'll probably find the cat will decide "enough is enough" and the pup ends up with a scratched nose which, hopefully, will put an end to her shenannigans :P  Just keep an eye on things and they should be alright.

HTH, Teri :)

thank you so much for your reply, we will try this and see how we get on, she has again been chasing the cat around this morning, she doesnt seem to want to give up!

The poor cat seems to be getting left out, or leaving the room when the puppy is in a playfull mood, the only time he is coming back in is when the puppy is asleep and he can have some peace.

Our cat was desperate to be friends with our lab pup, which worked fine when the dog was sleepy but if he was wide awake a chase would ensue. The cat was fine (as the previous poster says) as long as he could jump up somewhere eg kitchen worktop. If the dog continued to bother him he would get a gentle swipe on the nose which seemed to do the trick! The dog is now almost 2 and getting calmer so the cat is risking an approach more often! He (the cat) does now spend more time outside or upstairs but seems perfectly happy...

Remember that your cat came first and all of a sudden this little bundle of energy has invaded his house.
Try not to let the pup chase the cat. Tell him 'leave it' and take him away from the cat.  If your cat is standing up for himself then let them sort it out between them to a certain extent. Like previous reply, pup will get a paw round his chops and know his place.
Don't let the cat be pushed out too much though, put the pup in a different room to have a sleep so that the cat can have some quality time with you in your lounge.
I have two bcs, both came into the house as puppies whilst I had two cats. I stopped the pup from chasing but eventually it was the cats that put them in their places. Now they all get on together, play together and sleep together.

our puppy is chasing the cat around the furniture, but the cat doesnt seem threatened enough or is turning ready to swipe the dog.

today the cat was asleep in his basket, the dog went out and came back and wanted to play, i turned round only to find the puppy had woken the cat by trying to get in his basket, the cat swiped the puppy, and myself in the process.

i think it is a lesson the puppy needs to learn, but i really dont want any of them to get hurt in the process.

swift

We've got 2 big cats, a 7yo dog (cats were here first, dog is a rescue) and a 12 week old puppy. 

In your case, If your cat is confident but nice natured, I'd pretty much let them get on with it, under close supervision though.  Cat will probably swipe the puppy with it's claws in, which will be enough to shock puppy but not hurt him.  If the cat does put her claws out, it will hurt and may draw blood and the puppy will probably cry, but the pup is still likely to learn a valueable lesson from it.

My pup has been swiped by one of my cats just once, and the other one about 3 times when he's chased after him, but the cats have kept their claws in each time.  One of my cats enjoys taunting the puppy at the moment and will encourage the puppy to chase him, and then turn around and swipe him.  I suspect they'll be cuddling up together within the week.

i am terrified of the thought of one of them which I think will be the cat, he is lovely natured and never hurt myself until today when the puppy tried to get in his basket and i HAD to part them.

the puppy was still wagging his tail to play, but the cat was not impressed at all.

swift

sorry, I think a few words got deleted from your message... what are you terrified of, and who got hurt today?