Kitten Attacks My Dog!?

Question

I have a serious problem. I recently adopted a 3 month old male kitten into our family. The kitten is really sweet, but loves to play wayyyy too much with our 11 year old male maltese. Our maltese wouldn't hurt a fly, and just runs away from the kitten every time he pounces on him or bites him. The most the maltese will do is growl, but the kitten just doesn't seem to be getting the message. He is constantly grabbing our maltese's neck, or chewing on his leg or tail. I have tried separating them, but the minute they are back in the same room, the same thing starts. I have tried saying "NO" and even flicking the kitten on the nose, but nothing seems to work. The kitten also likes to suck on my maltese when he is sleepy, like he is suckling his mother or something. Again, I have tried separating them, saying "NO" and flicking, all per the vet's suggestions, but nothing seems to work! It has now gotten serious, because my maltese has scratches and a few little wounds on his face and body, but still isn't aggressive enough to bite. Getting rid of the kitten is not an option, nor is keeping the cat or the dog outside, they are both indoor pets, so please do not tell me to do that. Any suggestions?

Thank you!

Answer 1

stop flicking his nose. all that does is teach him  to hate the dog. "every time i play with the dog, my nose hurts. darn dog."

he really needs a kitten sparring partner. consider getting another kitten. they wil kill each other, instead of the dog.

soon, the dog will put a stop to this.

or, get it stuffed animals to attack.

Answer 2

Its instinct for a kitten to play wrestle. Thats how the big cats in the wild train to survive as an adult.  But take some fingernail clippers and only clip the very very tip, least amount possible so you dont hit the cuticle. Clip it to where it isn't sharp.  As it gets older, it will stop playing so much.  You could always get a second kitten. They will play with each other more than the dog.

Answer 3

It seems that your kitten is just simply being a kitten. He is just being playfull. That is what kittens do.

A friend of mine had the same issue with her kitten and older dog.

Just give it time it will melow out between the two.

This is just a kitten against a dog. The dog won't be harmed.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

Try spraying water... the maltese won't mind but the kitten will!

You can pick the kitten up by the scruff of the neck and swatting it on the butt... (they say the direct route to the brain is through the butt) Not hard but enough to startle the kitten... this has worked for me in the past when taps or No doesn't

In other words you are going to have to be rougher so the kitten knows you mean it.... THAT IS WHAT MOM WOULD DO.

AND /OR  take the kitten and put it in a carrier... for a while then allowing it out again.  If it starts it again put it back in the carrier.  (sort of a time out)  

Answer 5

The key word is kitten......they are little spaz monkey who will pay with anything & everything. Best way i have found to teach the word NO is use a squirt bottle with cold water & spray when we are misbehaving or getting into something were not supposed to & say NO while doing it. After awhile you'll get to the point the moment you pick up the bottle kitty will stop without you spraying & eventually we will learn once they hear (their name & NO) usually they'll stop. But always keep the squirt bottle in case we forget. I hoped this helped.

Answer 6

Get soft paws for your kitten so he can't scratch the dog and when they are in the same room together make sure someone is watching them.  Keep a spray bottle with water to squirt the kitten with it when he acts out.  Just keep at it and keep a close eye on them so your pup doesn't get hurt.  Hopefully the kitten will grow out of his youthful antics.  

Answer 7

Trim your kittens claws...I heard getting them removed is cruel so dont do that please.

Spraying the kitten with water.

Get toys for the kitten so maybe he will leave to dog alone.

If nothing works maybe you should think about getting a second kitten or a puppy for the kitten will leave your old dog alone.  

Answer 8

He will outgrow it in a few months, but while that is happening, keep a squirt bottle handy.  Most cats absolutely hate being squirted with water.

The suckling could be due to the kitten being separated too early from his mother.

You will have to play the role of the alpha, and establish boundaries for your kitten.  What he is doing is playing as if your dog was another cat, but he is not getting the feedback that he would get if your dog really was a cat.

You can consider snipping the tips of his very sharp claws, and pet stores sell very inexpensive clippers that will allow you to snip the tip off without cracking the claw.  You just want to snip off the very tip.

Answer 9

I would keep them separated until the kitten gets a bit older...like several weeks to months.  I would also consider using a cat repellent that won't harm or upset the dog. Ask a pet store owner, or the vet for suggestions on what to use.  I know cats don't like citrus and certain oils, but I don't know what would be suitable to use on the dog.  Good luck.