[Amaya-Mazie-Marley]

Okay, so today we went to south carolina to pick up a cat. This cat was one we had previously owned, but had to give up quite a few of our cats for various reasons. Well since we last had this cat, we've gotten two dogs, Amaya and Mazie. Well as soon as we brought her home, of course dogs and other cats we have wanted to smell her. Her name is Lily, she gets along great with the cats, but no so well with Mazie. In fact, Mazie is very agressive with her. Lily swatted at her, and ever since then, Mazie is very agressive with her. If Mazie even sees her from across the room she starts to growl, like seriously growl like she would hurt her. Mazie is corded to me right now, can't get very far, but Is there any way to get them over this? There is no way we can go on like this, with them hating each other. It will come down to either the cat or Mazie going, and my mom is a huge cat lover, and I am a huge dog lover, so there will be no middle ground on that argument. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated!

[mattmania843]

Maybe put them together in a neutral environment... I dont know anything about cats, but mazzie might just be protecting his environment, you should socialize them carefully in neutral territory.

[cshellenberger]

I would put the cat in a crate and bring it into the room with Mazie. Sitting on the floor, anytime Mazie reacts in a GOOD way to the cat, reward HEAVILY. If you need to 'break' a negative behavior, use either a spray bottle of water or a can of pennies as a distraction to get her to stop and then reward if she shows good behavior after.

As far as the cat, you need to be sure he has a place to 'escape' whare the dgs can't get to him.

[Amaya-Mazie-Marley]

The cat still remembers the house, which kinda shocked me, but she took off running back to the cat room, and jumped right up in her old cage. I've been trying to slowly introduce them, and Mazie does okay until the cat, Lily swats at her, then she gets angry and agressive. I can understand why Lily would swat at her, but its going to have to come to a stop. I have been working religiously with Mazie on other animals and trying to socialize her, she just can't stand the fact of another dog or cat trying to be over top of her.

[poodleholic]

Well as soon as we brought her home, of course dogs and other cats we have wanted to smell her. Her name is Lily, she gets along great with the cats, but no so well with Mazie. In fact, Mazie is very agressive with her. Lily swatted at her, and ever since then, Mazie is very agressive with her. If Mazie even sees her from across the room she starts to growl, like seriously growl like she would hurt her.

You have to manage this by controlling the environment, and keeping Lilly safe. Since you've got other cats that Mazie, apparently, is not aggressive with, there's a good chance that she and Lilly will eventually become friends, or at least tolerate each other. In the meantime, you must keep Mazie from going after Lilly. Every time Mazie goes after Lilly in an aggressive manner, this unwanted behavior is being reinforced, and will be difficult, if not impossible, to change.

Keep Mazie on leash while in the same room with Lilly. You want Mazie to associate Lilly with good things happening when Lilly is around, so lots of attention, praise, and treats.

Mazie is corded to me right now, can't get very far, but Is there any way to get them over this? There is no way we can go on like this, with them hating each other.

It takes time and patience.

It will come down to either the cat or Mazie going, and my mom is a huge cat lover, and I am a huge dog lover, so there will be no middle ground on that argument. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated!

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are relationships. You will get back what you put into it through training, desensitization, and counter conditioning Mazie and Lilly, and your patience, persistence, and being consistent in all that it will take to make it work.

I brought home an injured and starving male feral cat to my household of two dogs (whose heads are larger than his entire body) and an elderly cat in her mid-twenties. It took me three weeks using blanketed crates, closed off rooms, introduction of one dog at a time, and then both, and at the end of that three-week period I was exhausted, but Tommy (the little feral fellow) walked out of the crate on his own, comfortable enough to pass right by the big dogs. It was a lot of work every day putting him in the crate, bringing in the dogs, giving treats, removing the dogs, letting him free in the room, and a whole lot more. However, I had brought him home, so I was committed to doing whatever it took to make it work. The dogs and the cats sleep together, and it's not uncommon to see Tommy standing between my male dog's front legs sampling the (dog) food. This isn't a result of dumb luck or happenstance. It takes work.

[Amaya-Mazie-Marley]

Thanks for the info poodleholic. Mazie is in no way agressive with our other cats at all, she loves them to death and they love her. They are always found sleeping together, Mazie has especially taken to the kitten we have, she almost acts like she's his mom. It will just take some time, I had to go out to run some errands but made sure someone was here with them. Lilly is in her old cage, and only comes out when Mazie is sleeping, but Lilly will walk up to Mazie and sniff her, but won't even think of coming out of her crate unless Mazie is for sure asleep or can't get to her. I don't think that Mazie in any way wants to harm Lilly, she is just a very pushy dog always trying to be on top, and she hates the fact that Lilly growls at her. I think she feels that maybe Lilly is trying to be over her, which I'm sure in the end thats the way its going to be.

[Jen D]

So it sounds like the other animals in the house are ok with lily? How big is the cat compared to Mazie? Sounds like the cat could teach Mazie a good lesson to leave her alone but I have not seen them together so it is hard to say.

[Amaya-Mazie-Marley]

Yeah, other animals get along great with Lily. Mazie is almost 17 pounds, and Lilly probably weighs 10 pounds or so. I'm not too sure if Lily could teach her a lesson or not lol, Lily won't even come out of her cage if she hears Mazie rooms away.