The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #142481 Message #3284676
Posted By: Ed T
04-Jan-12 - 10:05 AM
Thread Name: BS: Feline behavior question
Subject: RE: BS: Feline behavior question
My experience is some cats have difficult dealing with change in thei environment, especially if they are the dominant one. Normally this settles down, once the change becomes normalized (the animals have to work out the new relationship, which they eventually will). It may take a while for the cat and dog to work out which one is dominant?
I have noticed that when I take my two cats to the vet, they hiss at each other for awhile when we return home. I attribute this to a delayed reaction to stress, being taken to unfamiliar areas. But, I suspect they also are reacting to a different smell they each temporarily have taken on from being at the vets? Possibly your daughter is touching the dog, and the cat smells the dogs scent?
When I took in my last cat, which is now the dominant one, he would hiss at me if I came up to him suddenly, or even if I moved or touched him. I dealt with this by giving him alot of attention to establish trust. Then, later, if he hissed at me when I disturbed him (he was just being cranky), I would put him in another room and close the door for punishment (time out)and used a loud voice to scold him. When I shortly later (it does not take long, just a few minutes) opened the door I first ignored him when he came out, until he approached me (seems like he is sucking up) and I would rub him and talk to him in an affectionate voice as a reward. He does not hiss at me for any reason,any more and is quite affectionate.