Your cat’s behavior is often one of your biggest problems.
Although you might mistake it for playfulness, it’s actually one of your canine’s former aggression traits. Perhaps your canine’s demeanor is slightly different.
Whatever the reason, you can attempt to resolve it by changing its behavior. So, why does my cat slap my dog?
The first and most important part of solving this issue is to understand your cat’s aggression and its underlying causes. One common cause is aggression towards people or other animals or discomfort around other animals or people.
Cats get defensive when they are feeling threatened or cornered by another person or animal. The most common signs of this are hissing, growling and swatting.
Other causes could be a change in behavior due to illness or even medication side effects. To resolve this, you can identify and fix the problem that is affecting your cat’s behavior.
Your veterinarian can help you identify the underlying causes, so you can begin treating your pet.
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Why Does My Cat Slap My Dog?
To participate in a playfight, your feline must perceive this as a threat.
At times, it is your canine that gets slapped by his feline friend.
Knowing what’s causing the problem might make it easier for you to resolve it.
Some causes might be easier to address than others. Although your cat might have a history of aggression, you should first determine if it is directed at people or pets or if it’s due to illness.
If your cat is acting out because of illness, you might be able to treat it at home with medications and supplements or by bringing your pet to a veterinarian for treatment.
If it’s caused by discomfort around other animals or people, you can attempt to reduce contact or separate your cat from another animal or person that is causing the hostility.
Other causes may be more difficult to address and might require the help of a veterinarian or animal behaviorist.
Are Cat Slaps Dangerous?
A cat slap in the incorrect spot, especially on the chest or throat of a dog, could pose some danger to your pet’s health.
Cat wounds should be cleansed very away since you wouldn’t want your cat to pick up an infection from a dog bite or scratch.
A minor illness may develop to a more serious one if your cat doesn’t get the veterinary help it needs.
Why Does My Cat Hit My Dog?
When your cat slaps your dog, it could be because he doesn’t like the way your dog is acting or he may be in pain or illness.
Your cat is likely to act aggressively if he is sick or in discomfort, so you’ll need to do some detective work to try to determine what is causing his aggression.
They generally analyze the other animal’s behavior, then evaluate how your cat reacts to that behavior.
That’s exactly how your veterinary diagnostician can determine what is causing your cat’s aggression and come up with a treatment.
Cats would not “slap” another animal lightly unless the very situation was very serious.
If your cat regards the newcomer as a threat and feels that it needs to be defensive and attack for whatever reason, he will slap the other animal quite hard.
Puppies may be dangerous to cats on contact because they may bite and scratch whenever they get playful and excited.
If the puppy approaches the cat, there will be an aggressive reaction.
Why Is My Cat Swatting at My Dog?
Medical Issues
A grumpy cat may lash out at someone in the household, especially if it’s someone he knows well and doesn’t get along with well.
Severe personality changes may prompt cats to be irritable and swat or scratch at people.
If none of the above causes explain your cat’s behavior, there may be something wrong with your cat’s brain chemistry or his nervous system.
Bad History
If your cat and dog have already battled, your canine might not seem to be threatening as it would be to a new cat.
So each animal might not act aggressively towards one another.
Cats have a natural instinct to swat and attack other animals that seem threatening.
A cat that has lived in a house and adopted a family might not have the same aggressive nature as an unsocialized kitten or stray cat that has experienced different life circumstances.
Conflicting Personalities
It’s possible that your two pets simply dislike one another or the surroundings, and might pick fights whenever they get the opportunity.
You should ensure that they are properly introduced to each other and that territorial boundaries have been clearly outlined to avoid future conflict.
Instincts For Hunting
If you see your cat preying on a tiny dog or puppy, it’s because of instincts for hunting and old experiences in the wild.
The cat might worry that another animal will attack it and prey on its prey or it might want the other animal’s food.
Your cat might be trying to teach your dog a lesson by swatting him or trying to take his food away.
Your Cat Feels Threatened
Instead of demonstrating hostile behavior, your cat may be striking out in self defense to protect himself from an attack by another animal.
You should provide your cat with a safe space to retreat when the two animals interact to make sure this does not happen.
This might be a separate room or even a larger room such as a basement or a converted garage.
Your Cat Is Irritated
If your cat is frustrated, they will take it out on the newcomer and swat or bite it, as a way of venting their frustration.
It is best to keep your cat in a separate room while your canine is in the house to prevent this behavior.
The arrival of a new pet in the house might prompt your cat to swat or scratch at dogs because he misses the company and attention of a pet companion.
Your Dog Is Too Demanding
We all know that cats and dogs have distinct boundaries when sharing their home together.
If your cat assaults your dog after they have been fed and have taken their medicine, you should keep your dog out of the room until your cat calms down.
They Were Not Properly Introduced.
This might be the case, particularly in the case of new pets that are being introduced to the home.
Dogs and cats should be introduced gently, step-by-step, so that they can get used to the presence of each other without the fear of an attack.
Do Cat Slaps Hurt?
A cat slap without claws is more like a butt blow.
These critters have evolved through time to be skilled in their techniques for agression, intimidation and self-defense techniques.
Don’t underestimate them on these matters, as they can actually inflict considerable damage with their stinging tails and scratching feet.
How To Prevent A Cat From Slapping A Dog
Tire The Cat And Dog Out
The cat will attack the dog only to assert its dominance over another pet in the household.
The purpose of exercise should facilitate the process of defusing this tension without causing injury to either pet.
This includes taking the dog on a walk during play sessions with the feline and introducing the dog to a cat-friendly chew toy.
When kids are bored throughout a household, pets oftentimes get territorial and lash out to punish the household’s inhabitants.
Cats slap dogs for a purpose, which mainly is for intimidation purposes or for self-defense against other animals that may be perceived as potential threats.
If they have a lot of energy, tire them out with exercise and play sessions.
This may result in the cat injuring itself in the process, but the risk will be worth it if the cat slap can be stopped altogether.
Look for Other Signs of Cat Aggression
Because they are aggressive, cats sometimes become a threat to humans – including children that are often viewed as more defenseless than their larger counterparts.
Hissing, snarling, and attacking with claws and teeth may be a deadly combination for vulnerable children.
This demonstrates that the cat is not interested in playing and that it has no intentions of ending the play session nicely.
In certain circumstances, the dog may be able to fend off the feline and cause it to retreat without injury.
When this occurs, you must separate the pets immediately and separate them permanently if the cat slaps the dog again.
This may involve exposing the cat to other animals in the family, such as dogs or children (with adult supervision) to see if it can learn to behave appropriately around these individuals.
Distinguish the Toys
You should spend a few minutes playing with your cat and allowing it to cuddle or pet you.
Just as cats may get protective about their food, so too do other cats often protect areas they consider to be their territory, such as favorite resting places.
This may result in a scenario in which a cat will aggressively defend not only itself, but also it’s territory.
When a cat strikes a dog, it is protecting it’s territory and it’s offspring.
This might occur when a cat is protecting it’s kittens from a dog that has approached mom or when the kitten has just exited the birth canal.
The best strategy is to divide up the playtime between both pets and stick to a set playtime schedule for both pets.
Sort the Food Bowls
If your cat won’t leave your dogs food alone, she may have territorial issues.
This might indicate that she is hiding her kittens.
It does not want the food to be contaminated and wastes the food if left alone by placing it elsewhere in the house.
If your cat refuses to share the food bowl with the other pet in the house, you should keep the food bowls in different positions and places in the house, instead of feeding them from the same bowl.
The behavior may also indicate that your two pets have conflicting personalities and that it might be best to keep both of the animals in separate rooms from each other. The ideal approach is to divide the
As a consequence, when it is threatened, it may lash out in order to protect itself and its offspring.
This will keep the cat pleased, and it won’t think it’s territory is threatened when the dogs or people enter the room.
Also See: Why Do Cats Slap?
Conclusion
While you might not like your cat’s behavior towards your dog, you have to monitor it and intervene when necessary.
A cat’s behavior can be a sign of underlying health problems or it could be a result of being abused or neglected in the past, so it’s important to talk with a veterinarian and take action if you notice a problem.
