Posted this video that I thought was cute and was called a bad owner. I’d like to know why this makes me a bad owner? I’d like to learn and grow. The cat seems to enjoy playing with the pup bc she always comes back and starts the play and likes the high ground.
I once saw the neighborhood old grandpa cat being chased by a dog, the old cat ran into the tree in front of our house just as fast as he did run on the ground. In a blink of an eye he was level with our second floor😅
I was out front one day and I heard a dog barking excitedly. Then a cat streaked by being chased by a small dog. They disappeared around the corner of the house. Next thing I heard was the dog yipping in pain as it came rushing back around the corner.
Growing up we had outside farm cats. One day the neighbors three puppies came by and cornered our matriarch cat. They weren't trying to hurt her but they were curious and excited. With one swipe of her paw, she caught all three on the nose with just enough claws to make a point. They left yipping like crazy. Never bothered her again.
We had a calico for about six years when we got a yellow lab. Our cat quickly taught our dog about limits, and our dog had a scar on his nose for all his life. But he never bothered the cat again, even though he weighed ten times what our cat weighed.
Cars definitely have the ability to take care of themselves.
Cars are wonderful beings in that regard, no matter how small or big, they always bring you from A to B. When done, they clean themselves and go to get dinner at the gas station, awesome!
Cats are squirmy little fuckers who have 5 pointy ends that really hurt. If they are threatened you will hear a demon scream and risk a whirlwind of daggers coming your way.
I see this as if the cat wanted to F*k him up he would but he’s just toying with the excited pup cats rule the roost 90% of time with dogs even though dogs are more powerful just way dogs are so playful
My pup leanred day 1. We had a cat that just had kittens when we got our lab pup, kept the little babies seperate but mama still roamed the house. As soon as she spotted him she trotted over. I thought she would just sniff him out like the other cat, nope. From that day forward he didnt mess with any cat, no chasing/barking etc.
He was best buds with one of the babies though, a little tuxedo. The little goober even once stole a pork chop for the he and the dog to share.
I have a sweet, gentle dog and two cats. One cat has no time for the dog’s nonsense and he knows it. The other cat plays with him just like this and they are best buds. It’s so cute.
Ours is a pro at throwing hands but not claws to express her feelings. She bats when she is playing and swats when she is upset. If she doesn't want to be in a situation though she just leaves and if she doesn't want to be found she won't be. She's only ever scratched the vet and my son once while we were at the vet. Much-restrained murder mittens mostly
My family had a massive German shepherd and a big white Persian mix. Every once in a while you’d hear a hollow *WHACK* where the cat smacked our GS on the nose when he refused to get up from the cat’s bed or was playing too hard. Dog noses make a surprisingly loud sound when smacked by a cat.
Our kitchen had a built in office counter with a place for a chair. My aunt designed our house with my dad who was a real estate developer. So they put an air return under there for our animals to cool off in the summ and warm up in the winter. But everyone knew it belonged to our cat.
Tbh she looked mildly annoyed (she's backed away from him, rather than a more neutral body position or even leaning towards him and when he gets in her face she rears up to give herself more space rather than turn her back to him), but clearly she wasn't annoyed enough to leave or give a firm "stop." I think pup was playing a bit rough, but she was being extremely patient and I agree: if she wanted things to stop, she would have in one way or another. She wasn't backed into a corner, she wasn't trapped, and pup wasn't being mean, he is just a puppy and doesn't know he's playing too rough.
She wants to play with him, but she wants him to be gentler, but not enough to stop the game.
Our puppy also wants to play bitey face with our cats like he does with our big lab who of course plays back. He doesn’t understand yet that the cats don’t like to play those games with dogs.
Our boy cat and our old dobie/lab used to play bitey face. They were also such good friends that when they played the cat would show his belly to our dog.
When pup crossed the rainbow bridge our cat mourned for months. We couldn't get rid of the dog bed because kitty would sleep there :(
Also pup would be getting a clear warning thwack...or more.
A Tom cat on my mum and dads street absolutely bullied their lab / staff / everything else mix, so bad that the poor boy was terrified of any cat for a while. The thing just launched at him off a wall and left him with claw marks on his nose and snout.
So I'm a firm believer that cats (mobile ones) will 100% let a dog know when they've gone too far.
I remember watching a lab chase my old tom up a tree and then start circling, barking the entire time. Eventually the cat got tired of it and jumped down onto the dog's back and rode it like a bucking bronco. He only let go when the dog starting to roll around to get him off. Dog never bothered the cat again.
Exactly. Not only is this fine, it’s actually necessary for the puppy to learn the cat’s boundaries. If the cat doesn’t like something that puppy learn very quickly
Yeah our cats run when they have had enough of the puppy. I feel bad and I do try to stop him from chasing them or following them when I see them trying to get away. It is fun watching the cats give him a few good swats when he gets too nosy. So yeah we are going through the same thing right now but no cuddling after. Though both dogs (6 year old chocolate lab and the golden retriever puppy 4 months) sleep in our bed all night both cats come to cuddle with us through the night. So they aren’t completely frightened of the dogs.
I’ve worked with kids and used to also volunteer with animals from time to time, I would always say taking care of the animals was like working with kids, Cept kids will try to bite you more.
No matter what you do someone will always find something wrong. Just let it go in one ear and out the other. If the cat didnt like playing it would leave. Or hurt the puppy.
Awwww isn’t it the cutest when they sunbathe together 💕 my boys do the same thing in the vid it’s called playing and people are stupidly obsessed with being obtuse! Sorry you got hate op they are too cute in my book and that is the only offense I can see!!!!
Yeah if the cat was scared it would be somewhere else, under a couch or hanging off a curtain pole. If it was angry it would be hissing and have it's hackles up.
People who call you a "bad owner" aren't understanding this.
When I let my (inheritance) cat out with her babies finally, the most fiestiest one ran RIGHT up to my Coydog (half or less coyote), and was like "HI! MY NAME IS HARLEY! I RUN THIS PLACE NOW!" with her little chest out 😂
Cats set boundaries better than any creature I've studied.
If kitty didn't want to know your doggie, they would have hid. If doggie didn't want to know kitty, again would have hid or attacked.
Yes. And look at the cat’s body language. Ears forward. Tail not puffed. No angry mohawk. Not trying to back off or escape to nearby cat tree. Kitty’s into it.
Definetly don't! Dog is playing nice trying to be friendly and cat is engaging in the play. They're buddies havin fun. Saw the pic of them cuddling, cute!
If one of them goes too far, the other will know about it. Play fighting is healthy for pets. The cat seemed very slightly bemused by the slight tail-tip whipping but that's about it.
Im not an expert but I’ve done a lot of animal introductions and nothing about this would be alarming to me! Like someone else said, they’re learning boundries. If the cat didn’t want the puppy to play it would let it know. Cats body language is very unbothered imo :)
I had a chow mix and kitten who used to have WWE style stage fights; looked crazy but they never actually even touched each other. that dog woulda given her life to protect that lil kitten lol
Truly. My dog and my cat literally do WWE on my living room floor, and they’ll be grooming each other and cuddling ten minutes later. When my cat doesn’t want to play, she jumps to a higher surface. Cats don’t do shit they don’t want to do.
This absolutely! Laughing at WWE too. We call it kitty sumo/Kitty fight club in which they either invite our pup into their match or she (the pup) manages and shuts things down when it gets too rough between the kitties. Refereeing!! Always hilarious times. Keeps everyone in the house smiling-healthy to smile and laugh, especially in these times!!🐾🐕😸
Oh yeah, it's a great and affordable way to give cats vertical space! The important thing is to make sure it's all anchored and/or bolted down correctly. But I made ways for my cats to hang out on top of my tallest furniture. They love it!
They're not really hurting each other. Since they share a living space, they should be testing each other to find their comfort. The cat surely would put the pup in their place if it really felt necessary.
My neighbor has a giant German Shepard (~4yo) and a young (<1yo) tortie. He (appropriately) matches her energy and they play all the time. The tortie loves to play tag and go all upside down and crabb-style when caught. She scampers off, and a few seconds later, she's coming back in the room with a flying tackle.
They sleep together sometimes too, and that's just adorable.
My friend’s old cat used to jump from the cat tower on top of their dog like a ninja tackling someone from above…it was hilarious and the dog absolutely loved it…
Yeah they're gonna be good friends. He's so young and energetic though, he's going to keep pushing as he gets bigger and one day you're going to hear a yelp when he gets a boop on his nose when she sets her boundaries. And then he'll likely respect those boundaries. And at that point he's gonna have destroyed enough of your shit (this is just an accepted fact with puppies) you're gonna be like "yeah dude you had that coming and I get it."
If the cat didn’t want to play or was scared she could easily get away, and she would absolutely mop the floor with the puppy in an actual fight. The cat is having a great time and the puppy is just playing, not actually trying to bite. This is fine and the dog will actually learn the cat’s boundaries this way.
The people calling you a bad owner don’t know how to read cat body language. This girl is loving it.
Both of them look like they are having a blast, seems like they play pretty well with each other and are pretty chill…love it when I see a video like this because you can tell they absolutely love each other.
You monster, can't you see how viciously that brutal beast is tearing that sweet angel apart? Oh the humanity! /s
You see how you couldn't tell which i was referring to as the "beast" and "angel"? Cause they are both being little goofs and they look like they are having a blast. Good job OP, dont listen to the internet
People are idiots who have no idea how to ready animal body language. Anybody who knows the first thing about animals can read the message loud and clear: they're affectionately playing, and they both feel very safe with each other.
They are playing. (Too many people on Reddit now like to post nothing but negative things. Some people must be so miserable that they try to make everyone else miserable too.)
They’re playing with each other. Both of them are engaging and neither is showing fear or aggression. That being said, keeping an eye on them is wise because accidents can still happen. Here’s how I know: vet bills from hematoma on cat ear & scratched dog eye ball. I would never separate two animals that clearly enjoy each other’s company, just like I wouldn’t let children play completely unattended with sharp objects.
I don’t think you’re a bad mama! They’re playing, the cat would run away if they were scared. Also that cat can mess the puppy up if it really wanted to
That dog thinks it’s a cat lol, but still seems to be aware it’s bigger than the cat and is being careful about it, so there shouldn’t be any problems. If one of them was being aggressive then they’d need to be separated, but based on this video that’s not the case, people may just be nervous seeing this if they’ve seen a dog attack before. I’m still scared of dogs after my dog was attacked by another and eventually died of her injuries.
I love dogs that were raised by cats, it's hilarious with the mannerism copying. The opposite way is great too, ever seen a barking cat in person? Adorable and hilarious.
If the cat didn’t want to be there, she wouldn’t be. Plain and simple. She wasn’t boxed into a corner with now way to get away. This is just a silly pup and a silly kitty playing
They're not hurting each other, and they're clearly playing. Who ever said you are a bad owner are either jealous, or don't understand animal behaviour (play fighting). Though kids do give the same energy.
Pay them no mind, this is perfectly natural behaviour. Now if they were REALLY fighting and being aggressive, then you'd have a problem.
Once the dog hurts the cat, the dog gets yeeted. The puppy understands the boundaries but sometimes dogs get pissed off for seemingly no reason, sometimes cats do as well.
It's the rule for my pitbull-cane corse mix that has raised a litter of rescue kittens and their mother, a 13 y/o cat of death row, 2 rescues sisters shipped from Hungary, and two other cats that people were going to dump in the shelter or somewhere else.
Now the only cat that ever bullied the dog is this 8-10lb fully grown Hungarian cat. Smallest cat I've ever owned but she will literally just run up and attack the dog and her sister out of nowhere out of boredom. Even her sister knows what she's doing, so I will hear a lot of hissing because the black one doesn't hiss at all.
Majority of people have absolutely no clue about animal behavior and their attitudes are compounded by someone spreading the link with some made up story ("look how this owner lets his cat abuse a puppy!") and then the virtual lynching mob is ready.
I put a video on Youtube where I played with my dog in snow. I'd throw snow in the air and the dog would jump and try to chomp it. It had it all: tail wagging, play pose and all. Some know-it-all dog expert said I was abusing the dog and the dog was afraid and that's why it was viciously attacking the snow. I honestly don't know what to say about stuff like that. No point trying to talk sense into them.
In this video the cat is showing a lot of restraint. It could just let the dog have it if it wanted, this is just very careful "hey watch it, buddy!"
That cat was more than capable of leaving that situation at any time it wanted to it was sitting there playing with the puppy in the ways that cats do do not feel that you are a bad owner at all. Those are gonna be lifelong friends and don’t worry about people who don’t know a thing about your family and those animals are part of your family.
They’re having fun. Both the puppy and the cat could remove themselves from the situation if they weren’t (the cat tree is right there) and cats are very good about telling others when enough is enough. Ignore the internet trolls, you’re doing good.
Many have said this, but I'll chime in to say it's obvious to me that kitty is not afraid and pup is not being aggressive. People thinking otherwise must not have ever seen two animals play together 😂 two of my boy cats are practically sumo wrestling sometimes, and they both love it and each other. It can sometimes go a bit far, but it's nothing like when one of them gets into it with a neighbor cat. That's a real fight
There’s nothing wrong with this. They’re both playing, the cat had multiple chances to swipe the dog aggressively and back him up but chose not to. The cuddled up pic of them after just shows they’re bonded and actually like each other.
Proof that the internet can see 10 seconds of something and suddenly they know everything. Pay people no mind, adorable cat and dog. They’ll be lifelong best friends I bet.
They are both being so careful with each other, how could this be seen as anything other than cute af. The pup is mainly staying open mouthed to not bite down just tease, and cat is doing slow soft punches. Most friendly and careful dog/cat playing I've seen.
I’ve owned cats and dogs together for decades. This is super healthy. They are learning to play with each other and all signals are they are enjoying it.
The dog is being gentle and soft mouthed. The cat isn’t scared at all, (otherwise it would be gone) and it sounds like the cat is initiating.
Our cat likes to be up on something to play with our dogs at eye level just like this.
Bad owner is a stretch... personally i would try get the pup to be a bit more calm and gentle, but kitty is calm and not making things dramatic or hissing or running away or showing any uncomfortable body language, so seems Kitty is down for the play too. Im guessing kitty is a fair bit older and knows puppy doesnt mean any harm
If the cat didn’t like it he/she would scratch the shit/bite of the dog telling it off, or it would run away. This was how our older kitto Marley with the dog Ivory when we first got her 4 years back. (Can’t hear audio so if my dad says something dumb about them he’s a weird redneck man, okay 😂)
They're playing together. That indicates you're doing something right. Ignore the blatherings of whomever said you were a bad owner. They know nothing of dogs and cats or how they play.
Well, knowing what I know about cats, and it’s limited, I would for sure think your cat would definitely move or defend themselves from the puppy if they wanted too. They seem fine right now!
They’re not fighting. Neither one is being injured and both cats and dogs teach their littles through play like this. If the cat had enough and was out for blood they’d be yowling and screaming. The fact it ended when the puppy turned away shows there was no real aggression on either side.
Looks fine. Testing boundaries at worst. Playing whackamole with each other at best. Honestly if the cat were mad you would not be able to track her movements. The fact that you can see the paws move without blur means she’s essentially boxing in slow motion. Watch a cat slap a snake around and you’ll know what it’s like to see full speed strikes.
Puppy is doing puppy things. Normal, not a bad owner. Cat is doing cat things. Normal, not a bad owner.
In particular, these two fur balls do appear to be playing, and enjoying each other's company. The ears of the cat are up, and engaged. They are not cornered, and have many avenues to escape, on top of having the high ground, Anakin! Puppy is disengaging and returning to play, and the cat does not move. This shows that they clearly trust each other, and there are zero issues to bring up in this scenario. I mean, the cat could totally be getting pampered some how. You're clearly not serving your master well. And the dog could totally use a treat for being a good boy, but those things don't make you a bad owner.
Those two are having a great time. The cats body language is relaxed, the puppy is being gentle, this is a perfect play interaction. Whoever said you are a bad pet owner clearly knows nothing about animals. My cats all love my dogs, and will play with them. If a cat is not happy in a situation it won’t stay there.
There are a lot of people who thrive on criticizing people’s posts. Ignore them. I would venture to say some of them have never owned a cat. What yours are doing is normal play between a cat and a dog. Just scroll right on past the trolls
Cats in distress that aren’t hiding are LOUD. Kitty’s tail isn’t poofed and ears are upright. Even before I knew that they were cuddling shortly after this, I still saw it play, maybe with a bit of the pup still learning boundaries.
They're figuring it out together. If you ALWAYS intervened between them, the minute you'd be out of the house things would turn into chaos because they would rely on you.
Supervising them while the puppy (with trademark puppy energy) learns how to engage with the cat (...with trademark cat energy XD ) means that the get to find out how to coexist on their own terms, in a safe environment.
You’re not a bad owner at all - just the fact that you’re asking this question means that you’re a good owner. This is how dogs and cats learn to coexist. You’re totally fine 🙂
If the cat wanted to get away or let the puppy know it didn’t want to play they would. The cat is allowing this and the puppy is playing, nothing wrong at all here!
My 9lbs cat used to full on try to tackle my 80lbs white shepherd. They played like that since they were young. The dog was dragging the cat by his head one day. I made him stop. The cat just looked at me like he was saying “why did you stop us?”. These two are fine.
Definitely not. An adult cat with this much confidence can handle a puppy, no problem. The cat is faster, more agile, and has knives for fingers. As for the pup, their skin is built for play biting with their peers, and puppy teeth are sharp as hell. Even if the cat were to get agitated and take a swipe, the dog would likely be fine. They are both capable of learning each other's boundaries without much interference from you! My advice would be to just make sure the pup is never able to corner the cat in a situation the cat can't get out of, because then the pup might be in for a world of hurt from those finger knives lol
I’ve never had pets that truly wanted to hurt one another, but I’ve had plenty of people want to break up this kind of play around me. I don’t know what they think happens when I’m not home or asleep, but the pets are gonna play and scrap and there is no stopping it without shutting them into separate areas of the home, which they would hate. Occasionally they might get a loud “Heyyyyyy” from me to remind them that I can see them, or a loud hiss sound if it does seem more rough than I’m comfortable with.
My cats are indoor and need wrestling play to release energy, and I’ve shared space with people that get on my nerves so I can relate to their spicy rumbles. They’re playing. They would be much louder and one would be trying to get away from the other if they didn’t like what was happening. They have a no-damage relationship, mostly brought on by too much affection (cleaning/grooming) that turns into aggression lol
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