Foster dog hates my cat

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Long time lurker in this wonderful forum but posted in November about an abandoned dog in the lost and found section. She was never claimed - I exhausted every avenue so we reckon she was abandoned as she had not developed any domestic dog skills. Since then I have tried to make her the most adoptable dog as possible. I didnt want to rehome her around Christmas as I was worried she would be abandoned again after the novelty wore off.
She is crate trained, house trained can walk on lead and gets on famously with dogs and people. The only problem is my cat. She literally hunts him down and has tried chewing through doors of rooms that he is in. Animal jenga is ok while I am on holidays but I can't do it when I am back at work. I thought I had her rehomed but the lady asked me to keep her until the Christmas madness had died down and then she changed her mind about taking her. I would put her in the garden for the day and leave her in when I'm back from work at 3 (the dogs are never left alone as my granny sits with my dog during the day but she's visually impaired and immobile so when letting my own dog into the garden for a toilet break, I know that my foster dog Lexie will come in too and start her hunting game. I have been to all the rescues but they are full and cannot help. I also feel if she went into a rescue situation with lots of dogs and kennels she would become untrained very quickly as she has just gotten used to being a house dog. I love her to bits but I'm so stressed by this. I thought at this stage I would have rehomed her as she is such a darling but she is still with us. I could leave her in her crate as she is quite a sleepy dog but 9-3 is too long even though she will have had a walk before then. My own dog is house trained and trained to be mindful of the visual impairment my granny has - she wont take food etc unless you say 'get it' but this training hasnt been too successful with Lexie (probably as she was taking any food she could when straying) So boards animal lovers please help me out! I'd be so grateful! Thanks
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nala2012

Fair play for taking on a stray and minding her so well. Could you leave your cat in one room upstairs while you are at work? We have a cat flap in the dining room for our cat to escape from the dogs, she has free run of upstairs and downstairs while the dogs are only allowed upstairs when we're home. Also ask rescues if they'll let you post photo's on their facebook pages and maybe help you with the rehoming.

angelfire9

Most rescues have a Facebook page I'd get a few photos together and a short spiele to "sell her features" and ask as many rescues as possible in your area and beyond to put her details on their pages
Best of luck!

minipink

Hi thanks for your replies,
The cat stays upstairs during the day with the door blocked with the laundry bin so there's more than a door in the way. After doing some research, Samoyeds are apparently grand with smaller animals once they have been raised with them otherwise the hunt drive in them gets the better of them.
I couldn't leave her suffer in the pound etc. I've been in contact with all the rescues I could find and they have her on their Facebook pages and in vets waiting rooms I've signs on notice boards.
My mum went out and bought her a new blanket today as she shredded her bed and said 'she found you, you should keep her!' That's fine til she has a night with my two and her two and the cats if I want a bit of me time. The fact that my dog loves company helps. Let's see what back to work brings. My current dog has separation anxiety from me when I'm out even though she's not by herself. I'll also have to change my car if I keep her cos I've a 2 seater convertible! The price of fur babies

maggiepip

Does she actually act aggressively towards your cat when shes in the cats company? She looks like a collie to me or a collie x and in general collies are actually ok with other animals but do have the big "chase" drive.

My own rescue collie was obsessed with one of our cats (because this cat used to run away from her) when we rescued her,and would chase after her all the time in the beginning. She appeared to be "gunning" for the cat but it was all just harmless chasing. We now have it under control. So if your dog isnt showing aggression could you try to get them used to each other? Well done for helping the little dog:-)

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Maggiepip, it's the hunter in her. She caught him once between the jaws and only for my other dog realising the cat shouldn't be there and barking we would be one cat down. Her mannerisms are all Samoyed. The cat is well used to dogs and plays the chase game that you're describing with my current dog. They also share a chair, Lexie and the cat can barely share the downstairs of the house. I've tried the distraction with chicken while on a lead and being in the same room as the cat but she spits it out and lunges for the cat. . I go from super stressed about the whole situation to a relaxed how wonderful it is to have so many loving creatures in 10 seconds. I've been walking her non stop to give the cat a break but she's not keen on long walks or the rain (she tried to climb me like a koala in the park the other day to shelter from the rain) so it's lots of short walks instead.

The Sweeper

minipink wrote: »

...'she found you, you should keep her!' ...I'll also have to change my car if I keep her...

minipink wrote: »

She caught him once between the jaws...
...we would be one cat down... ...Lexie and the cat can barely share the downstairs of the house... ...lunges for the cat...

I've gotta say, you'll have to get rid of more than just the car if you choose to keep this dog.

Your current situation is tremendously unfair on your cat. You're keeping one animal that will literally kill one of your other animals given the chance.

I appreciate that you've found yourself in this situation through an effort to do the right thing by the dog, but you're up against it - it would only take a split second's inattention and that dog may tear your cat apart.

The degree of rehabilitation it would take to make the samoyed cross not react to cats is immense. While you could do it, in theory, it's simply not fair on your cat to try. It must be hugely stressful for the cat to be cohabiting with a dog like that.

I just say this because I don't think you can realistically consider keeping both animals in any way, at all. I know folks who rotate their animals in their households and it's a complete pain in the arse. Dogs that may fight, dogs/cats, dogs/cats/small furries - whatever the mix and the reasons, it's a massive logistical overhead - and you just have to have one bad moment and you have dead or seriously injured pets.

As others have said, build Lexie a profile for rescue through social media. You have the advantage that you can be very clear with a potential home that Lexie needs to go to a home with absolutely no cats or small furry animals.

If you're interested in fostering, build a relationship with a rescue by offering to foster for them and requesting assistance in rehoming Lexie - make it clear that you're not trying to get them to take the dog and you're willing to foster her until she has a new home (and hope she doesn't kill your cat in the meantime), and they may assist you with the prospect of you becoming a long-term fosterer for them.

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The sweeper, thank you, there is nothing more I can do to find her a home. I've exhausted every avenue that I can! Ideally by now she would have found her forever family but I am trying to do the best I can for her. If anyone knows of anybody that's suitable and looking for a wonderful dog please let me know. My cat stays upstairs during the day anyway (he's an indoor cat) and when Lexie's in her crate I bring him down and he potters around and gets plenty of treats and cuddles.

mymo

Please be careful, I don't want to scare you, just warn you, you may think it will never happen, but it can...as a teenager my friend took in a dog that was living with a cat with no problems, but it immediately went after her own cat when she got home.
The dog was very sweet otherwise, but one day after about two months he caught the cat and killed it. She was heartbroken over this, she never thought it would go that far.

Post in the re homing thread on here with photos, she's a pretty girl and from your description would make someone (without cats) a lovely pet.

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Thanks mymo, that could easily happen here if I wasn't so strict about who is allowed out at different times.
I think the rehoming thread isn't available around Xmas which is why I haven't posted in it. I did a quick search to look for it there but couldn't find it. The poor pet is in heat since this afternoon so really not sure what to do with her next week, though my garden is safe I'm sure male dogs could get in if they tried hard enough and rehoming one dog has been impossible not to mind a whole litter. I might see if some of my neighbours could come in and let her out for a run and put her back in the crate. It's an extra large crate so she does have tonnes of space and literally all she does is sleep. She doesn't touch any toys I give to her in there. She also goes in there by choice during the day to sleep so she likes it. Such bad timing from Mother Nature!! I did another round of calling to rescues and vets today.
My local vet was to get back to me as they may have had a foster but I've yet to hear back. One question I do have is that ever since Lexie started blessing from being in heat my dog Lola who was in heat once before being spayed has really panicked when she smells around Lexie. Any idea why this is?

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Just a little update, Lexie has found a home with a colleague of my mum who has wanted a dog for years. His wife is at home all day and he's taking her on Friday after he has her run for outdoor fun built. Delighted that I can keep an eye on her progress!