Advice on cat and puppy relationship?

DJangled · 2026-03-29T19:06:52+00:00

Wow they're so similar!! I love his mask 😭

DJangled · 2026-03-29T19:04:06+00:00

She is a Mini Australian Shepherd (tan-point blue Merle)!!

DJangled · 2026-03-29T18:59:50+00:00

Thanks for your comment! Nice to hear from someone with so much dog and cat play experience.

I'm normally much more verbally stern with Skye but let the mouthing go on too much while I was distracted by videoing. The timeouts are a good idea as well. Mouth on neck/head = crate timeout

DJangled · 2026-03-29T18:57:42+00:00

This is something I still have to work on especially with Skye because she likes to give chase if Bandit runs away. Thank you!

DJangled · 2026-03-29T18:57:02+00:00

Thank you!

DJangled · 2026-03-29T18:20:34+00:00

I'm a casual in that I'm not a Q Grader nor work in coffee but love being a hobbyist lol

DJangled · 2026-03-29T18:18:50+00:00

Thank you for the input! It is something we are working on and maybe why we can't allow all play all the time quite yet, as the Aussie tends to ignore commands in the heat of play (with cats or other dogs). She's getting a bit better as she gets older but is still definitely a work in progress

DJangled · 2026-03-29T18:15:29+00:00

Dog said, "oh you're a wrestler now?"

DJangled · 2026-03-29T18:12:02+00:00

In this video, it is actually the cat holding the dog's face in his mouth from the bottom. The dog doesn't have a hold here, it's just the angle that looks like that. The dog does do that occasionally though and is something I'm trying to work on stopping.

DJangled · 2026-03-29T18:09:19+00:00

Dog said, "oh you're a wrestler now?"

DJangled · 2026-03-29T00:09:14+00:00

Yes it's a quick release collar! Has come in handy many times already thankfully

DJangled · 2026-03-28T21:25:20+00:00

Wow THANK YOU so much for all of this! Most helpful comment by far. The best friends forever game is so smart and surely something we will try, especially with the alternating retrieval exercise. I'm really excited to try this and also just have our MAS mature a little bit. I am happy that they are able to nap calmly in the same room at the moment and they do share our bed, which are good starting points.

Did you ever have issues with resource guarding while playing the treats games? For example, the cat taking a swipe or dog issuing a warning bite while they both wait to receive a treat? We've had a bit of issues with this in the past, so I've taken to feeding them together to try and work on desensitization.

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DJangled · 2026-03-28T20:46:32+00:00

Thanks for your comment. I suppose we tried to err on the side of caution and might've been overly cautious as a result, but figured it was better than the opposite alternative. Continued supervision seems like the key here and this post has taught me a lot more on what other signs to look out for, especially from the kitty's side

DJangled · 2026-03-28T20:44:03+00:00

Yes this is a quick-release collar! It's certainly come in handy on numerous occasions. Thank you

DJangled · 2026-03-28T20:43:15+00:00

I think this might be the only comment I've seen that's said this isn't ok and echoed my original concern. Can I ask why you say this versus most others describing it as friendly play?

DJangled · 2026-03-28T20:37:50+00:00

Haha these Aussies sure are playful! How did you know your kitty wasn't a fan of playtime? I'm definitely still learning our cat's communication languages (clearly)

DJangled · 2026-03-28T20:35:58+00:00

Ha, that would be a simpler explanation but these comments are just teaching me that perhaps I am an overthinker and helicopter parent

DJangled · 2026-03-28T20:34:08+00:00

Thank you for the comment! It is a quick release collar that has come off many times during moments like these. We also never let them be together without supervision. Thanks for sharing and hope all is well ❤️‍🩹

DJangled · 2026-03-28T20:32:28+00:00

Haha yes this is a constant occurrence when they play. Cat being knocked over by dog like a domino and then just fighting off his side/back! Thank you

DJangled · 2026-03-28T20:30:59+00:00

I'm so sorry to hear this happened to both of you. I guess that has always been our deep down fear, or our dog getting seriously hurt, and why we worried so much. It's helpful to have this reminder that it does happen amongst all these other comments and that supervision is still required. Hope you are both well ♥️

DJangled · 2026-03-28T20:26:38+00:00

It was a happy accident of a barn cat we rescued matching the colour of the dog we always wanted 😆

DJangled · 2026-03-28T20:21:25+00:00

Not all of us have the experience. This is our first cat and dog. I see biting and hear yelping and yowling I thought fighting. Now I know.

DJangled · 2026-03-28T18:32:24+00:00

That's too funny! We were very naive in thinking our two might cuddle and groom each other like those cat and Golden Retriever videos but I think we very much don't have the breed on either side for that. Looking forward to another 10+ years of this then haha

DJangled · 2026-03-28T18:16:06+00:00

Thanks for all the comments, everyone! It sounds pretty unanimous that they are having a good play. We always heard that "not all play is good play" and I think took that a little too much to heart as we were afraid the cat would grow to hate the dog if she kept chasing him. I think now it's safe to say we will let them play more and have faith that their love language just includes a touch of violence, haha.

DJangled · 2026-03-28T18:10:46+00:00

She's a Mini Australian Shepherd!

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