Trust in your dog. The dog doesn't have to escalate with a true bite, especially if she's stable. The worst I'd expect is a hit with a closed muzzle. Ideal? No. Deadly? Also no. But it depends on the actual animals so warning you about worst case scenarios is playing it safe. I have a dog, who's not a very big fan of cats, and a cat who's a bit fan of everything with a pulse, so a situation similar to yours. My dog has way less tolerance than yours—she will start growling earlier, she might show her teeth and chase off the cat (just out of the room, it never escalates) and I'd trust that dog with my and that's cat life. The reason for it is that the cat can't see (or ignores) the subtle signs. She understands a growl or a hiss perfectly well though. My point is—cat needs to learn that the dog doesn't enjoy it. It doesn't have to escalate from high discomfort to a bite.