fr0st

Some great tips in here already. Thanks very much, everyone!

Speaking of cats interacting with dogs, has anyone seen this odd behavior where they keep their claws in and then rapidly thump the dog's face with both hands for a brief spurt? I'm assuming it's less threatening than hissing but a bit more than just "leave me alone". Edit: Not sure if I expressed it well enough, but this sort of slapping motion is what I mean: http://ohn1.slausworks.netdna-cdn.com/newohnblog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ohn_cats-aint_shyt_003.gif Clearly it's not meant to cause damage, right?

Good point about the cats! I forgot to mention that we found him om nom noming on some kitty poo as if they were cookies, so we have designated one room the Kitty sanctuary and barred it with a baby gate. That room is where they get fed and where their litter trays are kept. At the moment, the dynamic seems to be that the cats are happy to ignore him if he's sitting calmly somewhere, while his calmness starts to wane as soon as he spots a furry friend to play with. We're working on discouraging the signs leading up to a dash (deep voiced and firm NO to distract him from staring at the cats) and praising him if he spots a cat and does not try to run to them, so I am hoping they will settle in *eventually*.

So I have three cats and recently got a Yellow Labrador puppy. The idea behind getting a puppy was so that the cats would view it as non-threatening and find it easier to get along with than an adult dog. After some time they seem to have reached a sort of truce, but every now and then Casper will break protocol and have a joyous leap at them (wanting to play) but of course, they interpret this behavior as unnecessarily aggressive and either run away or hiss at him. Any tips from people more experienced with a harmonious household containing both cats and dogs?