Taradiddle81 Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Hi All, Bandit is our 9month old rescue that we adopted 5 weeks ago. We have had him inside on numerous occasions and he loves the kittens and one in particular loves him back (she spends her time rubbing up against him, and then sits at the back door and cries when he goes back outside.) This morning when I went outside to feed the dogs, there was a dead magpie on their bed. I have no doubt that it was Bandit's doing, rather than Elly's because she doesn't mind birds and just follows them around and in 5 years we've never had this issue. I don't know if it died of natural causes, or if Bandit just managed to surprise it and pounce on it, but he has then brought it up and put it on their couch (which is their bed). He didn't eat it or tear it apart, it was pretty much intact, but he had plucked some feathers out (or at least shaken it enough that lots of feathers came out.) DP then said "well he can't come inside anymore, he has the taste for blood, and he might try something with the cats." I pointed out that Bandit has eaten a large volume of bones and raw meat in his time with us, and hasn't tried anything and DP said "that's different, he didn't know where it came from, now he does." Also his previous owners had pet birds and said that he was fine with them (so it might have been a case that he has tried to "play" with the bird, I don't know.) Given he already has a relationship with the cats, I doubt that he would try to hurt them. We never leave them alone together anyway, but these things can happen so fast that it doesn't matter if you are right next to them, you may not be able to stop it. My questions is, do you think it would now be an issue to let him inside with the cats now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 DP then said "well he can't come inside anymore, he has the taste for blood, and he might try something with the cats." I pointed out that Bandit has eaten a large volume of bones and raw meat in his time with us, and hasn't tried anything and DP said "that's different, he didn't know where it came from, now he does." Also his previous owners had pet birds and said that he was fine with them (so it might have been a case that he has tried to "play" with the bird, I don't know.)My questions is, do you think it would now be an issue to let him inside with the cats now? Most dogs can discern between "friend" and "prey" - even between cats they know and cats they don't. I'd say you have nothing to worry about. If Bandit has "the taste for blood", by your DP's reasoning, you're not safe either. Old wives tale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inevitablue Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 My experience has been that my dogs liked stalking the birds, particularly PeeWee's. The fact that the bird wasn't eaten to me indicates that the bird was killed (accidentally?) for 'sport' and not for food, My old dogs would chase them, catch them and then not know what to do next, so would treat the dead bird like a new toy. If it was my dog I'd still trust him with the cats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Couple of my dogs chase the birds, and catch them sometimes, all are fine with the cats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Old fashioned saying......perhaps you need to quizz your partner on what he actually means by the taste of blood because his theory as it stands means the dog is now a killer and will kill anything to get the taste of blood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leelaa17 Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 One of GSD has caught so many birds in his one and a half years - I can't even count anymore... but he has never actually tried to eat them - he always just wants to play... He killed one of my rabbits once when the little one got out and he ripped it apart - but he was simply just trying to play with it because it hadn't been eaten at all... he just wanted to play and then when my little one stopped moving he decided it was boring and stopped... I have never had a cat but I would love to get one and I have been hesitant to because of my experience with Max and Jenna... im not sure whether or not they would take very well to a cat or not... However I do agree with what everyone else is saying - dogs canq normally discern between whats a play thing/food and what is their friend. For example - my 7month old Jenna has a serious (very serious) problem with strange dogs... she absolutely hates them... yet when we moved in with my dad and his two much older dogs she never not once had a problem. she was able to tell which was 'friend' and which was 'foe' (in her eyes of course). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianed Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I think you should have supervised times together until the kittens? get bigger. You said kittens! I,d say keep an eye on them together seeing you have only had him 5 weeks. Did he mix with cats before you got him? An older cat can jump out of the way, a kitten is defenseless. Cats and dogs do become good friend when they get to know each other. The magpie may have got caught or died naturally, young dogs do chase them. And yes dogs do chase and kill birds if they come in their yard. Magpies love dog food and bones. I,d say a stern word is needed. My young dog has chased our magpies when they pinch her left overs and I stop her. I now have chooks wondering around and I am very surprised at how good she is with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greytmate Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I have seen a few dogs good with cats but not birds, and some good with birds and not cats. I would watch them, and stop the play if the dog gets overexcited. But I would do that whether or not the dog killed the bird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taradiddle81 Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 Thanks everyone! I think once DP has cooled down a bit, I will bring Bandit in, on a lead until he "proves" himself to DP. dianed - they are kittens, but are 6 and 7 months. Lexi is 7 months and is pretty much an adult sized cat, has been for 6 weeks already! She is a Bengal, so thinks she is a dog and will be a large cat. Syd is still smallish but he packs a punch and he tends to either hide under the couch or he sits up on the cat tree or piano where they can't get to him easily. Bandit plays with Lexi mostly, and she can defend herself, she will bat him on the nose and if he still annoys her, the claws come out, and he learnt very fast to leave her alone then Also we've never seen Bandit pay any attention to birds (ie doesn't bark, or try to chase them etc). He didn't have previous experience to cats, but a couple of days after we got him, we took Lexi out in our arms to see his reaction and he couldn't care less. When the cats run around inside and the dogs are outside, Elly stands at the door drooling, but Bandit is off doing other stuff, isn't that interested. He does want to say hi and play with Lexi when he first comes in, but then he has enough and lies at my feet, so he doesn't try to follow them like Elly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacqui835 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I don't think you have anything at all to worry about. I currently own a doberman who fortunately doesn't really have a strong hunting urge, but when I was younger, we had a terrier mix. This dog must have killed 100's of rabbits in the golf course across from our house and rodents, but we also had 2 cats who could easily kick him off his bed and a rat that he used to just follow around the house. We were very young, so I may not do everything the same way if I could go back, but dogs seem to be very good at distinguishing between family pets and wild animals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Our dogs kill feral cats- and sleep with our house cats supervise for a while ...they should be fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaar Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I have pet rats. One of my poodles catches mice in the house and kills them, but she will walk around with the pet rats riding on her back. They know the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianed Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Just wait till winter comes, a kitten knows how to get warm. We weren't always this friendly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taradiddle81 Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 dianed, that is gorgeous!! Lexi is already sleeping under the doona between DP and I! She is a bed hog! They normally are too excited to see each other to snooze though! But as we increase the time, the dogs are inside, I think they will then settle down enough to snooze together Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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