Posted by joymoore on February 18, 2003 at 13:19:43:
My husband and I got two kittens from the Humane society about 3 weeks ago. PITA a male and Pistol, a female brother and sister team. They are now 11 weeks old. Our OES was thrilled with the kittens when we brought them home and the introduction etc... went fine. Our dog, Chloe is now showing aggression to the kittens if they get near her food or near us when we are eating. This only happens while there is food involved. A little background on Chloe, she was used for breeding and when they didn't need the puppy mill any longer they left her lose on the streets. I think she picked up her need to guard her food from being on the streets and having to fend for herself. Chloe has been around cats in the past as we had a 15 yr old that Chloe's lived with for 2 years before the cat died. I have tried feeding the kittens in their Crate while Chloe is fed her meal and of course this works fine since they are not near each other. But how do I break this aggressive behavior so when the kittens are older and not crated I can trust Chloe with them? It is almost appears as if Chloe is jealous of the kittens. An example of her jealous behavior: If we are eating and Chloe is laying on the floor near us and one of the kittens walks by, she will turn her head away and not look at them as if she is saying "I can't stand to look at you and if I do, I will hurt you..." This morning she nipped at Pistol when she walked under Chloe's feeding station. I yelled at Chloe and from what I understand in some sites and forums, this is the wrong response. Any advise on how to handle the situation would be appreciated.
