Cat attacks

[emilyr]

I've had my 2.5 year old greyhound, Cara, for nearly three months now, and she's adapted to life as a pet brilliantly - apart from one major problem.  She's now attacked cats on four occasions.  One belonged to a friend and suffered a punctured chest cavity and several broken ribs.  The other three ran away after I pulled Cara off them so I have no way of knowing how badly hurt they were, but I'm sure she would have killed them if I hadn't intervened.

I walk Cara on the lead, but sometimes if I'm talking to someone and not paying attention, she sees a cat before I do and manages to grab it.  On the first occasion she got badly scratched by the cat in question, and I always give her a severe telling off afterwards, but clearly nothing puts her off. 

I have a muzzle for her but would hate for her to have to wear this all the time as it makes people think she's aggressive towards people / children / other dogs, which couldn't be further from the truth.

I realise this behaviour is deeply ingrained into her nature, as greyhounds are bred to chase smaller animals, so difficult if not impossible to fix.  It would be helpful to know if all pet hounds do have this problem?  If so, do other owners just keep them away from cats, or is there anything else I can do?

I'm generally dead against the idea of electric shock collars on dogs, but wonder if this could be a last resort for dealing with such a serious problem?

[gvgeam]

Hi and welcome.

Sorry to blunt, but use the muzzle for your piece of mind and don't worry what other people think. You need to keep Cara safe too. Steer well clear of electric shock collars and the like.

[kizzeysmum]

Two of my dogs need to wear muzzles all of the time for the same reason and this is what you should be doing. Rather that than a dead cat.

[greybeard]

Agree with Vanessa and Rosemarie - Shadow is always muzzled when out and about cos of his prey drive.Hates cats with a vengeance,fortunately none venture into the back garden - but so far has caught and killed a pigeon and a rat.And once he has hold will not let go.Just explain politely why she's muzzled and most people understand (especially if they own a small,furry dog!).If not,ignore them as you will be demonstrating your responsibility - alot of people who have met Shadow and thought he was generally aggressive soon changed their minds when he politely asked for a fuss!Cath

[jodav]

Hi and welcome to you and your lovely hound Cara. It takes a while for us all to really get to know and understand our wonderful hounds and we learn as we go along. As a general rule, sighthounds are interested in movement whether it is squirrels, cats, small breeds or large breeds and if we let our focus slip, they have the ability to surprise us all. I have two hounds, one of which is very interested in cats. The way I manage him is to always muzzle him but also to be aware of the places cats hang out and be prepared to help him with 'watch me' cues and treats when he reacts calmly, doesn't lunge, bark etc. Please be assured that it takes time and practice but it really does pay off to stick with it and Cara will learn. Good luck.

[henpecked]

You really need to muzzle, not fair on the cats or their owners. One of mine is lethal with anything that moves & is always muzzled.He is very friendly with people & loves children. Everyone accepts my explanation & he is often fussed by children . I would rather have a muzzle on than a dead cat in his mouth.

[emilyr]

Thanks for the responses. I've always hated to see a dog in a muzzle so I've been resisting this, but it sounds as if I may have to reluctantly come round to the idea.

[wings]

I agree with the above above on using a muzzle. I'm also wondering what kind of lead you use, as you say she managed to grab the cats while on lead. Do you use a flexi lead or a really long lead? I would use a short lead, so she walks right next to you. That way, I don't think she could get close enough to a cat. Just be aware when you walk on the pavement, that there could be cats hiding behind hedges, posts, corners etc., and keep her on a very short lead when there are hiding places like that close by.