I have a dog that seems to like to be the only child. She doesn't like other animals and eats their food possibly in displeasure

This is causing the kitten that is now about a year old to not want to eat out of any of the bowls that the dog takes outside or to the garage to steal the food out of.

I have to feed the kitten by hand. Otherwise, he only eats while we are asleep.

This kitten moved in by himself when he was very small. This problem has presented itself since last week. I'm thinking the dog doesn't like the cat now that he is older. I just found 3 bowls in the garage that the dog has taken.

The kitten moved in about a year ago.

Anyone have any suggestions or experiences to share on how to deal with this problem that is traumatizing the kitten?

1.You could try getting one of the silver metal bowls that are harder to pick up... they have a rubber ring on the bottom.

2.Another solution would be to feed the cat on a window ledge, or higher.

3. pour food out and stand watch... everytime the dog goes for it correct the dog. He may get the hint that cat food equals trouble or may may just get wiser at stealing it.

Someone else may have a better idea check back in.

Hi Dana! Bushg has given you some good suggestions. Not knowing how old your dog is, the easiest thing to do would be to put the food up high enough so that the dog can't get to it but the cat can. If your dog is still young, you may want to start training the dog not to touch any food outside it's own dish. By the way, this isn't about the dog eating another animal's food out of "displeasure", but rather, simply eating something tasty that is within her reach. Bushg has more experience than I have with cats and will correct me if I am wrong, but usually with cats if they get a whiff of a dog's scent on a dish and it isn't a dog they were raised with or comfortable around, a cat will either pee on it, or simply refuse to eat out of the dish. If the dog's scent isn't on it, he very well may be fearful of your dog attacking him for his food if your dog is very much a dominant force in the household, and can easily access the bowl. So, you should wash it carefully prior to putting fresh food in it, put it in a place where he will be able to get to it and be able to relax and eat, without fear of the dog coming up behind him while he is off guard, and occupied with his food.

My Lab/Huskie actually thought she was a cat. She insisted on eating the cats food.
It dawned on me one day cats can jump up so I started feeding my cats on top of a table I had in the furnace room.

Hi Ruby and Bush

Wow Great Advice. I have difficulty finding a place to keep the food because the dog is very large and she can reach everything in the house. I will have to be creative.

The kitten likes his food fresh and not stale or aged.

You are right, the kitten's dishes have to be clean.


There must be a whole lot of stuff going on when I'm not around. You are right, the kitten has shown fear of eating when the dog is around and I have to leave his over night food near my bedroom door where the kitten hides while he eats.

I'm constantly having to change the place I place the kitten's food because he won't eat any place where the dog has taken his food from.

I have talked to the dog and she understands I don't like it when she takes the kitten's food and that is why she does it when I am not looking. Last week , she started getting up in the middle of the night to steal all the food.


I wish there was another solution to this problem. It really stresses me out.

Is this any way for a cat to live it's life? The only good thing at this point is that the dog is 11 1/2 years old and the cat hopefully will have some peaceful years ahead.

Thanks everyone for making me feel that I am going at this in the right direction.


If you get any other inspirations or ideas, please let me know.

Thanks so much. I really appreciate it your help.

Dana get a bell and put on your dog... at least the kitten will hear her coming... a small bell should be enough.
Dogs can be quite sneaky. I have actually seen them hunker down and crawl toward their intended prey.

You could have a talk with the cat and tell it to be more assertive
I know when nobody is home my dog will do stuff for spite at my leaving her alone.

Diary of a cat

DAY 752 - My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.

DAY 761 - Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair... must try this on their bed.

DAY 762 - Slept all day so that I could annoy my captors with sleep depriving, incessant pleas for food at ungodly hours of the night.

DAY 765 - Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was... Hmmm. Not working according to plan...

DAY 768 - I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason I was chosen for the water torture. This time however it included a burning foamy chemical called "shampoo." What sick minds could invent such a liquid. My only consolation is the piece of thumb still stuck between my teeth.

DAY 771 - There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call "beer." More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.

DAY 774 - I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The Bird on the other hand has got to be an informant. He has mastered their frightful tongue. (something akin to mole speak) and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time...
DAY 183 OF MY CAPTIVITY

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture.

Tomorrow I may eat another house plant.

Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking, almost succeeded; must try this at the top of the stairs next time. In an attempt to disgust and repulse them, I again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair. (Note-to-self: I think I'll try urinating under their bed, too. Wonder how long it'll take them to find it?)

Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was. Not working according to plan. There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary confinement throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the food.

More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergeez." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage. I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and may be snitches. The dogs are routinely released and seem more than happy to return. They must obviously be half-wits.

The bird, on the other hand, appears to have become an informant, and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room, his safety is preserved. But I can wait; it's only a matter of time...

DAY 185 OF MY CAPTIVITY

It is now my 185th day in captivity. My captors have completely eliminated my canned food and replaced it with dry kibble, claiming that it is better for my health. The wet food was the only thing I looked forward too, and now even that has been taken from me. I have discovered, however, that the dry food serves to create sharper points on my teeth, and keeps them stronger. I must force myself to consume it, regardless of the taste.

Each morning, they read pages of what is called a newspaper. I found that it is particularly annoying to my captors if I lie on it while they read. Shredding the newspaper is also a particular peeve of theirs, and I have taken delight in doing this before they awake each morning.

My captors have now obtained a "fish tank" - which serves to make up for part of my loss in the food department. While the little creatures are tiny, they are quite tasty. They have yet to replace the two small fish that I have consumed. I must think of a way to make them notice the loss.

The bird continues to mock me. Its little metal room has proven stronger than originally anticipated...

DAY 201 OF MY CAPTIVITY

I'm unsure of my ability to survive as a captive and have made several attempts to break out. At first, it was simple enough to circle my captors feet, in a surreptitious manner, as they opened the front door. I would then bolt from them through the door to freedom. But, to no avail - they caught me in a manner of minutes - my legs are not as fast as they used to be and I grow weak with continued imprisonment. What is worse is that since the first attempt, I have now found myself separated from the living room. My captors are much more intelligent than originally anticipated...

For entertainment, I have taken to terrorizing the dogs by sitting on the kitchen table and swiping at them with my long nails. The dogs are obvious half-wits. They know very little about my skills as a hunter, and are forbidden by my captors to attack me. The dogs grow more irritated each day.

I know that my dog gets upset when I leave and she has an old habit of going through the house to eat whatever she can get a hold off, but now she is doing this even when I'm home and while I am asleep.


Fortunatley, the cat has access to the doggie door and he spends most of his time outdoors.


As soon as I read your replies, I emptied the top of a book case and put the dry food there. I hope the dog doesn't learn to fly up there to get it.

The big question is: WHY DOESN'T THE KITTEN USE HIS CLAWS ON MY DOG MORE OFTEN?

DO I NEED TO TELL THE KITTEN TO USE HIS CLAWS ON MY DOG?

GREAT SUGGESTION TO GET A BELL FOR MY DOG. I WILL FIND ONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Also want to add that from now on my dog will wear a collar. I found her collar that she never wears and it has three old licenses on it that will serve as a bell. Thanks for this great idea.

NoHelp4u
Can you give me a bit more help in communicating with the kitten.

I took him in my arms and took him over to the dog and told the kitten to show the dog some teeth. The kitten shows no emotion at all. The dog did. I'm not sure I know how to get through to the cat.

This cat seems to not have any will to challenge the dog.

Could it be that the cat is too traumatized to challenge the dog?

Yeah your kitty must be too traumatized or something.
I figured since you had a talk with the dog it might work with the cat too.:( :confused:

Dana, animals have their own personalities. You have a cat, who's natural inclination is to stay away from large predators who could quite easily kill it. And you have a dog who is more than willing to eat the cat's food, because it has a much higher fat content than dog food does. It's like putting a salad and a hamburger in front of a kid and telling him he has to eat the salad.

So, you need to give the cat a space where he feels safe. I'd recommend closing off one room with a baby gate, and putting the cat's food, water, and litter box in there. That will give the cat a space where he can go to get away from the dog. The next thing you need to do is work on the dog. The dog must be taught to respect the cat, or at least to ignore it. If you can get the dog under control, the cat will become more confident about coming out, since it won't be afraid that it's going to be attacked at any moment.

However, and this is a big thing to think about, your dog is 11 years old. That's pretty old, and the dog may be set in its ways at this point. Having another creature around, messing with the household routine, and forcing it to share your attention, may be a too much to ask of it. Also, if you are allowing your cat outside access, it is possible that the cat will decide that there is too much stress at your house, and simply not come home some time. So, if you are really wanting to do the best thing for both animals, you might consider finding the cat a new home. Only you can determine whether the stress level in your house is too high for either animal to be comfortable.

And, just fyi, cats don't respond to commands very well. Picking up a cat and holding it in front of a dog that it is trying to avoid is just going to scare it, and most likely you will wind up with scratches from it trying to get away.

Hello froggy

I really like the idea of putting a baby gate in one of the rooms to keep the dog out. I will certainly do that ASAP. I hope the dog doesn't jump the fence. LOL

I agree with you about everything else. The dog doesn't like her life being shared with another creature. Never has. I let this kitten stay because I had heard that dogs are accepting of creatures if they are babies to begin with.

My vet told me that finding a cat a good home is difficult. So for now the cat will have to stay here. Fortunately he has one place to call his own and that is my computer chair.


For now, I found a place up very high for the cat's food.

BTW, there is no excuse for my dog to go after the cat's food because she gets human chicken and fish with her kibble and sometimes she gets cat food too. I think it is more of a dominance and territorial thing.

I really don't know how to train my dog to respect the cat's food or the cat.

Any other suggestions on how to train my dog are very welcomed. Thank you

Dana, I am going to say this as gently as I can. You have spoiled your dog, especially if you have been with her for the last 11 years. It sounds like you haven't worked on basic obedience with her. At her age, this might be difficult, since she has years to get used to getting away with things. However, a basic obedience class might be helpful. That would let you teach the dog to sit, down, and stay when near the cat and the cat's food. When the cat sees that the dog will stop and do what you say when you tell it to sit, then the cat will feel less threatened around the dog, since the human is in control of the situation.

Wow! You are right. That is what the problem is.

I have never had to enforce any rules when it was just the two of us. She always listened when I talk to her, but when there is another animal around she doesn't. If I tell her move, she moves but lately she has refused . Since last week, she has been stealing food like she never has before and won't move when I tell her. These are new behaviours from her. I hadn't thought about changes in her behaviour to this extent until I read your reply.


I alsi wibder if my feeding the cat by hand isn't also contributing to the problem. It might be a vicious circle.


She seems to be more determined to be the only child. I have to become more determined to retrain her in the very basics.

THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS TO MY ATTENTION.

This is the best piece of advice I have gotten and learned to help me with my dog.

Thank you.