I have 3 cats and a dog. The dog is 3 years old and has been with us and around the cats since she was a baby( Jack Russell/ Lab mix Female) All animals have always gotten along up until a couple weeks ago. The middle child cat (Male 7 years), will randomly attack the dog. Seems to happen about every other day. He will be fine for most of the day. They do their own thing, walk past each other no problem. All of a sudden he will stare her down and attack. He can get aggressive when playing with the other cats time to time, but they let him know and put him in his place. The dog on the other hand will get scared and never leave our side.
Unsure what on the cause, but how can I correct the behavior?? Is he bored and play turns into aggression? Is it a dominance thing? Why the sudden change?
ps. We recently had a baby, the dog cares for the baby, the cats have no interest whatsoever.
My wife has been staying at home the last 10 weeks
All animals are fixed
Dog does her own thing and has always left the cats alone.
Hello and thank you for reaching out. I suspect the baby is a potential stressor to your middle cat since cats are creatures of routine with him redirecting his frustration onto the dog, he might also be feeling threatened over his territory. Watch out for early warning signs before the sudden attack, redirect his attention with toys, provide sufficient attention and fun opportunities to engage his brain. Do contact your vet if you need further guidance. You can read more about cats and babies at https://icatcare.org/advice/cats-and-babies/ . Hope this helps, Melina