dog turned on kitty

celligraphy

Hi guys my mother's pet dog he's staffie mixed killed her pet kitten yesterday. The dog and kitten used to be friendly with each other , slept together played etc we don't know what happened for him to suddenly turn but our poor kitten is now gone to a better place and my mother is thinking of re homing the dog over him turning . Since killing the kitten he seems more aggressive my mother said when she went to see him later after the kitten incident he started growling and tried to attack her

kylith

The first thing to do with a sudden personality change like this is to bring the dog to the vet to be checked out. If he's in pain that could explain why he is more aggressive.

taytobreath

and keep him away from kids

DBB

taytobreath wrote: »

and keep him away from kids

Folks,
I know some people are concerned about the above comment, because of the tendency for dog-attacks-other-animal threads to go down the line of assumptions that the dog is now a danger to humans.
Usually, it's not necessarily the case.
However, in this instance, the OP reports that the dog has had a go at their mother too, so it's legitimate enough to warn the op to keep the dog away from kids, at least until they know more.
Thanks,
DBB

With mod hat off now op, if your mother really wants to try to understand what has happened, as per above advice, it is important that this reportedly sudden change in behaviour is investigated by a vet, and potentially by a good, qualified behaviourist too.

kathleen37

I was wondering if the OP got the dog to the vet? It is very unusual for a dog to just go into attack mode if it isn't provoked and the only experience I have of one of my two dogs turning on the other, was when the first dog was sick. (not too much damage done in my case thankfully - just snapping to be left alone)

celligraphy

kathleen37 wrote:

I was wondering if the OP got the dog to the vet? It is very unusual for a dog to just go into attack mode if it isn't provoked and the only experience I have of one of my two dogs turning on the other, was when the first dog was sick. (not too much damage done in my case thankfully - just snapping to be left alone)

Sorry for late reply no she just gave him away she was afraid incase he turned on my brother, the grandkids and my sister , he wasn't too happy with anyone after the kitten incident kept snapping for anyone that came near him.

He seems happier now with my uncle .

callaway92

That's quite upsetting even thinking about it to be honest. My last cat was killed by a neighbour's dog and it still upsets me thinking about it.

celligraphy

callaway92 wrote:

That's quite upsetting even thinking about it to be honest. My last cat was killed by a neighbour's dog and it still upsets me thinking about it.

It was very upsetting , we buried him out the back, planting a little flower pot near him , poor little guy he was so friendly . . I didn't like cats before we got this guy changed my whole view

callaway92

celligraphy wrote: »

It was very upsetting , we buried him out the back, planting a little flower pot near him , poor little guy he was so friendly . . I didn't like cats before we got this guy changed my whole view

I did the exact same with mine

You could have a Staffy and a cat together for 10 years, the cat moves a certain way and the Staffy automatically goes into hunt mode and kills the cat.

Cats are the same with birds, a cat and a parrot can live in the open for 10 years, the bird gets a fright and starts flapping, the cat automatically pounces on the bird.

andreac

celligraphy wrote: »

Sorry for late reply no she just gave him away she was afraid incase he turned on my brother, the grandkids and my sister , he wasn't too happy with anyone after the kitten incident kept snapping for anyone that came near him.

He seems happier now with my uncle .

That's not normal behaviour. Did you not think to get him checked out by a vet before doing something like giving him away? A lot of the time if a dog is in pain it can explain changed behaviour like this.

boomerang

Kittens really bring out any dog's predatory instincts. I know two people who had their kitten killed by the family dog. One was a Jack Russell. The other was a Boxer. The breed is irrelevant in this case, really. What we don't know is how the OP's mother reacted to the event and how that impacted on the dog.