Did you find a dead kitten in your yard or your house, and you suspect that your dog did it? Are you wondering: why do dogs kill kittens, when they are obviously not harmful to them? This article delves into some of the reasons.
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If your dog recently killed kittens, and you don’t have any idea why she would be doing something so horrible as this, this article will help you understand. There are some reasons that can explain this strange behavior of dogs.
Dogs and cats often fight when they come in contact. You may have heard that a dog got in a fight with a cat and ripped apart that poor kitty, but I don’t know why it happened. In this article, let’s find out “why do dogs kill kittens” in this article.
Why Do Dogs Kill Kittens
It will be difficult for a dog owner to respond after their dog kills their cat. Dog owners have many thoughts that will occur in their minds after witnessing a fight between a dog and a cat. Dog owners with small kids become anxious about their kid’s safety around their dogs.
A dog can kill kittens because of several reasons.
Instinct to Hunt
Dogs often attack smaller animals like rabbits, cats, rats, and chicks instinctively, and as pet parent it is your job to train this behavior out of them. Your dog may attack the cat or kitten for a basic reason, to eat it.
Dog owners may serve their dog a healthy meal several times a day, but their dog might still look for prey to hunt, and cats fall on that list. Dog brains find cats as delicious snacks filled with protein. Dogs look for easy prey like kittens to eat.
Being Protective of their Owners
Dogs love their owner and can become overly protective when they find themselves with another person or animal. You may see kittens as lovable creatures, while your dog will find them as a danger and see them as someone who’s stealing their owner.
Your dog can also think of kittens as intruders in your home when seeing them for the first time. Your dog will bark, growl, and try to scare the kittens when they first meet. And when the kittens show any sign of threat like stalking you, your dog can become aggressive and kill them off.
They Might Just Be Being Playful
Dogs and kittens become friends and live together harmoniously in most cases. But, they are still natural enemies, so you should keep an eye on your pets.
If you have a dog and kitten that get along well, but in your absence, your dog killed a kitten, this may have happened because of an accident as dogs are larger than kittens, and a small impact of their claw can injure them while playing.
Maybe your kitten got too close to your dog and got wounded in the back and neck while they were playing together.
Predatory Drift
There is also a chance that the predator instinct of dogs will take over them and get aggressive and kill tiny, poor kittens. This phenomenon is also called predatory drift.
My Dog Killed My Cat What Should I Do?
If your dog killed a kitten, you should follow these tips to prevent your dog from repeating its mistake in the future:
- Manage the environment: After you find a dead kitten in your house and you suspect that your dog killed her, you should bury or cremate them. You should manage your dog’s environment and protect other animals from them. Trian them, so they don’t harm other animals.
- Protect your other kittens: If your dog kills a kitten, it is your responsibility to protect the other kittens from them. You can keep dogs and kittens in a separate room or consider re-homing your pets. Dogs are predators, and they will kill other kittens or cats in the future. You should prevent them from repeating it.
- Seek help: You can ask a professional to change your dog’s behavior and prevent it from harming other kittens. You can take the help of force-free training and behavior modification.
- Protect your children from dogs: If your dog kills cats, it can also hurt your minor children. You should ensure that your kids are safe from your dog.
How to Introduce Your Kitten To Your Dog
- Prepare a safe and comfortable room for your new kitten. You will need to secure an area from your dog and put a bed, food, water, and a little box for kittens.
- Prepare your four-legged friend for the arrival of a new friend. Dogs are friendly to their owner and the people they know.
- Let dog and kitten get familiar with each other’s scent.
- Let your dog stay with kittens after they get comfortable with each other.
More Questions Related to Aggressive Dogs and Kittens
Can a dog die from a broken neck?
If treated immediately there is a chance of survival.
When a dog receives a severe attack and gets neck and back injuries in a fight, it may become unconscious with a traumatic shock. It can also cause severe damage or even paralysis to your dog. However, many times animals with serious neck injuries can and do survive.
My dog killed my cat; what should I do?
Protect other kittens and retrain your dog.
Unfortunate events where a dog kills its owner’s cat can make the owner terrified and confused, leaving them nothing but worries. If your dog also killed your cat, you should teach your dog a lesson not to hunt your other cats in the future. You can remodel your home to protect your other cats from your dog.
Can a cat beat a dog?
Yes, large cats can even kill dogs of smaller size.
Cats can kill a dog that is smaller in size. You should remember that dogs and cats are natural enemies and can fight whenever they have the opportunity. You can prevent your pets from dying by keeping them in separate rooms.
The Bottom Line
It is not very uncommon for a dog to kill a smaller animal like a kitten. This can happen because dogs find cats as a natural enemy. There can be other reasons for it, including that your dog thinks tiny kittens are a threat.
If you live with both a dog and a cat, your dog can still kill tiny kittens by accident. You should follow some safety considerations to keep your pets safe from each other.
Thank you for reading this article, we hope it was able to answer your queries. If you have more such questions, do write to us in the comments.
We have written about other odd behaviors in dogs such as spinning around in circles, chasing flies, and barking at you. Read about them to understand your dog better.