For use with questions regarding the interaction of pets with other animals or humans
Questions tagged [socializing]
154 questions
38
votes
1 answer
How to introduce my aggressive dog to other canines?
My dog Rex is a rescue dog, and an aggressive one. He was known at his former shelter for breaking out of his cage and fighting other animals. He will see another dog at 500 ft. away and start "dancing" back and forth, yelping and jumping on two…
Steve D
- 1,900
- 4
- 18
- 21
27
votes
4 answers
How can I tell if my cat is happy?
As a cat owner, I'd of course like to know if my cat is happy. However, most known indicators don't really apply; purring seems to happen for a variety of emotions, meowing vary greatly between different cats and they do not wag their tails like…
Pierre-Luc Pineault
- 627
- 2
- 8
- 13
24
votes
1 answer
How can I safely reintegrate 3 male dogs that have a history of fighting?
Everyone in my immediate family has male dogs: my parents have a 4-year old boxer, my sister has a 2-year old mini pinscher/terrier mix, and my wife & I have a 12-year old pug. All 3 dogs are neutered and have been for some time. The boxer is a…
psubsee2003
- 3,428
- 22
- 50
22
votes
2 answers
How can I encourage my kitten to leave my adult cat alone?
We currently have two cats; one less than a year old and another around 6.
Our adult cat simply wishes to be left alone, but our kitten wants to play with anything and everything all the time, including the older cat. Multiple times a day, I hear a…
Gigazelle
- 885
- 3
- 11
- 19
22
votes
7 answers
How can I stop my inside cat from being irritated by other outside cats or animals?
I have one cat at the moment, who is inside all of the time, but he loves to sit in windowsills.
It doesn't happen often, but there are many nights where another cat or an animal such as a raccoon will wander near the window, which greatly upsets…
user53
21
votes
4 answers
Why doesn't my cat like being held?
We adopted our full-grown cat when she was a couple of months old. She has never shown any signs of having been ill-treated prior to our ownership of her.
The problem is that whenever I grab my cat and hold her close to my chest, she stays still…
Maria Ines Parnisari
- 343
- 1
- 2
- 8
20
votes
5 answers
Encourage rescue cat to sit in lap
About a year ago, we adopted a rescue cat who was about 8 years old. She is gradually flinching less when we bend down to pet her and she will sit next to me and loves to be petted. She will not however sit in my lap.
I have had cats my entire…
Jeni
- 790
- 1
- 6
- 10
20
votes
3 answers
Can an adult feral cat be socialized/domesticated?
My mother was active at spay and release (trapping feral cats, spaying or neutering them, and then releasing them back into the neighborhoods they lived in) at her old house. By the time she left, there was only one feral cat in the neighborhood…
Beofett
- 9,141
- 12
- 53
- 102
18
votes
5 answers
Will kittens of a feral mom "suddenly become feral" if they are allowed outside?
Right now my neighbor has a feral cat and her litter of kittens. They are around 7-8 weeks old and she is planning to give them away. However she insists on keeping them locked in her garage of late because kittens can "suddenly become feral" if…
WRiker
- 524
- 1
- 4
- 9
16
votes
5 answers
How can I keep my cat from being scared any time he sees or hears a person?
One of my cats will avoid any central parts of the house or run through them very quickly. He also runs in fear any time someone walks into the room he's in or if he hears voices at the front door. His favorite spots are secluded dark corners or…
Status3543
- 1,235
- 2
- 11
- 28
16
votes
1 answer
How do we handle two female cats in the household demonstrating alpha behavior?
Our oldest cat, Orla, has always been an alpha queen. She insists on getting fed first, claims a dominant position in the bed at night (right between my wife and I, in the middle of the bed), and had clearly established her position over the two…
Beofett
- 9,141
- 12
- 53
- 102
15
votes
1 answer
When is it safe to take my dog out to the park?
My puppy is six weeks old and has only had her first vaccination. I want to start socialising her with other dogs and people, but don't want her to catch any nasty canine diseases.
When is it safe for me to take her to the dog park to socialise with…
user6796
15
votes
5 answers
How can we encourage our kitten to come up to us, if we're unable to get down on the floor with her?
My brother just lost his cat to cancer, he is alone, and really needs companionship of our kitten.
She uses her litter box and is eating good. He gave her a room with all her stuff in it. She doesn't come up to us yet.
My question is we both have…
MARGARET ANDERSON
- 151
- 1
- 3
15
votes
3 answers
How can I tell the difference between play and aggression at the dog park?
I have heard some real horror stories about taking dogs to the dog park. Too many owners just let their dogs run unsupervised, and many people seem unable to distinguish dog-on-dog play from dog-on-dog aggression.
If I bring my dog to the dog park,…
Beofett
- 9,141
- 12
- 53
- 102
14
votes
4 answers
What are healthy treats for a house rabbit?
My house rabbit can be rather shy around guests, and I would like to encourage her to be more friendly when people come around. I have explained to my guests that rabbits can be startled easily and they will crouch lower and move slower and quieter…
user35