• 🚨 Only 16 Founding Member badges left! Sign up & post 3 times to claim yours.

Lady Bee and the cat

D

Dubuquecois

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2025
Messages
6
Reaction score
5
We got The Bee last January. She was at the Iowa County (Wisconsin) Humane Society, and a handful. She’s improved tremendously since, but one area she’s stalled out is with our cat, Rupert, AKA Satan’s Little Helper. The first time we let them interact, inside, with LB on a long leash, she charged towards him, he started to run, stopped, snarled, and stared her down. The Bee decided other things were more interesting and their meeting was over. Since then, now if Rupert sees her he runs like crazy for cover, usually the basement, and she’s hot on his trail, but won’t go to the basement, which is verboten. And this is where we’re stuck. Rupert only comes out when she’s penned up. There are no opportunities to train her because interactions last about 2 seconds. I should add that the cat is fast and agile, but she’s faster. Rupert is also 14 or 15, while LB is estimated to be between 5 and 8.

I got nothing. Any suggestions from the group?

Thnx.
 
That’s a tricky one and honestly, a pretty common standstill once patterns like that set in. Sounds like The Bee’s prey drive kicks in the second Rupert moves, and since he always bolts, it keeps reinforcing the chase. Neither of them is really getting a chance to rewrite the story.

If it were me, I’d go back to controlled setups without movement at first, distance, barrier, calm presence, and lots of reward for neutrality. Something like having The Bee on leash, Rupert visible but stationary (baby gate, crate, or even a cracked door), and just marking calm behavior. No chasing, no staring, just teaching “see cat = stay neutral.”

Once that becomes boring, you can add movement in micro steps, maybe Rupert walking past behind a barrier, or using a cat toy stand-in to proof impulse control before he’s in the picture.

With an older cat, safety and stress management matter most, so short sessions and clear exits are key. It’s less about forcing them to like each other and more about making calm coexistence the default.

You’re on the right track, it just takes a reset and a ton of patience. You’re already ahead of the game by recognizing what’s happening instead of trying to rush them together.
 
I like the idea of starting off with a cat toy stand-in. Hadn't thought of that. Thank you!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top