# Dog Mouthing New Kitten



## heidiann (Feb 3, 2008)

We just adopted a 10 week old kitten. We have 3 other adult cats and 2 dogs. 

We're doing the introduction slowly as we're supposed to. New kitty is isolated in the bathroom for a while. He actually has a cold and was just neutered, so once he's better he will be out more, but will still be separated from the rest of the animals. 

Anyways, our Aussie, Topaz is *very* interested in him and when he can, sniffs him all over, nudges him with his nose and even tries to mouth his neck, which ends up being his whole body since he's sooo teenie. He's been around a tiny kitten before...we got Razzle when he was very tiny and I don't remember if he did the same thing to him or not. 

I tried to Google "Dog mouthing kitten" but my google skills are broken tonight. Does anyone know why it is that he's doing this? I assume it's a dominance thing, or a "motherly" type of thing, but my biggest fear is him hurting the kitten. It makes me nervous that he does this, he's not an aggressive dog, just very mouthy in general and the kitten doesn't seem to be bothered by it. 

We definitely will not leave them alone together without supervision until the kitten is older/bigger and until I'm more comfortable with the dogs' behavior around him. 

Thanks in advance!


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## Adustgerm (Jul 29, 2009)

My dogs mouth the kitties when they want them to play. Just be careful because the kitty is tiny.


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

Drop the dominance thing. Nothing to do with it and mostly nothing to do with anything. Dogs do not have linear pack structures like wolves, do not have family structures like wolves and so a lot of that stuff goes away with dogs.

Mouthing is something dogs do to explore things. They lack hands and so use their mouths. I have seen horses do the same thing.. and cattle (but they use their tongues). 

I would stop this behavior at this point. Kittens are fragile things... you would be best to prevent injuries by interfering with this behavior. It can also escalate into something much more sinister and you can end up with a dead kitten. Prevention is 9/10ths of the cure. 

Meanwhile, enjoy the kitten stage. They grow up fast as you know. Of course, in my house I have a 13 year old cat who still acts like a kitten.. he just does it on a different scale... LOL

What have you named your new Meezer?


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## Eris13021 (May 16, 2009)

Adustgerm said:


> My dogs mouth the kitties when they want them to play. Just be careful because the kitty is tiny.


i agree. I just loss two 6 week old kittens due to a dog.


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## heidiann (Feb 3, 2008)

Thanks for the responses, we will definitely be putting an end to the mouthing behavior. I don't want any accidents to happen and I definitely don't want to lose the kitten because of Topaz. I would feel so bad. 

I'm sorry to the ppl who have lost kittens to their (or others') dogs. How horrible!

His name is Cosmo  He's a grey tabby.

Here he is at the Humane Society with my husband holding him:









Playing:









And with said dog:


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