Unfortunately I have two basement cats. For some ridiculous reason, my mother brought home another dog a year ago...and he's cute when he's not barking (which is about five minutes each day). For some reason, my two male cats are so scared of him that they hide in the basement all day and all night. They have litter, food, water, toys, and places to sleep down there, but I just miss them.
My female cat loves attention and food so much that she hid for about a week. Those other two have not made any progress at all. And I don't know why since the new dog is only a bit larger than a house cat himself. Meanwhile, the dog they were all friendly with that we had before is about 50 pounds and much larger than the new dog.
I have tried everything to get them upstairs. My younger male is especially skittish. He will run in my room and squeeze himself under my bed in a spot where I can't get him out and I have to poke him with a yardstick to chase him out. Even if I block off all access to under my bed, he somehow finds a way under, and he will stay under there for hours and hours, likely hungry and shitting himself. The dog will bark like mad when he sees these cats. I had heard it would take cats about six months or so to get used to a new dog...mine show no desire at all to come back upstairs where they could get attention.
I just really miss seeing my cats come upstairs. Anyone else ever deal with this? Should I block access to the basement and bring the cats upstairs? Muzzle the dog? The dog is afraid to go down the stairs, so the cats are safe in the basement, but goddammit the cats were here before that little barking asshole.
My female cat loves attention and food so much that she hid for about a week. Those other two have not made any progress at all. And I don't know why since the new dog is only a bit larger than a house cat himself. Meanwhile, the dog they were all friendly with that we had before is about 50 pounds and much larger than the new dog.
I have tried everything to get them upstairs. My younger male is especially skittish. He will run in my room and squeeze himself under my bed in a spot where I can't get him out and I have to poke him with a yardstick to chase him out. Even if I block off all access to under my bed, he somehow finds a way under, and he will stay under there for hours and hours, likely hungry and shitting himself. The dog will bark like mad when he sees these cats. I had heard it would take cats about six months or so to get used to a new dog...mine show no desire at all to come back upstairs where they could get attention.
I just really miss seeing my cats come upstairs. Anyone else ever deal with this? Should I block access to the basement and bring the cats upstairs? Muzzle the dog? The dog is afraid to go down the stairs, so the cats are safe in the basement, but goddammit the cats were here before that little barking asshole.
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