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Why does my friendly dog sniff our new kitten until she gets mad?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Blue Heeler | Male | neutered | 8 years and 1 month old | 54 lbs

My dog is super friendly and has been around cats before. Usually he is afraid to approach them because of how many times he has been hit by a cat. Well we just got a kitten and he is afraid of her when she is puffy and hitting him but when she is calm and not looking at him he presses his nose against her and like sniffs really hard and just keeps doing it until she is mad. I'm not afraid he'll hurt her but I also dont understand why he interact with her the way that he does.

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on April 4th, 2019

It sounds like Griffin is VERY interested and excited about the new kitten, and is likely trying to check her out. If he gets too in her face, I would definitely break it up and distract him with a toy or treat elsewhere. Making sure your kitten has places to escape such as a high up perch or beyond a baby gate where Griffin can't get to is also a good idea. It is also best to make sure pup and kitten are always supervised when together as even the friendliest dog may accidentally injure a tiny kitten without meaning to!

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