My kitten won’t stop biting and scratching my dog.

We’ve been working on gradually allowing our dog (border terrier; ~1yr old) and kitten (female; 5 months) to hang out in the house. We have several cat trees, tables, baby gates and one crate so that they each have their own space when overwhelmed or tired. Our dog has enough recall that even when he focuses on her we can call him off within a few seconds. But we’ve noticed she’s started rushing him and the play fighting is turning more aggressive. They are never alone with each other and separated the moment we see play switch to something more mean.

We’re more worried on how we can get her to play nicer in general. I know when she has more energy she can be more bitey and scratchy. However, I want to know if this is a correctable behavior and how I can better manage it. I’ve never had a cat before or had them cohabitate with a dog. I’m not able to find any resources on this issue 😅

Posted Sep 6, 2026, 3:15 AM UTC

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