Why Do Dogs Break Up Catfights

Why Do Dogs Break Up Catfights? 5 Common Reasons

If you’re an avid animal lover, it won’t be uncommon for you to have pets at home. Perhaps, you’re both a cat and a dog parent. In that case, you must have noticed how dogs tend to break up catfights. Did you take a moment to wonder why?

The answer is simple: Dogs usually break up catfights as a form of defense. As you may have noticed, cats tend to fight to the point where they might hurt each other. This is something that dogs despise, and they would immediately try and stop it by all means.

If you want to find out more about why do dogs break up catfights, you’ll get your answers in this post.

Why Do Cats Usually Fight?

Before diving deeper into the subject, let’s try and analyze why cats end up fighting with each other in the first place.

  • Creating mischief

One of the biggest reasons cats usually fight is for no other reason than to cause mischief. This playful demeanor can get them into trouble, especially when it starts getting rough. Even though it might not have been their initial intention to fight, things are bound to worsen.

  • Being hostile

Male cats are more hostile than female cats, which is why you’ll often see the former involved in fights. Moreover, like most species, male cats will try to dominate cats of the opposite gender. This means picking fights with their siblings or even a stray cat.

  • Marking territory

Being a cat person, you should know by now that cats are fond of establishing territories. Upon invasion of the territory, there will be a fighting scene almost every day! This is especially true when you have two or more cats as pets at home.

Owning a single cat doesn’t mean you’re free of this tension. Your cat is bound to get aggressive with your neighbor’s cat or any other stray cat when it tries to invade its space. To avoid this, it’s recommended that you keep your cat indoors at all times.

Reasons For Stopping Cat Fights

Apart from a dog’s defensive nature, there could be other reasons it would want cats to stop fighting among themselves. Listed below are some of the reasons.

  1. They might be displaying dominance

While dogs are friendly and irresistible, they are also known for displaying their dominant nature. This is one of the reasons why dogs tend to intervene whenever cats fight. Usually, it could mean that the dog wants to portray its high-ranking position in the group.

  1. They may not want to be in harm’s way

Even though dogs fight with each other, there’s something about other animals fighting that they can’t stand. When they see cats brawling, it becomes a natural tendency to stop the situation from escalating further. This, in turn, will ensure that the cats are safe, including the dog’s pack members.

  1. They might be finding the noise bothersome

Naturally, there’ll be a lot of hissing and purring whenever cats fight. Dogs might find this noise annoying and want to break up the bout immediately. It could be with a single or few barks or even a physical involvement- whichever works best for the dog!

  1. They might be protecting you!

Another reason why dogs tend to break up catfights is that it could be a form of protection for you. That’s right. Being the guardians of the family as they are, dogs will intervene in the fight if they feel it’s threatening you in any way.

  1. They may want the cats to play with them

Since dogs are always up for playtime, seeing cats fight seems to be a great opportunity for them to get in on the fun! This means the dog indirectly breaks up the catfight by getting involved. Although this may not always be the case, it can be a good enough reason dogs break up catfights.

How Do Dogs Intervene in Catfights?

Dogs tend to prevent cats from fighting in several manners. They could try to get in between the cats as a preventive method. The dog could also start barking at the cats in hopes that they will discontinue the fight. Sometimes, the dog will drag a cat out of the fight by grabbing it by the neck.

Whichever way dogs try to break up catfights, it will ultimately depend on the dog’s build and how active or defensive it is.

Will A Dog’s Intervention Cause More Problems?

It’s not unusual for cats and dogs to fight. Things might get ugly when your dog starts getting protective and tries to break up a catfight. Meaning your pets might start fighting with each other instead.

If and when this happens, you need to take immediate action without wasting another minute. Of course, how you handle the situation is super important.

Trying to break up a fight between cats and dogs doesn’t mean simply grabbing onto one of them. This act could only cause you an injury or even multiple injuries.

The best way to tackle such a scenario would be to separate the animals however possible. Firmly asserting your dislike and disallowance of the fight will automatically lead to lesser fights in the long run.

You could also distract your pets with a loud sound. Even though there’s a slight chance this trick won’t work, especially if the fight gets intense, it could be effective. As long as you catch your pet’s attention, you know the situation is under control.

Final Words on Why Do Dogs Break Up Catfights

Why Do Dogs Break Up Catfights

Even though cats and dogs have a long history of being sworn enemies, they can get along exceptionally well.

The best way to support this theory is how dogs try to break up catfights. Call it the establishment of dominance or instinct- most times, it’s just that the dog wants the catfight to be over! Either way, it’s a win-win situation for the dog once the fight is resolved.

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