My dog has licked my cat's fur around the neck so much it has removed some fur, should I be very worried.

[IagreewithNick]

Our springer is 8, he has always been around cats and seems to quite like them. We have had our cats for about 3 years, they all get along fine generally. If the cats try and pinch his food he gives a low growl and they go. They tend to nap togther, sniff each other and give the odd lick. The cats often brush up against the dog, she sniffs them back.

Like many springers he is very friendly, he will chase birds and has killed rabbits before but has never ever hurt the cats.

We have just come back from shopping and one of our cats ( the dominant male one) was sat on top of the kictchen cupboard looking very wet around the neck. He has been licked repeatedly around the neck area to the extent there is some fur missing. The cat is also very nervous. When we called in the dog he refused at first to come in and was doing all the look a floor and skulking thing that springer do when they have done something wrong.

Dp has told me that he once killed a rabbit and it was found having been licked repeatedly at the neck.

I am very worried that the same might happen to our cat. My son is now very upset thinking that we are going to put the dog down ( we are not) because it has hurt the cat.

What do we do?

Don't leave them alone together if you can help it. I'm surprised the cat allowed the dog to do that to him.

I am as well cornsilk especially this cat as it takes no crap from anyone. I thought at first that perhaps it has been outside and maybe a larger unfamiliar animal had done it and our cat had frozen with fear. But dp pointed out that the door was locked while we were out and there were no windows open so it could not have got out so it could only be the dog.

The dog must have cornered the cat or pinned it down which is what is so worrying.

My partner is at home for most of the day so they are rarely left alone. We will now have to get int he habit if putting the cats out if we leave the dog in. We have been out today for 5 hours, we rarely leave the dog alone for that long anymore.

how worrying - poor cat

Part of me thinks we should rehouse the cats just incase but a larger part of me thinks they are our animals and our responsibilty so we have to make it work. This has never happened before and as I said before the dog has been around cats all his life.

Does the dog like the cat, generally?

My Dad's Akita over grooms the little black lab until she loses fur. Perhaps it's something like that?

Yes he does generally like the cats althougb dp has just pointed out that he prefers the female cat as she is quite timid and never pinches his food. The female cat and the dog sleep together.

The male cat is quite bolshy and on a regular basis mounts the dog and attempts to hump him. The dog either tries to shake him off or lets him carry on but does not look particularly happy. The male cat also tries to pinch the dogs food.

The dog does lick the cats often which seems to be affection but he does this mainly to the female cat.

This is the first time the cats have lost any fur because the dog has overlicked them - they have been together for 3 years.

Dp says that he has never seen the dog give the cats more than the odd lick, he never grooms them properly. They do try and groom him.

The cats neck is very pink. He is worried that the do has licked the cat and started to enjoy it as he would licking a bone and has then got carried away.

A gentle bump

The cat is still being rather nervous and is avoiding the dog.